TecnoCampus Foundation
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General information

Subject type: Mandatory

Coordinator: Juan José Pons López

Trimester: Second term

Credits: 6

Teaching staff: 

Alfredo Gonzalez-Barros Camba

Academic year: 2025

Teaching course: 4

Languages ​​of instruction

  • Spanish

Competencies / Learning Outcomes

Specific skills

  • V2. Design the mechanics, rules, structure and narrative of video games following the criteria of gameplay and balance to provide the best possible gaming experience.

  • V5. Write the specifications of a game and communicate them effectively to the team of artists and developers and other members involved in the creation and development of the game.

Presentation of the subject

The subject of Game Design II is the last approach to the creation of games that is carried out within the framework of the subject of Design and Creation of Games. We work from the perspective of gender theory and, more specifically, from the design of mechanics. The subject consists of sessions
theoretical, design sessions based on cases and oral defense sessions. In order to obtain knowledge of the subject, the creation of design documentation in specific cases and its oral defense is assessed, on the one hand, and theoretical knowledge on an individual basis.

Contents

Subject 1. Design of systems
1.1. Roles and tasks of a video game designer
1.2. The designer in the video game industry
1.3. Design tools and methods


Topic 2. Mechanics of 3D games according to genres (I): Combat
2.1. Historical evolution of the genre from the perspective of design
2.2. Central mechanics of the genre
2.3. Case study


Topic 3. Mechanics of 3D games according to genres (II): The shooter
3.1. Historical evolution of the genre from the perspective of design
3.2. Central mechanics of the genre
3.3. Case study


Topic 4. Mechanics of 3D games according to genres (III): sports games
4.1. Historical evolution of the genre from the perspective of design
4.2. Central mechanics of the genre
4.3. Case study


Topic 5. Mechanics of 3D games according to genres (IV): the puzzle
5.1. Historical evolution of the genre from the perspective of design
5.2. Central mechanics of the genre
5.3. Case study

Activities and evaluation system

The grade of each student will be calculated following the following percentages:


A1. Laboratory practices: Mechanics definition workshops 40%
A2. Exercises to do in class: Oral defense of design proposals 20%
A3. Final exam 40%


Final grade = A1 0,4 + A2 0,2 + A3 0,4


Considerations:

  • You must obtain a grade above 5 in the final exam to pass the subject.
  • An activity not delivered or delivered late and without justification (court summons or medical matter) counts as a 0.
  • In the case of detecting plagiarism, copying or fraud in any evaluable activity or test, this will automatically obtain a final grade of 0. Additionally, in cases of copying or fraud, both the person who copies and the person who allows copying are responsible for their conduct, and the consequences of the conduct affect all students involved in the irregular action. Regardless of the suspension caused by plagiarism, copying or fraud, the professor will communicate the situation to the Department Management so that the applicable measures are taken in terms of disciplinary regime and the initiation of the relevant disciplinary file.
  • Misspellings, writing errors and formal and technical problems specific to the subject will be penalized with 0,10 points, up to a maximum of 2 points, in all assessable activities and tests


Recovery:

  • It is necessary to obtain a grade above 5 in the recovery exam to pass the subject.
  • The recovery will use the same system as the ordinary call: A1 0,4 + A2 0,2 + A3 0,4, with A3 being the mark of the recovery exam. In this case, the practices cannot be recovered and it is also necessary to obtain a grade above 5 in the recovery exam to pass the subject.

Bibliography

Basic

Fullerton, Tracy. (2014). Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games, Third Edition, AK Peters/CRC Press.

 

Rogers, Scott. (2014), Level Up!: The Guide to Great Video Game Design. Wiley 2 edition.

Schell, Jesse. (2011). The Art of game design: a book of lenses. Elsevier/Morgan Kaufmann.
 

Complementary

Adams, Ernest & Dormans, Joris. (2012). Game Mechanics, Advanced game design. New Riders Games.

Addison, Wesley. (2006). Level Design for Games: Creating Compelling Experiences. New Riders Games.

Salen, Katie & Zimmerman, Eric. (2004). Rules of Play, Game Design Fundamentals. The MIT Press.

Come on, Katie. (2005). The Game Design Reader. A Rules of Play Anthology. The MIT Press.