107125 - INTRODUCTION TO GAME DESIGN

Subject type: Mandatory

Coordinator: Adso Fernández Baena

Trimester: Second term

Credits: 4

The materials can be provided in Catalan as well as in Spanish or English. 

The subject of Introduction to Game Design is the first approach to the ideation, prototyping and creation of a game in the framework of the subject of Game Design and Creation. It works from the perspective of analog play in aspects such as mechanics, dynamics and aesthetics. The course consists of theoretical sessions, game sessions and prototyping sessions. To achieve the knowledge the subject is evaluated on the one hand the creation of a prototype in group and on the other the theoretical knowledge individually.

This subject has methodological and digital resources to make possible its continuity in non-contact mode in the case of being necessary for reasons related to the Covid-19. In this way, the achievement of the same knowledge and skills that are specified in this teaching plan will be ensured.

The Tecnocampus will make available to teachers and students the digital tools needed to carry out the course, as well as guides and recommendations that facilitate adaptation to the non-contact mode.

At the end of the course students must be able to:

E1.6. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a video game in a reasoned and exemplary way.

E2.1. Design mechanics and rules of the game that as a whole are called gameplay.

The subject uses the following work methodologies: 

Master Class, Video Capsules, Presentations.

Topic 1. The analog game and the game designer

1.1. The contemporary board game: evolution and typologies

1.2. From playing to creating: typologies and functions of the game designer.

Topic 2. Elements of the games

2.1. The game as a system

2.1.1. Mechanics: rules as actions

2.1.2. The gameplay or gameplay: the system of loops

2.1.3 The gaming experience: the user at the center of the system

2.2 Nuclear elements of the game

2.2.1. Structure and challenges

2.2.2. Game turn

2.2.3. Actions and resources

2.2.4. Resolution

2.2.5. Victory and completion conditions

Topic 3. Introduction to Game Theory

3.1. Depending on the structure

3.1.1. Symmetrical and asymmetrical games

3.1.2. Zero sum and non-zero sum games

3.1.3. Games of strategy, uncertainty and chance

3.2. According to the knowledge and the winning strategy

3.2.1. Prisoner's Dilemma and Nash Balance 

3.2.2. "Maximin" and "Minimax" criteria

3.2.3. Information models

Subject 4. The design of games like discipline

4.1. High level design methodologies

4.2. Design methods or tools

Item 5. Creation and prototyping of games

5.1. Where do the ideas come from? Brainstorming and other strategies

5.2. Choosing a design perspective: from mechanics to subject, from subject to mechanics

5.3. Analog prototyping

In order to gather evidence of the achievement of the expected learning outcomes, the following will be performed evaluative activities (Related to all common competencies):

A1. Exercises to do in class or at home: Analysis of mechanics and gameplay in analog games (Evidence of learning outcome E1.6)
Carrying out a complete analysis of a set of contemporary non-digital games in groups based on the theoretical contents of the subject.

A2. Group work: Design and implementation of an analog game prototype (Evidence of learning outcome E2.1)
Design and production of an analog board game prototype.

A3. Final exam (Evidence of all learning outcomes)

General criteria of the activities:
- The teacher will present a statement for each activity and the evaluation and / or rubric criteria.
- The teacher will inform of the dates and format of the delivery of the activity.

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

A1. Exercises to do in class or at home: Analysis of mechanics and gameplay in analog games 20%
A2. Group work: Design and implementation of an analog game prototype 40%
A3. Final exam 40%

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

Considerations:

• It is necessary to obtain a mark higher than 5 in the final exam / equivalent test to pass the subject.
• An activity not delivered or delivered late and without justification (court summons or medical matter) counts as a 0.
• It is the responsibility of the student to prevent plagiarism in all its forms. In the case of detecting a plagiarism, regardless of its scope, in some activity it will correspond to have a note of 0. In addition, the professor will communicate to the Head of Studies the situation so that measures applicable in matter of sanctioning regime are taken. .

Recovery:

• It is necessary to obtain a mark higher than 5 in the final exam / equivalent test of recovery to pass the subject.
• The mark of the resit exam will be equivalent to the final mark of the subject.
• In case of passing the recovery, the maximum final mark of the subject will be 8.

Salen, K. & Zimmerman, E. (2003). Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals. Cambridge: MIT Press.

Salen, K. & Zimmerman, E. (2005). The Game Design Reader: A Rules of Play Anthology. Cambridge: MIT Press.

Ham, E. (2015). Tabletop Game Design for Video Game Designers. Abingdon: CRC Press.

Fullerton, T. (2014). Game design workshop: a playcentric approach to creating innovative games. Abingdon: CRC press. 

Rogers, S. (2014). Level Up! The guide to great video game design (2nd Edition). West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons. 

Selinker, M. (2011). The Kobold guide to board game design. Kirkland: Kobold Press.

Zubek, R. (2020). Elements of game design. Cambridge: MIT Press.

Colleen, M. & Sharp, J. (2016). Games, Design and Play: A detailed approach to iterative game design. Boston: Addison-Wesley.

Schell, J. (2014). The Art of Game Design: A book of lenses (3rd Edition). Abingdon: CRC Press. 

Brathwaite, B. & Schreiber, I. (2009). Challenges for game designers. Boston: Nelson Education. 

Koster, R. (2013). Theory of fun for game design. Sevastopol: O'Reilly Media. 

Anthropy, A. & Clark, N. (2014). A game design vocabulary: Exploring the foundational principles behind good game design. London: Pearson Education.

Engelstein, G. & Shalev, I. (2019). Building Blocks of Tabletop Game Design: An Encyclopedia of Mechanisms. Abingdon: CRC Press.