A downloadable class

Weekly Devlogs

All students should create Itch.io accounts in order to post developer logs ("devlogs"). (Oh, hey, congrats you're now a game developer.) If you have an Itch account from another class: great! If you need to register a new one, please know you are not required to use your real name. I often recommend students use a game studio name generator if you need ideas.

You'll need to start a new project using your "studio" name use this throughout the semester, adding a devlog each week. I'll show you how to do this in class and instructions are linked in the videos at the bottom of this page.

Devlogs (400 worthwhile words) are due every Sunday by 11:59pm. In your reflection, respond to the prompt and connect the previous week's readings (at least 3 quotes or specific references, cited with Author Page/Timestamp). You can also discuss the work we did in class that week. Links, photos, and other media are encouraged!

Even though devlogs are reflections due Sunday, all of the "in preparation" readings/videos should be completed before class on Tuesdays so that we can talk about and use them. You're reading and watching so that we can discuss, make stuff, and the you can reflect on how it has applied. There will be 14 devlogs in total, though only 12 are required. The other two are either for make-up or extra credit.

First Day of Class

Thu., Aug. 25

In Preparation: Bring yourself!

Sunday Aug 28th [Devlog 1] Create your Itch.io account and choose "Upload a new project" to create your project page and write your first devlog post (instructions at the bottom of this schedule).Tell us why you're taking this class. What do you hope to learn? What kinds of games (of any kind!) do you currently play?

Playcentric Design

Tue., Aug. 30

In Preparation:

Discussion: Design Processes

Thu., Sep. 1

Discussion: Folk Games and Vernacular Design

Form groups: Folk Game modding

Sunday Sept 4th [Devlog 2] How are you (and your group) finding inspiration for your folk games? What sort of research does that entail and what's your idea for "modding" it? Connect Sicart's discussion of the cultures of play to what you think makes for good folk game design.

Tue., Sep. 6

In preparation:

Discussion: Six Elements / Ten Tools

Thu., Sep. 8

Time to play your folk games! Bring in all necessary equipment and printed rules sheet.

Sunday Sept 11th [Devlog 3] Which of Six Elements / Ten Tools were most relevant to your design? Discuss both how they were applied and how you might use them in a hypothetical revision of your folk game based on class feedback or any aspect of the game you'd personally make changes to.

Rules, Procedures, and We'll De-Make a Sport

Tue., Sep. 13

In Preparation:

Discussion: The design of sports

Thu., Sep. 15

Discussion: Strategies for de-making and prototyping

Form Groups: Sports de-makes

Sunday Sept 18th [Devlog 4] In the first 200 words, try to explain the sport you learned about from Mr. Animate. Your goal is to be concise in order to explain as much as you can to an unfamiliar spectator. Then, use the next 200 words to incorporate the "Kinds of Play" (from Macklin and Sharp) you see demonstrated in this sport and tell us how the GDC talk by Bennett Foddy might apply.

Tue., Sep. 20

In Preparation:

In-class: De-make prototype play and feedback

Thu., Sep. 22

In-class: De-make refinements and reflection; instructions/slides due to Teams

Sunday Sept 25th [Devlog 5] Translating a sport into a videogame is complex. For this week, I'd like you to discuss a "sports video game" in the way that Sharp does in "The Slow Grind." That could mean a traditional sport in video game form (like NHL '22 or Don Bradman Cricket), an eSport designed to be broadcast and commentated, or even games influenced by sports design like Rocket League or the old indie game Hokra. Help us understand your game as a sport.

How We Play + Social Deduction Games

Tue., Sep. 27

In Preparation:

In-class: Let's play some social deduction games

Thu., Sep. 29

Discussion: Even more deduction!

Form Groups: "Hosting" Games (be sure to watch How To Teach Board Games Like a Pro)

Sunday Oct 2nd [Devlog 6] Based on the videos, readings, and what we played in class this week, describe the genre of "social deduction" game. What design elements does it entail? How does it relate to the Six Elements from Macklin and Sharp that we have been using this semester? What is it like to play one of these games?

Tue., Oct. 4

In Preparation:

In-class: Each group will host an existing social deduction game.

Thu., Oct. 6

In-class: Design Values reports. Each group will present their analysis of the game they hosted.

Sunday Oct 9nd [Devlog 7] Using Macklin and Sharp's "Ten Tools" you read about a few weeks ago {Ch. 2} Basic Game Design Tools and the videos/readings from this week, tell us about the challenges of designing a social deduction game. Then, if you were to design your own social deduction game, what theme would you use? How would those themes support your game? (You don't have to actually write out the rules of the game, just tell us the premise.)

Balance, Hidden Information + Card Games

 

Tue., Oct. 11 (Battle Battle Week)

In Preparation:

Be prepared to Battle-Battle in class. This is a good day to have (and share) dice!

Thu., Oct. 13

In-class: Design a Battle-Battle co-op battle. (Your IDEAPAKs can help you construct your stage.)

Sunday Oct 16th [Devlog 8]: If you attended class Tuesday and Thursday: no devlog! Thank you for your particpation and working with Michael on Battle-Battle. If you missed class, you will need to Battle-Battle at home. Make sure to review the instruction video above and then do the following: battle one character card against "Vanilla" twice. Then battle that same card against another character card. Then, create your own character using one of the blank cards and battle it three times against other characters (adjusting its properties as you go). When you've finished, take a photo of your character card to upload to your devlog. Tell us about the design process and how you balanced. Make sure to cite Schell and Hiwillier.

Tue., Oct. 18 (Let's Design a Card Game)

In Preparation:

In-class: A quick History of Playing Cards

Thu., Oct. 20

In-class: Modern card mechanics, group formation, and let's play a game.

Sunday Oct 23nd [Devlog 9]: Using Altice's chapter as support, analyze a card game you played in class. Describe the cards, the play space, what the deck is comprised of and how it works, and thematic elements. Then repeat this with the Watch It Played example you chose. Make sure to include a link to your Watch It Played choice. And, once you have published your devlog, share the link to your Teams group channel so everyone can see what each other learned about.

Tue., Oct. 25

In Preparation:

In-class: Getting started + finding your concept

Thu., Oct. 27

In-class: Studio Day (work on your games in class)

Sunday Oct 30 [Devlog 10]: What connections can you make between the design process undertaken by Richard Garfield (and team) and your own team's iterative process in the past week? In what ways was Altice's chapter helpful?

Tue., Nov. 1

In-class: Playtesting

Thu., Nov. 3

In-class: Card Game Demos

Sunday Nov 6 [Devlog 11]: I would like you to reflect on the Thursday play session of the game you worked on. Begin by describing how people interpreted and played the game. What did they understand right away? What did they have trouble with? Could you tell players were developing strategies? Or were they just trying to follow along? In your response, refer to advice from the James Ernest article from last week.

Transparent Information + Board Games

Tue., Nov. 8

In Preparation:

  • 📼 Soren Johnson discusses How Board Games Matter at the Game Developers Conference 2014 (video, watch up until Q&A begins at 41 min.)
  • Revisit Watch It Played 📹 (YouTube Channel) and seek out a new board game to learn about.

In-Class: Board Game Brainstorming

Thu., Nov. 10

In-Class: Designing for Pre-Luck

Sunday Nov 13 [Devlog 12]: Based on the board game video you watched, in which ways does (and doesn't) it map to Soren Johnson's four notions of transparency in board game design.

Tue., Nov. 15

In Preparation:

In-Class: Board game concept pitches. Nailing down your idea.

Thu., Nov. 17

In-Class: "Game Feel" prototypes and noun-verb diagrams.

Sunday Nov 20 [Devlog 13]: What does "usability" mean with regards to board games? Explain the exercise that UX designer Jason Schklar came up with to assess usability, what it can teach, and then take some of those lessons and apply it to the board game your team is making now to tell us what sorts of choices you'll need to make when building your board and any game pieces (meeples, tokens, cards, etc.).

Tue., Nov. 22 (No Class)

We're not meeting on Tuesday but every group needs to post to Teams their board game design plan (linked at bottom of page), concept art (found or original), and a list of what everyone will be working on.

Read up to (but not including or past) "Complex Market" in Working with Systems Dynamics (Fullerton chapter 5). This chapter will help you think about that noun-verb diagram you made on Thursday and ways to elaborate or modify relationships in the diagram.

Each team member should take one concept from the chapter and describe how it could be incorporated into the game. Post these to Teams.

By 5pm on Tuesday, each group should post these to Teams:

  • A short paragraph describing the narrative premise of the game. (Location, who the players are, their roles, other objects in the game.)
  • A first-draft of the procedures of the game. How does the game work? What happens on each turn? What happens during each round? What decisions are the players making and why? What are they doing to pursue their goal.
  • Concept art! Found or hand-made, I'd like to see what sorts of art would decorate pieces of your game.
  • What sorts of materials do you think you'll need at this point? What needs to be made vs. what can be bought or found?

Thu., Nov. 24 (Thanksgiving)

Tue., Nov. 29

In Class: Individual group consultations + studio time

For class, your group should be 60% to a prototype today. Everything should be planned out so that when you walk in the room, you can set up your game and start working through the details so that you can come in on Thursday ready to play.

Thu., Dec. 1

In preparation:

  • 📚 Mary Flanagan's 'Board Games' in Critical Play : Radical Game Design (MIT Press, 2009)

In Class: Playtesting!

Sunday Dec 4 [Devlog 14]: In her comprehensive chapter, Flanagan discusses the cultural role of board games in history. One of the stories, in particular, details The Landlord Game. What was The Landlord Game? What is its significance in U.S. game history? And why don't most people know it today?

Tue., Dec. 6

In Class: Re-assure me that you're on track to have an amazing game for the final play session next week!

Mon., Dec 12 — Final Play Session (4:30pm to 7pm)

More information

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3377 Creating a New Project.mp4 9 MB
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3377 Writing a Devlog.mp4 9 MB
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3377 Syllabus (Fall 2223).pdf 508 kB