Intro to Game Development

Syllabus

Find the class syllabus here.

Info

Professor: Jonah Warren (jonah.warren AT quinnipiac DOT edu)

Objectives

Students in GDD200 will:

• learn the how to use the Unity game engine;
• learn the basics of C#;
• learn how to make game from scratch using code and assets.

Philosophy

Creating a digital game is a complex undertaking. Although game engines simplify the process, they can have a steep learning curve. By starting from scratch and focusing on individual topics in isolation, this class allows students to learn incrementally, slowly gaining knowledge and confidence. Daily exercises give students hands-on experience solving problems within the engine, quizzes ensure students retain essential material, and individual projects ask students to creatively apply this knowledge, encouraging them to combine what they have learned in new and different ways.

Structure

The class will be divided into five two-week modules. Each module will cover a different aspect of the Unity engine (e.g., physics, prefabs, ui, animation). Each module will consist of three days of lecture and in-class work, a quiz, and an assignment set. Assignment sets will be due at the conclusion of each module and will consist of three exercises and one larger project. Projects are the most important part of class and should be treated as such. It gives students the opportunity to use the knowledge gained in class and incorporate it into their own creative process. During the last two weeks of class, students will take one of their previous projects and expand upon it.