GDD 411 Game Lab 6

Syllabi

Find the class syllabus here.

Info

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

Objectives

Students in GDD411 will:

• Learn about and practice the SCRUM development process;
• Explore the process of making games through practice: iterative design, playtesting, and analysis;
• Learn how to present game ideas clearly, critically evaluate games, and give clear feedback;
• Practice working in teams.

Philosophy

Predicting the behavior of complex systems like games is difficult. The only way to know whether or not an idea will make for a meaningful game experience is by building it. This also means that creating a successful game on the first attempt is close to impossible. Because of this, we will focus on the process of iteration: we’ll build prototypes, test them and build them again. Mistakes and incorrect assumptions are to be embraced as part of the process.

Structure

The first two weeks of the semester will consist of an individual assignment that will be an opportunity for students to refine an existing game to make it portfolio-ready. After this, the class will turn into a more traditional design lab, where class time will be dedicated to one large project, working in teams. These larger projects will consist of presentations, design documents, playtesting, critique, and reflection.