Games for All

Syllabus

Find the class syllabus here.

Info

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

Objectives

Students in GDD175 will:

• learn how to create small games from several different perspectives (e.g., narrative, world building, problem solving);
• explore the possibility space and essential characteristics associated with each perspective;
• explore how each perspective affects the design process;
• learn several different prototyping tools.

Philosophy

There is a common misconception that making digital games requires complex software, large teams, and advanced technical skills. While this may be true for creating large-scale console games, there is a growing community of game makers using small, freely available tools to create short, impactful experiences. These tools use constraints to simplify the game development process, requiring creators to consider game making from a specific point-of-view (e.g., storytelling, world-building, problem solving). This class uses these tools as entry points for students to explore and discuss different perspectives on game creation, enabling a natural marriage of theory to practice.

Structure

The course will be focused around the completion of four to five small game projects aimed at strengthening a set of skills. Each project will be created with a different, freely available, constrained game-making tool that will help students focus their attention on a given aspect of game creation. Each project will entail a combination of the following: reading theory, research, prototyping, playtesting, and critique. A final project will involve selecting one of these assignments and taking it further.