Course-PM

TDA580 / TIA098 Gameplay design lp2 HT20 (7.5 hp)

Course is offered by the department of Computer Science and Engineering.

Contact details

These people are involved in running the course:

• Staffan Björk: examiner, teacher (staffan.bjork@gu.se)
• Josefin Westborg: teacher (josefin.westborg@gu.se)
• Anders Sivertsson: supervisor ()
• Hugo Ekelund supervisor ()

Course purpose

Game design focuses on how rules and game components can be used to create game environments that encourage and promotes specific interaction, either between humans or between humans and the game system. The aim of these environments can vary from experimental environments in the car and plane industries, learning environments in simulations to pure entertainments applications in home computers and game consoles. The course deals with general design methods that can be applied to all these use areas. The course aims to give an understanding in how the different components in a game environment interacts as well as what relations game design has to other areas, e.g. programming and graphical design, which are required in the development of modern interactive simulations. Central programs addressed in the course are how to motivate users to specific types of interaction, the relationship between interaction and narratives, how to balance interaction in multi-user environments, how to support and encourage creativity among users, how to modify designs to suit both novel and expert users as well as how to adapt design to suit interaction with specific time constraints.

Schedule

	Activity	Title	Notes
Tuesday November 3rd 13.15-17.00	Lecture (Zoom Link)	Course Introduction and Definitions of Games
Thursday November 5th 13.15-17.00	Exercise 1 - Extreme Makeover (Zoom Link)
Friday November 7th 13.15-16.00	Supervision (Zoom Link)
Tuesday November 10th 13.15-17.00	Lecture (Zoom Link)	Understanding Games and Gameplay	Deadline Assignment 1 21.59!
Friday November 13th 09.15-12.00	Exercise 2 - Pattern Harvesting (Zoom Link)		Preparation for Assignment 2
Friday November 13th 13.15-16.00	Lecture | Supervision (Zoom Link)	Requirements of Game Design
Tuesday November 17th 13.15-17.00	Supervision | Guest Lecture (Zoom Link)		Jennifer Horkoff - iStar
Thursday November 19th 13.15-17.00	Exercise 3 - Gameplay is Everything (Zoom Link)		Preparation for Assignment 3
Friday November 20th 13.15-16.00	Lecture (Zoom Link)	Design Goals and Design Methods
Tuesday November 24th 13.15-17.00	Lecture (Zoom Link)	Games as Social Activities	Deadline Assignment 2 21.59!
Thursday November 26th 13.15-17.00	Lecture (Zoom Link)	Gender equality in games | Larp Design	Josefin Westborg
Friday November 27th 13.15-16.00	Supervision (Zoom Link)
Tuesday December 1st 13.15-17.00	Lecture | Supervision (Zoom Link)	Play Testing	Deadline Assignment 3a 21.59!
Thursday December 3rd 13.15-17.00	Gameplay Tests (Zoom Link)		Assignment 3b 1 21.59!
Friday December 4th 13.15-16.00	Gameplay Tests (Zoom Link)		Assignment 3b 1 21.59!
Tuesday December 8th 13.15-17.00	Presentation Game Projects	See below for schedule for the presentations	Assignment 3c 1 21.59!
Thursday December 10th 13.15-17.00	Supervision (Zoom Link)
Friday December 11th 13.15-17.00	Guest Lecture (Zoom Link)		Åsa Roos@Bioware
Tuesday December 15th 13.15-17.00	Supervision (Zoom Link)
Thursday December 17th 13.15-17.00	Supervision (Zoom Link)
Friday December 18th 13.15-17.00	Supervision (Zoom Link)
Monday January 11th 13.15-17.00	Supervision (Zoom Link)
Thursday January 14th 13.15-17.00	Supervision (Zoom Link)		Deadline Assignment 4 21.59!

 

Lectures and exercises will be accessible through Zoom. (TimeEdit does show the times and dates for activities but do not show location properly, and time and dates may change here; use TimeEdit as a last backup). Note: they've had a technical issue with TimeEdit recently so all data is from early October (may be more relevant for other courses that you take, they are working on updating the data but this may take some time).

 

Schedule for presentation of Game Projects

The presentations will be done in two different Zoom rooms. Identify column with your group below, this will give you the time and link for your presentation. You should attend the whole time, that is, you should be in the audience for all other groups in the same column.

Time	Group & Zoom Link	Group & Zoom Link
13.15-13.25	Group 1 (Zoom Link)	Group 6 (Zoom Link)
13.30-13.40	Group 2 (Zoom Link)	Group 9 (Zoom Link)
13.45-13.55	Group 3 (Zoom Link)	Group 10 (Zoom Link)
14.15-14.25	Group 4 (Zoom Link)	Group 12 (Zoom Link)
14.30-14.40	Group 5 (Zoom Link)	Group 14 (Zoom Link)

 

Supervision in January

Note that while not booked in TimeEdit, the following times will be available for supervision (through Zoom):

Monday the 11th of January 13.15-17.00 (Link to be added here later)

Thursday the 14th of January 13.15-17.00 (Link to be added here later)

 

Course literature

Fullerton, T. 2018. (2004). Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games, Fourth Edition. A K Peters/CRC Press.

Course design

The course contains of lectures, exercises, supervision, and practical design work. The educational material is structured around four different assignments which have deadlines spread out over the course, and the third assignment having four different parts.

Passing scores on all assignments in necessary for a passing grade in the course. In addition, one needs to have successfully completed three exercises. The three exercises are scheduled to facilitate group work and supervision but if one misses these one can do them independently (alone or in groups of up to 6 students). The exercises are available in the File-section on Canvas after they have been run according to the schedule. If you are doing the exercises after the scheduled events, please send them to Staffan Björk via email (staffan.bjork@chalmers.se).

Changes made since the last occasion

Lectures from previous year uploaded before course start. Removal of assignment 3D and rebalancing of credits to still be 100 (+15). All activities digital this instance of the course due to Corona. 

 

Learning objectives and syllabus

Knowledge and understanding

• Describe the role of a game designer within a game design project.

• Discuss game design features explicitly using both de facto industry concepts and theoretical frameworks.

• Relate current game designs to earlier examples, from the direct predecessors to the first recorded example of similar games. 

Skills and abilities

• Plan game design projects according to best practice description.
• Develop a game design concept from initial idea to a full game design document, using iterative design processes and prototyping.
• Specify target audience and develop specific game design concepts for specific target audience.
• Present game design concepts for an audience.

Judgement and approach

• Motivate different perspectives on game games and use of games, both from practical and ethical aspects.
• Analyze different game design using analytical tools to be able to suggest design changes and compare different game designs.
• Evaluate game concepts and prototypes from the needs of different target audiences. 

Link to the syllabus Chalmers.
Link to the syllabus GU.

Examination form

The course has the following grades: Fail (U), Pass (G) and Pass with Distinction (VG) for GU and Fail (U), 3, 4, and 5 for Chalmers. 

The grades received in the course is based on the number of points received for all assignments. The total points available is 100 (plus 15 for the elective assignment). A passing grade for the course requires a passing grade for all assignments (see the assignments for individual requirements and how many points each assignment gives) as well as having completed three exercises. Fulfilling these requirements provides a grade of 3/G. Fulfilling these requirements and having a total of 70-89 points gives a 4 for Chalmers students. Fulfilling the requirements and having a total of 90+ points gives 5/VG.