Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE IDG5102

 
TITLE Prototyping for Game Designers

 
UM LEVEL 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course

 
MQF LEVEL 7

 
ECTS CREDITS 5

 
DEPARTMENT Institute of Digital Games

 
DESCRIPTION In this study-unit students are introduced to the basics of digital game prototyping using a prototyping tool/game engine.

No programming knowledge is expected from attending students, though some basic programming will be taught during the study-unit. Students will learn to make gradually more complex prototype games and will be encouraged to express themselves and be experimental in their designs.

By the end of the study-unit, students will be able to confidently build a prototype game on their own.

Study-unit Aims:

The core aim of the study-unit is to give students the skills needed to design and make prototype digital games on their own.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding:
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Comprehend how a digital game prototype is built out of various components, and the influence of those components on the resulting game;
- Discuss various approaches to game design and prototyping relative to the constraints and affordances of a game engine;
- Explain and rationalise experimental game designs.

2. Skills:
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Design and prototype digital games;
- Express him/herself and be experimental in the medium of digital games;
- Test his/her own games with players and make changes based on the feedback received.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Habgood, Jacob, and Overmars, Mark. 2006. The Game Maker's Apprentice: Game Development for Beginners.

 
ADDITIONAL NOTES Unit offered at Post Graduate Level.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Seminar

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Project Yes 70%
Report Yes 30%

 
LECTURER/S Antonios Liapis

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit