| CODE | IDG5101 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Foundations of Game Design | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 10 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Institute of Digital Games | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | In this study-unit, students will learn about the fundamentals of game design, including entertainment-oriented, serious, and persuasive games. In particular, the course will address ways to conceptualise the role of the game designer, structures of games, ludic and narrative elements of games, communicating messages through gameplay, ways to approach system dynamics, game design ideation, and low to medium fidelity prototyping. Practical work for this study-unit will involve conceptualizing and prototyping games in paper and digital form. This will take place in teams through the use of an iterative development process. Class sessions will take the form of seminars and workshops. Study-unit Aims: The aims for this study-unit are to: - Introduce students to game design theory, structures, processes, and principles; - Familiarise students with basic game prototyping methods; - Conceptualise, design, and develop simple game prototypes in teams employing the theory, processes, and principles; - Articulate a sense of designerly aesthetics through a designed artifact and experience. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Articulate different game design theories and principles, and relate them to their own practice; - Discuss different game design theories and processes, and argue their advantages and disadvantages; - Identify and reflect on the game experiences created by different game mechanics. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Analyse and critique the design of existing games, as well as the design of games in process; - Express a game concept in a playable paper prototype form; - Express a game concept in a playable digital prototype form; - Articulate aesthetics through a designed product and experience; - Evaluate the outcomes of the designed game using a mix of playtesting and other user research methods. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings Fullerton, Tracy. Game Design Workshop. Hunicke, R., LeBlanc, M., and Zubek, R. (2004). MDA: A Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research. Dormans, J. Simulating Mechanics to Study Emergence in Games, in AAAI Technical Report WS 11 19, 2011. Zyda, Michael. (2005). From Visual Simulation to Virtual Reality to Games. Berdichevsky, D. and Neuenschwander, E. (1999). Toward an Ethics of Persuasive Technology. Sicart, M. (2009). The banality of simulated evil. Losh, E. (2006). Making Things Public: Democracy and Government- Funded Videogames and Virtual Reality Simulations. Winn, Brian. (2007). The Design, Play, and Experience Framework. Flanagan and Nissenbaum. (2006). A Game Design Methodology to Incorporate Social Activist Themes. Abt, Clark. (1970). Serious Games: The Reunion of Action and Thoughts. Frasca, Gonzalo. (2004). Videogames of the Oppressed. Bogost, Ian. (2007). Persuasive Games. Chapter 1: Procedural Rhetoric. Fogg, BJ. (2003). Persuasive Technology: Computers as Persuasive Tools. Cialdini, R. (2001). Harnessing the Science of Persuasion. Redstrom, Johan (2006). Persuasive Design: Fringes and Foundations. Squire, Kurt. (2006). From Content to Context: Videogames as Designed Experience. Malone, Thomas. (1980). What Makes Things Fun to Learn? Heuristics for Designing Instructional Computer Games. Egenfeldt-Nielsen, Simon. (2007). Third Generation Educational Use of Computer Games. Isbister, Flanagan, and Hash. (2010). Designing Games for Learning: Insights from Conversations with Designers. Plass and Homer. (2009). Educational Game Design Pattern Candidates. Gee, James. (2003). 36 Learning Principles (from “What Video Games Have to Teach Us about Learning and Literacy”). Deterding, Sebastian et al. (2011). From Game Design Elements to Gamefulness: Defining “Gamification”. |
||||||||||||
| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Unit offered at Post Graduate Level. | ||||||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Seminar | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
|
||||||||||||
| LECTURER/S | Rilla Shabnam Khaled |
||||||||||||
|
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 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
|||||||||||||