Intro to Game Design

DESCRIPTION:

Intro to Game Design is a hands-on course in which students (14+) will design, create, and playtest their own games across a wide range of formats, including playground games, pen and paper games, dice games, card games, board games, and tabletop role-playing games. Rather than simply playing games, students will learn to think critically about what makes a game work and then apply that thinking to original designs of their own. 

As the course progresses, more and more class time will be dedicated to student-led game creation. Students will move through a repeating cycle of play, reflect, design, and playtest, building their design instincts with each new game format. Written assignments will be incorporated throughout, as students will need to articulate and document the rules of the games they create. Class discussion will be used regularly to reflect on games played and designs tested. 

By the end of the course, students will have a portfolio of original game designs, experience writing game design documents, practice creating custom artwork, and a strong foundation in the principles of game design.