Principles of Game Feel

Catalog description

Game feel is a crucial aspect of modern videogame design, but it’s not as widely understood as other parts of the discipline. In short, game feel is the tactile experience of interacting with a game; the sensation of motion created by a game’s responses to input. This course will introduce students to the theory behind game feel, as well as the basic mathematical and physical principles that will allow them to implement these ideas in their own work. Throughout the course, students will examine existing games for their varied approaches to game feel, and will create simple prototypes to explore concepts like acceleration, rhythm, and camera behavior. At the end of the course, students will use their accumulated knowledge to polish the game feel of one of their existing games, or optionally to create a small game that uses game feel as its primary means of expression. Students will then present their work during the final session.