Advanced Game Design

Catalog description

Production course on the design of computer based games. Games are considered as a new art form and in order to create compelling games, students must be aware of the particularities of the form in both structural and aesthetic terms. Clearly the most important difference between games and other art forms are the interactive and interpersonal dynamics of gaming. However, game design draws on many other disciplines (writing, drawing, graphic design, architecture, and programming), and that familiarity with the assumptions and languages of these disciplines is essential for a game designer. Core issues of games design; What is a game? What is the nature of play? What makes good game play? What is the most effective use of sound and visuals in a game? How can narrative be used in games? And what are the roles of presence, engagement, and interactivity in games?  Encourages experimental thinking about the boundaries and possibilities of computer games. Students work in teams to produce a series of short games projects. Focuses on creativity and experimentation. Thorough, hands-on grounding in the process of game design. from conception to play-testing, and fosters the skills required to produce, examine, and critique games. There may be a class fee assessed to your student account.