Lectures

In our second lecture on game mechanics, we look at the nature of uncertainty and risk. While it is fine to have randomness in your game, it should be handled appropriately.    Details ›

Before you start to program your game, you need a better understanding of how it is actually played. In this lecture we take a deeper look at how game mechanics work. This is the first of a series on rules.    Details ›

As you begin work on your game, understand that not everyone will be programming. In this lecture we show how we devide up game development to take advantage of your multidisciplinary team.    Details ›

Before you propose your game idea, you need to understand the basic design vocabulary we will be using. Otherwise, you are very likely to pitch a narrative that does not have a clearly defined ludic focus.    Details ›

The definition of a game (and what does-and-does-not count as a game) is a highly controversial topic. While this lecture does not resolve this controversy, it does give you some understanding of the basic issues.    Details ›