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 ›
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 ›
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 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 ›
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 ›
in our final lecture on game mechanics, we address the issue of game balance. In particular, we show it is tightly connected to your game economy.
Details ›
It is time to start thinking about how to implement your project. In this lecture, we talk about how to take this big project and break it up into smaller prototypes.
Details ›
The first major deliverable of the course is the nondigital prototype. In this lecture we talk about how to model a digital game without using software.
Details ›
Game development often involves the creation of a lot of specialized software. But the most important elementis the game loop. This infinitely running loop is what animates the characters and makes the game responsive to player input.
Details ›
Your teams have a lot of programmers on them. How do you divide up work and make sure that everyone is productive? The secret is designing your software architecture before you start to code. That is the subject of this lecture.
Details ›
One of the more unexpected features of your game is the level editor, which is due as part of alpha release. In this lecture, we talk about why this is an important part of game development.
Details ›
