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Introduction to Game Design

Instructors: Ashlyn Sparrow (asparrow@uchicago.edu) & Patrick Jagoda (pjagoda@uchicago.edu)
CA: Isaac Berman (bermani@uchicago.edu)

Course Meeting Times: Tuesdays 12:30pm – 3:20pm
Course Location: JCL 134

Ashlyn Sparrow Office Hours: By Appointment (Weston Game Lab Studio and available via Discord)
Patrick Jagoda Office Hours: Tuesday 3:30-5:30pm (Weston Game Lab Studio and available via Discord)
Isaac Berman Office Hours: Mondays 4:00-5:00pm (Weston Game Lab Studio and available via Discord)

The goal of this course is to prepare students for a career in the design of games and interactive experiences. Students in this course will read and write about game design and design many games of their own. This is not a course in game development which encompasses game design, programming, art, writing, sound design, quality assurance, marketing, production, testing, and more. Instead, this course is focused on the practice of creating rules, mechanics, themes, and most importantly, the game’s play experience. Intro to Game Design focuses on building an understanding of different kinds of games, how and why they work, and the processes used to create them. In addition to class discussions, short exercises, weekly prototyping, and playtesting, students will participate in a final collaborative group project in the form of a murder mystery game.

Format
Most of the class will include lectures followed by in-class discussions and/or short design exercises. Occasionally, class sessions will be used to playtest and critique prototyped games.

Prior Knowledge
It is assumed that you have taken Critical Video Game Studies or an equivalent class to ensure that you can think critically, write fluently, or prototype quickly. No additional knowledge of game design is required.

Grading

  • Attendance and Participation: 20%
  • Game Analysis and Process Post: 20%
  • Game Design Project 1: 15%
  • Game Design Project 2: 15%
  • Final Group Project 20%
  • Individual performance in group projects: 10%

Materials to Purchase 
All games will be available via the Weston Game Lab (WGL). You will be able to access most analog games via the game library in the WGL Studios in JCL 133.

Prototyping material can be found in the supply cabinet at the front desk of the Media Art, Data, and Design (MADD) Center. Specialized components can be fabricated in the Hack Arts Lab using either the 3D printers or the laser cutter. There may be a small fee depending on the material used.

All readings that are not already linked via this syllabus will be made available via Google Drive. Game Design a Deck of Lenses is free to download for Android and Apple devices. A copy of the deck can also be found in the Weston Game Studio.

Communication Platforms
Discord: We will use Discord for ongoing conversations with both shared channels for informal conversations about games and private channels for communication with the instructor and CAs. For all course related questions, you should contact me or the CAs via Discord INSTEAD of email.

Course Website: We will use the course WordPress website to access the syllabus (with links) and to post blog entries. The blog will be publicly available.

Class Expectations

  • We only meet for a few weeks, so arrive on time for each workshop session.
  • Much of this course depends on group work and playtesting. As a result missing a class derails the team and our race against the weeks of winter quarter is a sprint. Missing a class without a prearranged absence will immediately entail a grade reduction.
  • If you really have to use GPT-3 or equivalent tools, please have a good reason, and be sure to cite them!
  • Assignments and papers are due when they appear on the syllabus.
  • Always feel free to ask questions either in class or during office hours (seriously).
  • We are committed to meeting the needs of all students. To arrange class-related accommodations, please see Student Disability Services prior to scheduling a meeting with us: http://disabilities.uchicago.edu/accommodations

MADD Center Orientation Quiz
To utilize materials and equipment in The MADD Center, please take the MADD Center Orientation quiz to confirm a basic understanding of their policies and procedures.  For 3D printing  read over this and this and take this quiz. For Laser cutting read through this module and take this quiz.

Course Schedule (Subject to Revision)

All games and prototyping materials can be found in the Weston Game Studio (JCL 133). 

UNIT I: Introduction to Game Design and Board Games

Week 1 (January 3): Processing Play

Lecture: Introduction to Game Design and Theories of Play
Tinker Time: Playful experiences

  • Exquisite Corpse Activity (Drawing, Writing)
  • Liste Lanser
  • 1000 Blank White Cards

Exercise: Hopscotch+ or the Floor is Lava(in pairs)

Week 2 (January 10): Game Form: Elements of a Game and Rapid Prototyping

For Class: Read  “Game Mechanics, Experience Design, and Affective Play” (Patrick Jagoda and Peter McDonald), “How to Prototype a Game in Under 7 Days” (Matt Kucic), “How pillars and triangles can focus your game design” (Ian Dransfield) and watch “Fail Faster” (Extra Credits).
Play TWO of the following games: Catan, King of Tokyo, Azul, Dixit, Wingspan, Takenoko, Tokaido, Santorini, Forbidden Island, Planet, Near and Far, Shahrazad, or Once Upon a Time. 

Exercises: 1) Core Mechanic Transplant and 2) Scale Shift Mod (in teams)

Week 3 (January 17): Board Game Playtests and Critiques I

*** Game prototype I and Process Posts Due 12:30pm, Tuesday
For Class: Read “Uncertainty in Analog Role-Playing Games, Part 1”, “Part 2”, and “Part 3” (Evan Torner). Read “Sources of Uncertainty” in Uncertainty in Games (Greg Costikyan).  

Play TWO games of your choice.

Activity: Playtest and critique Board Game projects

Exercise: Representation and Reskinning (in teams)

UNIT II: Tabletop Storytelling Games

Week 4 (January 24): Storytelling, Collaboration, and Negotiation

*** Final Game Project 1 and Process Posts Due 12:30pm, Tuesday

*** Peer and Self-Assessment Due 11:59pm, Tuesday

For Class: Read “Games Design as Narrative Architecture”, and “No Game’s Land: The Space Between Competition and Collaboration.” 

Play ONE of the following games: Fiasco, Dreams Askew, A Quiet Year, Dialect, or Sheriff of Nottingham. 

Exercise: 1) And Then What Happened (Consequences) and 2) Collaborative Worldbuilding

Week 5 (January 31): Tabletop Storytelling Game Playtests and Critique II

*** Game Prototype 2 and Process Posts Due 12:30pm, Tuesday

Activity: Playtest and critique Tabletop Storytelling game projects

UNIT III: Murder Mystery Game

Week 6 (February 7): The Mystery Genre and Social Deduction Games

*** Final Game Project 2 and Process Posts Due 12:30pm, Tuesday

*** Peer and Self-Assessment Due 11:59pm, Tuesday

For Class: Read “The Purloined Letter” (Edgar Allan Poe), “Chapter I: The Eternal Curious” in The Technique of the Mystery Story (Carolyn Wells, p. 1-9), and “Introduction” to American Mystery and Detective Novels: A Reference Guide (Larry Landrum, Larry N. Landrum, p. xi-xv)

Watch: Glass Onion (Rian Johnson, 2022) and optional: Clue: The Movie (Jonathan Lynn, 1985) 

Play TWO of the following: Secret Hitler, Mysterium, Betrayal at House on the Hill, Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective, Codenames, Coup, Resistance, Avalon, or Saboteur.

Discussion: What makes a successful mystery?

Play: Two Rooms and a Boom, Werewolf, OR This Discord Has Ghost In It (in class)

Week 7 (February 14): Experience Design, Game Feel, and Affect

*** Final Group Project Abstract Due (500 words)

For Class: Read: “Defining Game Feel” from Game Feel: A Game Designer’s Guide to Virtual Sensation (Steve Swink, p. 1-34) and “Navigating Movements: A conversation with Brian Massumi” in Hope: New Philosophies for Change (Mary Zournazi and Brian Massumi, p. 210-242)

Lecture: What is affect theory and what can we do with it?

Play Dread (in class)

Exercise: 1) Senses and Affects and 2) Interactive Set Design

Week 8 (February 21): Performance and Roleplaying

Read: An Actor Prepares (Constantin Stanislavski, p. 39-45, 120-124, and 154-160)l, “Bleed: The Spillover Between Player and Character” (Sarah Lynne Bowman), and “Pasts and Futures of Netprov” (Rob Wittig)

Exercise: Site-Specific Design

Week 9 (February 28): Murder Mystery Game Dress Rehearsal & Critique

Final Project Documents

  • Design Document
  • Playbook
  • Process Newsletter
  • Playtesting Notes and feedback 

Week 10 (March 7): Murder Mystery Game Final Play and Critique III

*** Play Murder Mystery Game

Assignment Descriptions

Game Review Posts (3 total, individual)

On the blog, anytime before February 28, write up three critical analyses of games that you have played for class. In addition to analyzing the game using theoretical vocabulary, we expect you to evaluate medium-specific aspects of the game such as mechanics, rules, objectives, and player interactions. Each review should be at least 500 words long.

Process Posts (3 total, team)

On the blog, write up a mid-design progress report (one per team with all of your names included) regarding your idea, collaborative process, schedule, challenges and accomplishments for each of your game projects. Each review should be approximately 500 words and we encourage the use of images. These posts are due on the date listed on the syllabus.

Peer and Self-Assessment (3 total, individual)

After each of the three major projects, fill out a brief Google form that evaluates how well you think you worked with your team members. This exercise is meant to give you a chance to reflect on your collaborative process and convey the inside of that process to your instructors. These self-assessments are due on the date listed on the syllabus.

Game Project 1: Board Game
In small teams, you will design a board game. To do this, you will write the precise rules for a board game that your peers will subsequently playtest in class. The game (think of this as an interactive formal system) should be playable in roughly 30-45 minutes. Moreover, the written instructions should be clear and concise for players to understand without additional explanation. In addition to a set of rules, you should include a name for the game, its objectives, its estimated time (which means you should playtest it in advance), and any games that may have served as inspirations for your design. Since we will actually play these games in class, you should also include the necessary game board and pieces. As you design your game, think about the medium-specific dimensions of games, including rules, mechanics, and objectives.

Your game will be evaluated according to its balance, replayability, player interaction, originality of concept, creativity of design, polish achieved through iteration, and overall level of engagement. While material construction and art are not the priority, the quality of your board, cards, or other elements will also play a part in the overall evaluation.

Game Project 2: Tabletop Storytelling Game
In small teams, you will create a tabletop storytelling game. For this, you will turn in a rulebook. The game can include analog components such as paper, pens, dice, and a map or representation of the play area, but does not necessarily require these elements. The core elements should include characters that can be roleplayed, a world, and a story that is co-created by the players.

Your game will be evaluated according to its setting, conflict, characters, game mechanics, polish achieved through iteration, and overall level of engagement. While visual art is not the priority, any concept art or images included in your rulebook will also play a part in the overall evaluation.

Game Project 3: Murder Mystery Game
As a full class, you will design and execute a live murder mystery game. A murder mystery game is an interactive performance in which an assembled cast of player characters interacts with non-player characters and clues in order to determine the motive for a murder and “whodunit.” As a group, you will create a single 90-minute game for a group of your friends to experience during finals week.

Your game will be evaluated according to the elegance of its premise, character ecology and backstories, elegance of your world, pacing of the narrative, medium-specificity of your game as an interactive game (and not just a performed mystery story), the difficulty balance of puzzles relative to time available for the game, NPC performances, and execution of the murder mystery on the day of the performance.