The aim of this module is to introduce students to the concepts, tools and techniques used to generate and document game designs, through the opportunity to develop, assess and refine prototype gameplay elements, using industry-standard tools and techniques

Topics include

Brief and Proposal
Analysing the brief
Ideation and Idea development
Narrative considerations
Proposal
Prototype and Evaluation
Game design documents
Paper-based prototype
Component prototype
Final prototype
Testing/Evaluation

3 Hour Lecture per week

1. Explore methods of idea-generation in support of game development Enquiry

2. Create a game design proposal, including graphic material and documentation, in response to a brief Learning

3. Develop a functional game prototype, through iterative testing and revision, using industry-standard tools and techniques Application

4. Present a functional game prototype, highlighting gameplay mechanisms, testing and development process. Knowledge and Understanding

gamasutra.com Gamasutra: The Art & Business of Making Games (General Reference/Research)
gamasutra.com Gamasutra “From MDA to DDE” (Article)
gamedev.net GameDev.net All sections (General Reference/Article/ Discussion Forum)
gamesindustry.biz Games Industry.biz All sections (General Reference/Research) gametutorials.com Game Tutorials All sections (Tutorials)
mcvuk.com MCV: The Business of Video Games (General Reference/Research)
pixelprospector.com Pixel Prospector All sections (General Reference)
whatgamesare.com What Games Are Blog All sections (General Reference)

ADAMS, E. & DORMANS, J. (2012) Game Mechanics: Advanced Game Design (Voices That Matter). Berkeley: New Riders. GIBSON, J. (2014) Introduction to Game Design, Prototyping, and Development. Boston: Addison Wesley.
GREGORY, J. (2014) Game Engine Architecture. 2nd ed. London: A K Peters/CRC Press.
KEITH, C. & SHONKWILER, G. (2017) Gear Up!: Advanced Game Development Practices. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
KEITH, C. (2010) Agile Game Development with SCRUM. Boston: Addison Wesley.
KOSTER, R. (2014) Theory of Fun for Game Design. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly Media.
MACKLIN, C. & SHARP, J. (2016) Games, Design and Play: A Detailed Approach to Iterative Game Design. Boston: Addison Wesley.
MADHAV, S. (2014) Game Programming Algorithms and Techniques: A Platform-Agnostic Approach. Boston: Addison Wesley.
ROGERS, S. (2014) Level Up!: The Guide to Great Video Game Design. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
SCHULTZ, C.P. & BRYANT, J. (2016) Game Testing All in One. Herndon, VA: Mercury Learning & Information.
SYLVESTER, T. (2013) Designing Games: A Guide to Engineering Experiences. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly Media.

The design of a compelling video game is a complex process. Successful games are a mix of technology, story, artwork, user interface, and more, all of which requires consideration and balance. Added to this, is the fact that a game will elicit a response in the player that can only be judged once the sum of all parts is present for the player to interact with.

Designing a compelling video game requires an understanding of the principles and practices of design, technology and interaction, developed through a systematic iterative approach that involves constant refinement based on observation and feedback.

On completion of this unit, students will be able to design, prototype and test game design ideas using iterative development techniques to evaluate and refine gameplay mechanisms in support of achieving specified design goals and gameplay aesthetics

Project Proposal and idea generation progress (Adobe Express Journal) (LO1 & 2): Within this section of your adobe express journal, you should document the different Idea generation techniques that could be used with your prototype and justify your selection with reference to how they are used in the creative media section. Two proposals are required with evaluation taking place Weighting 50%

• Final pitch of game prototype and Research (LO3 & 4):

This presentation is your chance to show your body of research and how you came to the idea of your game prototype and its link to “creative media & social wellbeing”. You will also show a play through of your prototype and discuss the processes and workflows Weighting 25%

• Weekly Reflective log of progress and final evaluation – This will show iteration, testing and refinement of ideas (Adobe express Journal) (LO3 & 4):

The final part of the project should be a written evaluation, this will allow you to reflect on the work produced and your intended outcomes from the proposal. You will also be required to explore how well you have met the wellbeing theme of the project and if you feel this would have a positive impact on promoting games in this manner. Weekly logs showing progress should also be on your adobe express page Weighting 25%