Design
Game Design deals more with the big picture of the game. They develop the story, levels, and bring all the parts together to make an interesting and engaging game.
Development
Game developers create all the parts of the game. They are the programmers that make the game work.
Graphics and Sound
Great games have great graphics and sound. This pathway focuses on creating the artwork, animations and sound for the game.
Beginner, no coding experience, limited game design experience, no code needed: 2D Game Kit, 3D Game Kit, Microgames
Art: create the artwork, animation and sound
Design: Use existing art and code to create games, level design, story writing,
Development: program your own games
Beginner with limited coding experience and limited game design experience: Roll-a-ball, Build with Code,
Intermediate some C# experience, learn to design game pieces from scratch: Ruby,
Advanced, good coding skills (C#, Java, etc), good graphic skills (Blender, Photoshop, etc.), good game design skills
In this class you will learn all the beginner level skills, many of the intermediate skills and possibly one advanced skill.
Many game design skills are summarized with the terms mechanics, dynamics and aesthetics.
- Mechanics. Mechanics are the basic components of the game. What are the rules? How does the player take action in the game? How is the game organized and structured?
- Dynamics. Dynamics are how the game actually plays. How do the individual parts of the game interact when the game is played? What strategies can be used to play the game? What levels of difficulty and complexity does the game have?
- Aesthetics. Aesthetics are the emotional responses evoked in the player. Do you enjoy playing the game and why? How long and how many times would you play the game? How immersed are you when playing the game? Who is the target audience of the game?
| Level / Skill | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
| Skill / Level | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Character Creation | Characters are simple shapes or pre-generated. Animations are very simple. No customization or characters or animations. | Simple character images are created by the student. Animations are created by the students, but the drawings are imported. | Complex character drawings are created by the student, often with other programs (Photoshop, Blender, etc.). Complex animations are drawn and created by the student. |
| Character Movement | Characters are controlled with very simple keyboard commands. Controls are pre-generated and not customized. Movements are simple up, down, left, and right. No AI | Characters have mouse and multiple keyboard controls customized by the student. Simple movements include gravity, acceleration and deceleration. Simple animations are tied to the movement. AI controls the movement of characters. | Character controls are complex and created by the student. Movements are based on realistic physics. Complex animations are tied to the movements. Complex AI controls the movement of characters. |
| Character and Object Interactions | Objects have very limited, simple interactions. Interactions are pre-generated and not customized. No Artificial Intelligence. | Objects have multiple, simple interactions Ex. health and damage, teleporting, and doors opening. Interactions are created and customized by the student. AI controls some simple interactions. | Characters have multiple, complex interactions. Ex. multiple types of damage, inventory systems, character skills affect interaction. Interactions are created by the student. AI controls more complex interactions like decision making. |
| World Creation | The world is created with basic shapes. The world is pre-generated with no tile maps. User interface is very simplistic and text only. Camera is stationary. | The world is simple, but drawn by the student. The world has been created using pre-generated tile maps. User interface has simple graphics. Camera has simple movements like following the character. | The world is complex and drawn by the student. Custom tiles and tile maps have been created. User interfaces has custom and changing graphics. Camera has multiple movements like panning, zooming, tracking, and switching between first and third person. |
| Scripts | Scripts are very simple. Scripts directly follow a tutorial. | Scripts are more complicated. Scripts have been modified from a tutorial. | Scripts are complex. Scripts have been written by the student. |
| Mechanics | The game mechanics are very simple. Game rules are very simple. There are one or two rules. Character actions are very simple. Ex. Player only moves up, down, left, and right. The game has less than five types of objects. Game structure is very simple. Ex. The game has a single level and the player never changes. | The game mechanics are simple but have a couple levels. There are up to ten game rules. Characters have a few actions to choose from and are controlled by simple physics. Ex. Player can run, jump, crouch and has a melee attack. The game has less than 20 types of objects. Game structure is simple. Ex. The game has a few levels and the player has one or two changes. | The game mechanics are complex with multiple levels. There are more than 10 game rules. Characters have a multiple actions to choose from and are controlled by complex physics. Ex. Player can run, walk, jump, crouch, strife, climb and has multiple attacks. The game has more than 20 types of objects. Game structure is very simple. Ex. The game has multiple levels with growing complexity and the player develops skills as the game progresses. |
| Dynamics | Object interactions are very simple. Ex. The player can move around the world. The game has one level of difficulty. There is no strategy to the game. | Objects interact in multiple simple ways. Ex. One or two enemies each with a single, different attack. The game has 2 or three levels of difficulty. One or two strategies can be used to play the game. | Objects interactions are complex and can change. Ex. Enemies have multiple attacks and AI controls which attack to use. The game has many levels of building difficulty. Multiple strategies can be used to play the game. |
| Aesthetics | The game is not that fun to play. You play the game once and are done. The game has very little challenge, discovery, story, expression, or sensation. The game does not have a target audience outside of the teacher. It is made to get a grade in class. | The game is fun enough to play a couple of times. The game has some challenge, discovery, story, expression, and/or sensation. The game has a very limited audience. A few friends might play the game. | The game is so much fun you play it for many hours. The game has excellent challenge, discovery, story, expression, and/or sensation. The game has a wide audience. Many people would like to play the game. |