Module overview
Through a series of interconnected projects, you will be introduced to a range of activities and workshops to engage in design thinking and design research processes connected to game making. This includes field trips, observational drawing, critical thinking, design thinking, game asset creation, prototyping and project management methodologies. Starting points will be provided to engage in an analytical and reflective process that will culminate in a portfolio of work that translates and communicates your ideas via a series of game making approaches that evidence your learning. Each project alongside your creative investigation will culminate in a games related artefact, prototypes and a series of outcomes. The learning within each project will build throughout the semester and you will start to create a personal toolkit for your own game making and creative investigation.
The last project in the module will culminate in outward facing pop up arcade event held on campus.
Your portfolio should consist of all studio work developed over the course of the semester, including evidence of workshop and tutorial activities, all sketchbooks, research, annotation and preparatory material alongside outcomes specified within the projects.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- communicate your ideas coherently;
- develop interpersonal skills and peer working;
- meet set deadlines to fulfil portfolio requirements.
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- begin to translate research processes into practical and experimental outcomes;
- begin to apply design thinking to utilise different working methods;
- make decisions regarding the use of basic techniques and processes in the practice of producing simple game outcomes.
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- how an awareness of a contextual theme can influence your work in relation to Games Design practice;
- an introductory range of core skills specific to Games Design Practice.
- some of the basic concepts and methodologies particular to making;
Subject Specific Practical Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- use 2d games specific software, coding and related methodologies.
Syllabus
TThis module provides you with an opportunity to develop a research led approach to games design at a basic level and introduce you to a range of pertinent practices, techniques, methodologies and skills associated with game practice.
The projects and content of this module provided a focused pathway to the development of your practical skills and conceptual awareness of Games Design & Art. Through theme-informed introductions to content and critical thinking you will explore your ideas and develop an understanding of how different components make up a game.
An important feature of this module is the way in which your involvement with the practices, techniques and content of game production can begin to direct and focus your thinking towards an individual understanding of specialist practice within games practice.
In this module you will undertake activities that will introduce you to basic design research practices and principles, observational drawing and related techniques, design thinking process and idea generation methodologies alongside principles and application in game asset construction, including but not limited to concept and mood boards, colour theory, 2d design processes for both assets and game coding, 2d animation, storyboarding, game design, character design and project management techniques suitable to game practice. These examples are illustrative and not exhaustive. They may vary each academic year. The module will consist of a number of projects that will span the semester utilising methods introduces to create a portfolio of work both individually and working with others.
others.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching methods include:
- Talks
- Field trips
- Project briefings
- Tutorials
- Group critiques
- Workshops inductions
- Supporting material distributed via virtual learning environments (VLE) such as Blackboard, Panopto and Bob National
Learning activities include:
- Review and revision of material provided in lectures and VLE’s
- Workshops
- Observational drawing activities
- Research method inductions
- Using, comparing and evaluating specialist resources for Games Design & Art.
- Team work
- Discussion
- Presentations
- Group critiques
- Various Tutorial Activities
- Peer group learning
- Self-assessment
- Academic Skills Hub
Relationship between the teaching, learning and assessment methods and the planned learning outcomes
In this module teaching and learning activities will focus on helping you to develop research led critical skills through making which you will explore through a series projects. You will experience a variety of workshop inductions that are designed to both give you an introduction to the specialist areas of Games Design and Art and offer you tools through which to experiment and explore your projects. Talks, workshops, tutorial activities and project briefings will introduce you to the projects and contextualise your thinking. Tutorial activities will allow you to reflect on and discuss the projects as they progress and how it bears on your own practical work and the work of others.
Type | Hours |
---|---|
Supervised time in studio/workshop | 25 |
Follow-up work | 52 |
Preparation for scheduled sessions | 25 |
Tutorial | 63 |
Wider reading or practice | 70 |
Fieldwork | 15 |
Completion of assessment task | 125 |
Practical classes and workshops | 65 |
Seminar | 10 |
Total study time | 450 |
Resources & Reading list
General Resources
Lynda.com (via Blackboard).
Panopto recordings. via Blackboard
Internet Resources
Textbooks
Bossom, A. (2016). Video Games. Bloomsbury Publishing..
McCloud, S (1994). Understanding Comics. urtleback Books..
Salen, K. & Zimmerman, E (2004). Rules of Play. MIT Press..
Wigan, M. (2015). Thinking Visually for Illustrators. Bloomsbury Publishing..
Isbister, K. (2016). How Games Move Us,. MIT Press.
Elwes, R 2010 (2010). Maths 1001: Absolutely everything that matters in mathematics. Quercus Publishing.
Sherrod, A. (2008). Games Graphic Programming. Course Technology.
Salmond, M. (2016). Video Game Design. Bloomsbury Publishing..
Bestley, R. & Noble, I., (2016). Visual Research. Bloomsbury Publishing..
Perea, A (2012). Epistemic Game Theory: Reasoning and Choice. Cambridge University Press.
Costikyan, G. (2013). Uncertainty in Games. MIT Press..
Bateman, C., 2007 (2007). Game Writing: Narrative Skills for Videogames (Charles River Media Game Development). Thompson Delmar Learning.
Dille, F. and Platten, J.Z. (2007). The Ultimate Guide to Video Game writing and Design published. Lone Eagle Publishing House.
Holmes, D., (2012). A Mind Forever Voyaging,. Dylan Holmes..
Rogers, S., (2014). Level Up! The Guide to Great Video Game Design. John Wiley & Sons..
Sharp, J. (2015). Works of Game. MIT Press..
Juul, J., (2013). The Art of Failure,. MIT Press..
Dutta, P., (1999). Strategies and Games: Theory and Practice. MIT Press.
Norman, D.A. (2013). The Design of Everyday Things,. Basic Books (AZ)..
Adams, E. (2010). Fundamentals of Game Design. Published by New Riders.
Design Thinking for Visual Communication (2015). Design Thinking for Visual Communication. Bloomsbury Publishing..
Sicart, M (2014). Play Matters,. MIT Press..
Solarski, C. (2012.). Drawing Basics and Video Game Art.. Watson-Guptill Publications.
Schell, J., (2015). The Art of Game Design. CRC Press.
Assessment
Formative
This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.
Portfolio DevelopmentSummative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Portfolio | 100% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Portfolio | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Portfolio | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External