AGDD 2017 - Intro to Applied Game Design & Development
Professor: Elena Bertozzi
Hosts: Francesco Masulli & Alessandro De Gloria
PhD-Summer Course - Jun 26-30 2017 - DIBRIS Genoa
In this course students will brainstorm ideas for games that aim to inform/educate players and modify their behavior to achieve pro-social or pro-health goals. The most promising games will be taken through a rapid development cycle. We will design, paper prototype, and test games to ensure that they achieve their goals. Playable prototypes will be built using Unity software for proof of concept and usability testing. We will also discuss the process of finding funding/support for continued independent development.
Lab:
A practical lab is part of this course. Attenders need a laptop with Unity3d and Visual Studio installed. Unity3d download: https://store.unity.com/download?ref=personal (Visual Studio 2015 Community will be downloaded and installed during Unity3d setup). Elements of Game design with Unity3D and C# are prerequisites for the lab;
Expected Learning Outcomes:
- Understanding of meaning and purpose of applied games
- Ability to brainstorm, prototype and design an applied game
- Practice using Twine and Unity to test game mechanics and produce a playable game
- Usability testing/ outcomes assessment for applied games
- Understanding of methods of finding funding for game applications
Course objectives:
The goal of the class is for you to learn some applications for games including: social and behavioral change, games for health, and games for education. We will brainstorm game ideas, form teams around promising ideas, build paper prototypes of the game, test and then create a playable prototype.
Assignments
Pitches (3) – Prepare pitches for three separate games that you would be interested in building. Pitches should include: Desired goal, Why the game will be fun, Why it will be more effective than traditional methods, How outcomes will be measured. (120 pts.)
Class Presentation – Research other well-done applied games in the area that interests you. Select one or two to show to the class. Analyze why the games you chose are effective and explain how yours will compare. (150 pts.)
Game Design Document Section 1 - First section of the design document for your team’s game (see template) (120 pts.)
Twine storyboard of your team’s game (120 pts.)
Paper Prototype - Playable prototype of your team’s game (120 pts.)
Game Design Document Section 2 - Second section of the design document for your team’s game (see template) (120 pts.)
Playable prototype of team game (250 pts.)
This can be built in Unity or HTML5 and Javascript based on the team’s expertise.
For more information please click "Further Official Information" below.