General provisions

The course is part of the Games Programs Game Design and Graphics and Game Design and programming 120 credits.

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course students

• Have a deeper understanding of systems - working within the Mechanic, Dynamic and Aesthetic framework

• Can validate design through metric testing and motivate design change, as part of an iterative design process

• Can use analytical methods to design interactive narratives

• Have knowledge in, ability to describe, and apply the AARRR Framework

• Have knowledge in, ability to describe, and apply Metric Lead Design

• Have a deeper knowledge of player profiles and an introduction to the O.C.E.A.N. psychological model

• Have a deeper understanding of using games as an expressive medium, and how to express ideas through that medium.

Content

Building on the first year’s work, students learn a deeper understanding, and modification, of systems.

Using the MDA framework, students experiment with mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics in turn, and analyse the difference a small change in each can make on a final game.

They are taught how to develop specific tests to validate their game design and how to manage changes when their hypotheses fail.

Students workshop different ideas, designed to extend their knowledge of games by exploring new ways to express emotions/ideas in games, and to challenge the assumptions of game design - forcing them to look at each task as a new endeavour.

Students also deepen their knowledge of game narrative, learning how to apply a deeper systemic thinking to narrative structures, allowing them to design deeper, more experimental, narrative models – and build the prototypes to test these models.

Students also learn a second design framework - AARRR. This is focused on retention and engagement. This requires a metric based understanding of design - requiring students to set observable, testable benchmarks to validate design hypothesis.

Finally, their knowledge of audience types is deepened with lectures on the O.C.E.A.N. model and it’s applications in game development.

Instruction

Teaching is comprised of lectures, seminars, workshops and project work.

Assessment

Examination takes place at seminars and comprises written assignments. In addition to seminars, participation in workshops is required.

The course grades are Pass, Pass with distinction or Fail. The number of attempts for the grade Pass is limited to five. The student has one attempt to obtain a grade Pass with Distinction

Uppsala University takes cheating and plagiarism seriously, and disciplinary action will be taken against any student suspected of being involved in any sort of cheating and/or plagiarism. The disciplinary action takes the form of warnings and limited suspensions.

NOTE: Only completed courses can count toward a degree.

Transitional provisions

The course substitutes/overlaps the course Advanced Game Design (5SD024)