This is a course where you will start conceptualizing games.

First, you’ll break this process down into pixels: you’ll define the stages of game development and the tasks of a game designer at each stage. You will learn how to create concepts and understand the psychology of players.

Then you’ll figure out how to work with game documentation and write technical specifications for a feature. You will come up with mechanics, determine monetization for the project, and pitch ideas to the client.

As a result, you will add a game pitch in 2 formats to your portfolio and get feedback from the lecturer and representatives of game studios.

Cruise program

THE GAME HAS BEGUN

  • briefly about the game industry
  • the beautiful word “game dev” and its components
  • what is a game anyway?
  • game components
  • game genres
  • game creation process (on the example of a small project and a AAA game)

GAME + PLAYER. ANALYZING THE TYPES

  • why do we play?
  • players and their types, Bartle’s typology
  • MDE: player’s desires and emotions
  • reversal of the MDE approach
  • we analyze 1-3 games and determine the main types of players they are aimed at

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT A GAME DESIGNER

  • game design and game designer
  • Types of game designers: which is better?
  • game designer vs player
  • basic skill set of a game designer

INTRODUCTION TO THE DOCUMENTATION. GAMIFICATION

  • documentation
  • gamification
  • how to gamify real life activities

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GAMEPLAY

  • concepts and components
  • core gameplay + meta-gameplay
  • metagame
  • goals in the game
  • define the types of gameplay in popular games

PRACTICE. GAMIFYING REAL LIFE (2 SESSIONS)
You will learn how to identify types of gameplay, gamify activities, and transfer them from offline to the game concept.

ABOUT THE FAN AND THE STATE OF THE FLOW IN THE GAME

  • player flow in the game space
  • fan in games and the state of the stream

GAME SPACE AND DESIGN OBJECTS

  • Game space
  • Design objects
  • selecting examples of design objects

GAME MECHANICS AND FEEDBACK

  • game mechanics
  • atomic mechanics
  • complex mechanics
  • game mechanics design and prototyping methods
  • feedback during the game
  • mechanics vs feature

CREATIVE PROCESS. BRAINSTORMING

  • creative process
  • game mechanics design methods
  • Walt Disney method
  • lateral thinking

ANALYZING POPULAR GAMES BY MECHANICS
You will learn how to analyze games, present ideas, and argue for solutions. In practice, you will invent new mechanics and analyze their impact on systems.

PRACTICE (2 SESSIONS)
Show your homework from class 8 and get feedback. In the course of the class, you will look at the work of other students and learn how to evaluate them as a pro.

DESIGN DOCUMENTATION. IDEA AND PITCH

  • where to get and how to select ideas: sources
  • methods and first analysis
  • what is a pitch and how to pitch a game
  • practice: coming up with a game and pitching it
  • make a pitch of your game (in writing)

DESIGN DOCUMENTATION. CONCEPT AND TERMS OF REFERENCE

  • what is a concept
  • how to create a concept document
  • what is GDD
  • mistakes in drafting documentation
  • presentation of documentation and ideas
  • terms of reference vs design document

PITCHING GAMES ONLINE (2 SESSIONS)
Here you pitch your game, listen to and analyze students’ pitches, develop your curiosity, and learn how to give reasoned feedback.

TOGETHER WITH THE LECTURER, WE PREPARE A CONCEPT DOC AND TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE DEVELOPER (2 SESSIONS)
Don’t miss this class. Here, you will develop a concept paper and technical specifications for a developer online. In the course of practice, you will formulate the idea of the game so that everyone understands it: from sponsors to artists. You will receive detailed feedback from the lecturer.

HOW TO GET INTO THE BIG WORLD OF GAME DEVELOPMENT

  • where to get the first work experience
  • how to create a boring CV
  • how about a portfolio?
  • prepare yourself for the interview
  • learn to communicate with colleagues and clients

ECONOMICS AND MONETIZATION

  • concept of game economy
  • role of economy in games
  • types of resources
  • basic resource cycles
  • concept of monetization
  • existing models
  • what users pay for
  • payment cycle

AUDIENCE AND ITS SEGMENTATION

  • why to divide users into segments
  • main approaches to segmentation
  • audience motivation
  • data monitoring

BALANCE

  • the concept of game system balance
  • what exactly to balance and how to do it
  • direct and indirect impact
  • tools + audience
  • define the balance parameters for the proposed game system

YOU PRESENT THE DRAFT OF THE PROJECT TO THE LECTURER
Here you will learn how to defend your ideas to the customer, receive and analyze feedback. As a result, you will finalize your presentation for the final defense.

PRESENTATION OF THE FINAL PROJECT. SHINE.
All course lecturers and representatives of game studios will come here. You will get their feedback, look at the work of other students, and summarize the skill you have received.