Rules of the Game

Creating a game that is both engaging and enjoyable requires much more than just programming skills and a good storyline! A good game must entertain, which requires conflict structure, play pacing, play balance, and a good formula for incremental resolution and reward. The Rules of the Game Course employs a heuristic process designed to help students identify and cultivate the enigmatic element of fun in games. Students will explore the process of rules structuring and game usability principles, including interface design and the range of testing procedures. They apply these principles to their projects, a game prototype for the companion course Structure of Game Production, and employ a tiered testing process to confirm play viability and fun factor!

Course Outline

• Game Design Elements
• Interface Design
• Storytelling
• Game Usability