Foundations of Game Design

This unit introduces students to the fundamentals of game design, including the designer’s role, the phases of development, core mechanics and systems, storytelling, art style, user experience, and early testing. Students will produce foundational design artifacts (intentions, concept documents, paper prototypes) and assess production, publishing, and project-management considerations to prepare for hands-on implementation in later units.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze core game design roles, phases, and processes by comparing at least three designer responsibilities and mapping a game’s lifecycle from concept through launch.
• Apply industry-standard design tools and documentation to create a design intention statement, a one-page concept document, and a paper prototype for an original game idea.
• Demonstrate the ability to define game mechanics, core systems, art style, user experience goals, and balance targets, and develop a scheduled playtesting and iteration plan.
• Evaluate go-to-market options, common causes of game project failure, and basic project management strategies to recommend a viable publishing and launch approach with a preliminary timeline.