KV5042 - Games design

Every week on this module there will be one 1-hour lecture and one 2-hour seminar. Lecture material will cover many of the topics outlined above, and the seminar sessions will typically involve embedding the subject matter and practicing particular skills through discussions, team exercises and individual exercises. Students will be expected to increase their skills further through self-directed study and practice.

Students will be supported in their learning primarily through the seminar sessions with practical application of theoretical material and shared learning through discussion. Feedback will be given verbally during seminar sessions and students will also be able to contact staff outside class times if desired. Also, appropriate technology will be used to facilitate extra-curricular discussions (e.g. bulletin boards, social media) of important issues for the games industry. Students will also be encouraged to participate in games industry events and development communities.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
ML01 - analyse and compare common elements of game design: games ideas, gameplay mechanics, game worlds, aesthetic design, questing systems, and games puzzles. (KU1 ,2, 3 and 4)

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
ML02 - apply skills related to secondary research at an appropriate level. (IPSA1)
ML03 - effectively communicate information, ideas, arguments, problems and solutions in written forms. (IPSA2)

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
ML04 – select and justify a strategy for a gameplay feature by analysing options, appraising and comparing relative qualities, implications, and trade-offs.
ML05- show creativity and imagination in games design

Through the seminar sessions, tutors will be monitoring students progress and will be able to provide verbal formative feedback at all stages. There may also be written formative feedback via email.

Assessment 1: Written assignment 1 - Game analysis: In this assignment you will be asked to write a 2500 words “paper”. This is a bit like an essay, but we expect you to write it to academic standards, similar to papers that are written for academic journals. (feature comparison and choice – given a scenario, and asked for a recommendation for a gameplay feature, compare common tropes and select a contender). 20%

Assessment 2: Written assignment – Game Design Document – In this document you will create a partial Game Design Document that describes the game you have decided on. It will contain a mandatory introductory section giving a brief overview of the game, and of the game world, and then will include three to six further sections, each detailing a particular aspect of the game. 80%

Assessment feedback will be given in writing electronically.

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This module will cover a variety of subjects in the areas of games design and games production. There will also be some learning surrounding particular professional skills in this module. Every week on this module there will be one 1-hour lecture and one 2-hour seminar. There will be two written assignments, a game feature analysis and a Game Design Document. A game feature analysis is 20% and Game design document is 80% of the module.