CMI 3377: Designing for Play
A downloadable project
2023 Schedule
Syllabus is linked at the bottom of this page.
Weekly Devlog Journals
All students should create Itch.io accounts in order to post "Devlog Journals". (Oh, hey, congrats you're now a game designer!) If you have an Itch account from another class: great! If you need to register a new one, please know you are not required to use your real name. I often recommend students use a game studio name generator if you need ideas.
You'll need to start a new project using your "studio" name use this throughout the semester, adding a Devlog Journal each week. I'll show you how to do this in class and instructions are linked in the videos at the bottom of this page.
Devlog Journals (300 worthwhile words) are due every Friday by 2:00pm. In your reflection, connect the readings you did for the week (using at least 3 direct quotes cited with Author & Page/or Video & Timestamp) with the work you did in class that week. Posts that do not cite three concepts will receive zero credit, so make sure you're incorporating the prep material. Links, photos, and other media are encouraged!
Even though Devlog Journal reflections due Friday, all of the "in preparation" readings/videos should be completed before class on Tuesdays so that we can talk about and use them. You're reading and watching so that we can discuss, make stuff, and the you can reflect on how it has applied. There will be 14 Devlog Journals opportunities in total, though only 12 are required.
These should be the easiest part of your grade and yet it's the one assignment that causes people to earn lower grades in the course. Don't be that person!
The use of Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT are forbidden in writing Devlog Journal entries.. These are your thoughts and words as a designer and you should not have a robot write your diary for you.
This schedule is subject to change but Dr. S will provide appropriate notice when it may need to. Please bookmark this page and check it before each week.
Unit 1: Foundations
August 24 — Hello!
In Preparation: Bring yourself!
Friday Aug 25: [Devlog Journal 1] Because the was no reading this week, this frist Journal is a little different. Create your Itch.io account and choose "Upload a new project" to create your project page and write your first Devlog Journal post (instructions at the bottom of this schedule). Tell us why you're taking this class. What do you hope to learn? What kinds of games (of any kind!) do you currently play?
When you have posted your first Devlog Journal, join our Microsoft Teams group and paste your Itch.io account link into the Itch.io channel.
August 29, 31
Playcentric Design
In Preparation:
- 📚 Gordon Calleja {Ch. 1} Play in Unboxed: Board Game Experience and Design
- 📚 Macklin and Sharp {Ch. 1} Games, Design, and Play in Games, Design and Play: A Detailed Approach to Iterative Game Design
In-Class: Discuss Design Processes
Exercise #1: Folk games
Friday Sept 1 [Devlog Journal 2] From here on out, your Devlog Journals will always take the readings/material from the week and connect it with the creative work you're doing in and out of class.
September 5, 7
Doing Design Work
In preparation:
Ensure your IDEAPAK is in-hand.
- 📚 Macklin and Sharp {Ch. 3} The Kinds of Play
- 📚 Macklin and Sharp {Ch. 2} Basic Game Design Tools
- 📚 Macklin and Sharp {Ch. 4} The Player Experience
In-Class: Discuss the Six Elements / Ten Tool
Exercise #2: A simple mod
Friday Sept 8 [Devlog Journal 3]
September 12, 14
Thinking through Games
In Preparation:
- 📺 Watch Bennet Foddy on Making it Matter: Lessons from Real Sports (GDC 2013)
- 📼 Choose a video from Mr. Animate's Sports Encyclopedia series (the more unfamiliar, the better!) Be prepared to share what you learned in class and you will use this game as the topic for your Devlog Journal this week.
Exercise #3: Board game a sport
Friday Sept 15 [Devlog Journal 4]
September 19, 21
Learning Procedures with Card Games
In Preparation:
- 📚Nathan Atlice - The "Playing Card Platform" from Analog Game Studies Vol. 1
- 📚 Macklin and Sharp {Ch. 5} The Iterative Game Design Process and {Ch. 8} Collaboration and Teamwork
In-Class: Card Game History + playing some games
Exercise #4: Mod Uno
Friday Sept 22 [Devlog Journal 5]
Unit 2: Designing from Scratch
September 26, 28
Rules Explicitness
In Preparation:
- 📃 James Ernest - "Writing Effective Rules"
- 📚 Macklin and Sharp {Ch. 9} Conceptualizing and {Ch. 10} Prototyping
In-Class: Discuss writing rules, form card game groups, and conceptualization and prototyping
Dr. S Assigned the Card Game Project
Friday Sept 29 [Devlog Journal 6]
October 3, 5
How People Interact
In Preparation:
- Understand the rules of and play BARTOK (royalty free Uno) online
- 📚 Zach Hiwiller on Decision-Making from Players Making Decisions
- 📚 Macklin and Sharp {Ch. 11} Playtesting
In-Class: Prototype testing of the Card Game Project
Friday Oct 6 [Devlog Journal 7]
October 10, 12
In Preparation:
- 📚 Jesse Schell start with "Ten Tips for Productive Prototyping" and read through the end of the chapter from The Art of Game Design, 3rd Edition
- 📚 Calleja {Ch. 4} Sociality
Tuesday: Card Game Playtest
Due Thursday Class: Assignment #1: Card Game Demo Play Session!
Friday Oct 13 [Devlog Journal 8]
Unit 3: Balance
October 17, 19
Game Balance, Asymmetry, and Battle Battle
In Preparation:
- 📚 Jesse Schell describes why Game Mechanics Must Be in Balance from The Art of Game Design, 3rd Edition
- 📺 How To Teach Board Games Like a Pro
- 📃 Richard Garfield "Game Design Lessons from Poker"
- 👀 Watch How to Battle-Battle
Friday Oct 20 [Devlog Journal 9]
October 24, 26
In Preparation:
- 📚 Zach Hiwiller explains Randomness
- 📚 Macklin and Sharp {Ch. 7} Game Design Documentation
Friday Oct 27 [Devlog Journal 10]
October 31, November 2
In Preparation:
- (moved this to next week)
Due TUESDAY: Battle Battle Project
There is NO CLASS ON THURSDAY because of the TTU v TCU FOOTBALL GAME
Friday Nov 3 [Devlog Journal 11 is now a freebie!]
Unit 4: Competitive Play
November 7, 9
Competitive Play
In Preparation:
- 📼 Soren Johnson discusses How Board Games Matter at the Game Developers Conference 2014 (video, watch up until Q&A begins at 41 min.)
- 📚 Mary Flanagan's 'Board Games' in Critical Play : Radical Game Design (MIT Press, 2009)
In-Class: Tuesday Play board games / form groups
There is NO CLASS ON THURSDAY becuase Dr. S is giving a presentation in Boston
Friday Nov 10 [Devlog Journal 12]
November 14, 16
In Preparation:
- 📺 Visit the Watch It Played (YouTube Channel) and seek out a new board game to learn about.
- 📼 Jason Schklar on Designing Great UX into Your Game Board and Pieces (30 min.)
In-Class: Board game concept pitches. Rapid Prototyping.
Friday Nov 17 [Devlog Journal 13]
November 21
📅 Thanksgiving Break: No Class This Week — Each team will submit their design documentation to me online by Tuesday. Use the template in Teams.
November 28, 30
In Preparation:
- 📚Calleja {Ch. 2} Attention
- 📺 Geoff Engelstein on Board Game Design Day: White, Brown, and Pink: The Flavors of Tabletop Game Randomness (watch up to the Q&A)
In-Class Tuesday: Studio time
In-Class Thursday: Consultations and Playtesting
Due: Mid-Project peer evaluations
Friday Dec 1 [Devlog Journal 14]
December 5
In-Class: Playtesting
December 11 | Exam Period 4:30 – 7 PM
Board Game Final Play Session! Invite your friends!
Due: Finished boxed games and peer evalutions.
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