Game Design (INFO30009) (Undergraduate Level 3)

Undergraduate programs will be delivered on campus. Graduate programs will mainly be delivered on campus, with dual-delivery and online options available to a select number of subjects within some programs. 

Digital games are one of the largest entertainment industries, increasingly pervasive within society, and at the forefront of emerging technologies with respect to user experience and online social interaction. This subject will develop understanding and practical knowledge of the fundamental principles of game design, interactivity and immersion. It will examine how these techniques are increasingly being applied in contexts such as health, learning, web-design and in emerging virtual reality experiences. 

The subject will explore the deeper conceptual foundations of the theory of games and their use beyond the digital realm. Students will learn the underlying principles of how to design games, what games are and how they engage players. They will apply this knowledge to the analysis of games, the study of play, and the persuasive, transformative and educative potential of gaming experiences.

Indicative content

• Fundamentals of game design; interactive techniques of gaming interfaces; social and collaborative techniques of game design; online game communities; trends in the games industry; mobile gaming; methods for studying play; persuasive games; gamification applications.

Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this subject, students should be able to:

• Apply the basic methodologies and conceptual skills of game design
• Value how games create meaningful play experiences for player
• Have knowledge of the changing landscapes of contemporary gaming, including mobile, virtual reality and augmented reality gaming experiences
• Articulate the motivational, transformative and powerful potentials for play and other ludic experiences in persuasive game design
• Apply qualitative and quantitative techniques in player experience research to critically analyse the design of games and other immersive interactive experiences

Generic skills
On completion of this subject, students should have developed the following generic skills:

• The ability to undertake problem identification, formulation and solution
• The capacity to solve problems, including the collection and evaluation of information
• The capacity for critical and independent thought and reflection
• The ability to communicate designs and design thinking
• Profound respect for truth and intellectual integrity, and for the ethics of scholarship