CS II: Game Design & Development

Course Overview

In this course, students design and develop games through hands-on practice. Comprised of a series of “game jams,” the course asks students to solve problems and create content, developing the design and technical skills necessary to build their own games. The first month of the course is dedicated to understanding game design through game designer Jesse Schell’s “lenses”: different ways of looking at the same problem and answering questions that provide direction and refinement of a game’s theme and structure. During this time, students also learn how to use Unity, the professional game development tool they use throughout the class. They become familiar with the methodologies of constructing a game using such assets as graphics, sounds, and effects, and controlling events and behavior within the game using the C# programming language. Throughout the remainder of the course, students will work in teams to brainstorm and develop new games in response to a theme or challenge. Students will develop their skills in communication, project- and time- management, and creative problem-solving while focusing on different aspects of asset creation, design, and coding. Prerequisite: Computer Science I: Computational Thinking or its equivalent.

NCAA-approved course

UC-approved course

Course Outline

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Competencies

• Game Design Process: Use an iterative process and the lenses of game design to ideate and refine gameplay mechanics and aesthetics
• Game Development: Develop and apply technical, programming, and asset creation skills to build games
• Promote relationships with global audiences on various platforms and venues of exhibition to inform the design process at all stages