What’s the difference between an FPS and an RPG? Are discovery and exploration important in every style of game, or can they detract from a cool game concept? We answer these questions by examining genres in games and analyzing some of the gameplay styles associated with them. Then, once we’ve discovered strengths and weaknesses inherent to particular game styles, we’ll develop skills necessary to formulate and evauluate our own original gameplay ideas.

Game History is an integrated, cross-disciplinary hands-on history class where students actively research the evolution and history of games through the lenses of design, art, technology, business, society and culture. Working with resources from the Game History Teaching Collection, and from the perspective of their discipline as a game developer, students will play, study and research historical to contemporary games. In this way, students will discover the nexus of relationships driving game development.

Game designers need an essential skill set that allows them to realize their concepts through working prototypes. In Game Technology I students learn how to develop and manipulate game mechanics and environments through visual and traditional scripting tools. This class is the first in a series that supports skills needed for level editing and design, prototyping, and working in game engines.

A level designer controls moment by moment what a player sees, hears and feels during the game experience. Following the broader direction of the game designer, the level designer creates the setting and crafts the challenges for each individual level. The style and content of individual game levels must establish the right mood, support the anticipated functionality, advance the storyline, and satisfy the idiosyncratic requirements of the players. Building on the design foundation of Conceptual Design, this course teaches students how to successfully design, draft, document, and implement successful game levels.

Acquire the integration skills needed to successfully build a 3D game. In Game Engine I we explore both the technical construction and practical design of games in a 3D game engine. The technical skills required to use the game engine software are combined with knowing how and when to use spaces in a level, construct an interface, establish moods, and direct a player’s attention through sound effects, lighting, camera angles, and text to create a complete working game.

At the core of every game experience are the systems that generate that experience. In this advanced game design course, we will examine a full spectrum of game experiences and deconstruct their systems. We will look at the many facets of creating a player-centric game experience from the cultural significance of games and play to conceptualizing and proving concepts for a broad range of game media target markets and purposes.

The college capstone is an opportunity for students to pursue a self-directed experience in their professional program that intentionally integrates their liberal learning in the Core curriculum with their program learning. In addition to the substantive professional-based hands-on project in this class, the capstone will include a professional ethics component and a self-evaluation/self-reflection component.

Looking to land a job as a game designer? In today’s fast changing industry, you’ll need to demonstrate top-notch skills, get attention, and stand out from the crowd. This class allows you to define, refine, and develop an individual body of work that will capture the attention of hiring managers. Emphasis is on presentation, editing, and organization of a personal portfolio, under the guidance of faculty to ensure a professional product.