Game Design 1


To be a valuable team member it is essential to be familiar with the various skills involved in a game project. You will likely prefer to be a writer, artist, designer, coder/dev or musician, but to have effective communication within your team requires an elementary knowledge and appreciation of all skill sets. So, you will be exposed to a variety of lessons designed to familiarize you with these various game project duties before choosing your BIG PROJECT.sjacobson (at) cdaschools.org

  • Classes are experiential and project based

  • THE BEST STRATEGY is to turn in the work when it's due regardless of completion (a 60% is better than a zero) and then resubmit later for FULL CREDIT!
    -Mr S Jacobson

0.1 Class Guide
WHILE reviewing this >> CLASS GUIDE,
take the corresponding TEST in Schoology.
YES, it's an open note test intended to help you review the class guidelines that make things run smooth and frees me up to help you with the more important things. It's also a quick grade boost! If you don't get a 100% then you were distracted :)

0.2 Digital Citizenship

You were probably hoping to get right into game design/development but in order to meet graduation requirements, we have to review Digital Citizenship. But, we'll do it in a gameful way using SafeOnlineSurfing!

  • Complete ALL 7 areas and then provide the teacher a FULL SCREENSHOT of the checked off end map.


Choose the standard GAME DESIGN track below OR
the NEW GAME DEV FAST-TRACK! << click!

1. ART
Choose: sprites, web comic, animation or card game
[WEEK 1/2]

Sprites
Create a full sprite collection (20+ frames: main character, enemies, environment -see examples ) for your upcoming game using
Piskelapp or Pixelorama or Inkscape (installed)
Piskel Tutorial Series

Web Comic
Using Paint.net or GIMP or Pixilart.com (6 frames minimum)
You can host on tapas.io or webtoons.com
Blake Wolf

Animation
Using Wickeditor or Pencil2D (1 minute complex animation)
 EXAMPLES!!! Tutorials 1 Tutorials 2 Tutorials 3

Card Game
Using Inkscape, GIMP, Paint.net, or Google Draw
example

TRICKS: Reference Pic Layer Tracing

Piskelapp sheets

2. WRITING
CHOOSE: Twine or Inkle
[WEEK 3]
Make an original, illustrated, quality Choose Your Own Adventure using Twine OR INKLEWRITER (requires account but saves in cloud!)
 15+ narrative blocks (100+ words each), 2-3 alternate endings, 8+ relevant (borrowed, sketched, photos) graphics. Images should be hosted on Imgur. Create an account.
Get DIRECT link >> e.g. https:// ... jpg/png

3. MUSIC
[WEEK 4]
Bring your own wired headset/earphones and choose one of the following

to create 3 original 30+ second music tracks (avoiding repetition and randomness) for your upcoming games. Possible themes: Intro, boss, win, adventure, pastoral, etc.

Beepbox Tutorial | Chrome Song Maker Tutorial

Chrome Music.mp4

4. Make an RPG
CHOOSE: RPG Playground or RPG Boss
[Week 5]

RPG Playground

Create an account and click the email activation

  1. Watch Intro tutorial then build your level using advanced conversations/quests, well designed multiple levels (door/warps), enemy fights, etc.

  2. PLEASE FOLLOW THE CHANNEL to enable more features sooner!

  3. Check Public, Save game, Click new link, copy the share link in the address bar of the new tab and SUBMIT (CREATE) via Schoology

  4. More tutorials can be found HERE.

EXAMPLES: Mr Severson BONUS! : Little Adventure : Massacre : Dungeon Fighter

RPG BOSS

Installed on your class computer (C:\C11\RPGBoss\ - RIGHT-CLICK FILE and SEND TO DESKTOP SHORTCUT). Similar to the famous RPGMaker software only RPGBoss is FREE and exports easily to both Windows and Mac. One of the easiest game design tools to use and highly addictive!
For an A you must have an original imported title page, different music, multiple maps (indoor, underground, etc), warps and conversations.

Maniac Burners Master Class | Alternate tutorials [Tut1] [Tut2]

Hackable Item Sheet | Piskel Character Template or HERE | Hack/Import Files

Missing rpgboss.exe FILE?

RPG Playground

5. Make a game!
 CHOOSE: FUSION or GDevelop
[Weeks 6/7]

FUSION (already installed)
Five Nights at Freddy's , Freedom Planet , The Escapists , Baba Is You

HERE is the TEMPLATE with Zelda/Platformer/Collector examples. Pick one and delete the other 2. Replace the graphics and sounds with your own and completely redecorate adding extra functionality. Template Video ::: More templates [HERE] ::: 100's of examples: NIVRAM's ::: Teacher templates HERE

GDEVELOP (download for Windows & install)
Top games made with GDevelop

Pick a STARTER or EXAMPLE and Switch out the graphics with those from the previous Piskel Sprite Sheet assignment and completely redecorate, also adding your own music from previously.
Teacher GDevelop templates HERE
THIS DUDE has some pretty sweet templates!


6. Make a game!
CHOOSE: Construct or Game Maker Studio
[Weeks 8/9]

CONSTRUCT
Top games made with Construct

CREATE AN ACCOUNT AND INSTALL AS APP to access exporting and advanced features and so you can use OFFLINE!
SUBMIT *.C3P FILE (PROJECT-SAVE AS-SINGLE FILE-NAME)

Choose one of the TEMPLATES to make your own by replacing ALL graphics and sound effects! Enlarge the level and rearrange the layout.
Teacher templates HERE.

Game Maker Studio!
Spelunky, Undertale, Shovel Knight, Hyperlight Drifter, Forager
---Youtube TUT : Also has built-in


6. CHOOSE! VR, VN or BlockCode
[WEEK 8/9]

  • Easy VR using Blocksmith
    It's already on your computers in C:\C11 folder

  • Create a Visual Novel with CLOUDnovel
    TUTORIAL HERE, otherwise, you're on your own with this and send me the SHARE link

  • MicroSoft MAKECODE Arcade
    PICK a good tutorial, e.g. Galga, Collect the Clovers, Maze, etc. and send me the     SHARE link
    THOSE WHO CHOOSE THIS AS THEIR 9 WEEK PROJECT WILL GET TO SUBMIT THEIR GAME FOR A POPULAR VOTE. WHERE THE WINNER WILL GET THEIR GAME PUT ON THIS OR THIS CONSOLE TO KEEP!


END OF QUARTER


PLAN Your Quarter PROJECT!
using a >>>Google Site to show your weekly progress

  1. PLAN an ORIGINAL CREATIVE DIGITAL PROJECT based on a previous lesson (or investigate something NEW from the next section below)

  2. ALSO, come up with a BACKUP PROJECT option in case your first project stalls for any reason).

  3. Describe BOTH in detail on your Google Site <EXAMPLE> including a relevant graphic or screenshot

  4. ADD a WEEKLY UPDATE SECTION below that

  5. Publish. View. Submit the web page address via the Schoology Create tab. DON'T FORGET TO PUBLISH after every weekly update!

portfoliotut.mp4

Additional Project Choices:

You are mostly on your own with these excellent choices but they are all well worth the extra effort!

Can't DECIDE??

Then the instructor will pick one of these for you:

  1. microSTUDIO Do tour, drawing, create a game

  2. MakeCode Arcade Do Skillmaps & Tutorials

  3. LEARN 3D Modelling with BLENDER Find a good tut!
    installed in C:\C11 folder

  4. EXPLORE Game Maker Studio
    Complete as many tutorials as possible

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

  • Teacher lead 5 min group check-in first of every week

    • What specifically are you doing this week?

    • What help if any, do you need?

  • WORK all period, saving the last 15 minutes for entertainment, i.e. phone/PC games/vids

  • At the end of each week PUBLISH significant updates on your Google Site project page with the most current dated entry at the TOP of the section <see EXAMPLE>

  • Touch base at any time with the instructor for any special requests

  • If your project stalls, engage the backup!

  • Maybe near the end of the course you'd like to host your finished project on itch.io or Netlify

portfoliotut.mp4

END OF COURSE!

MISCELLANEOUS