{"id":7,"date":"2014-08-20T17:42:45","date_gmt":"2014-08-20T17:42:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mycours.es\/gamedesign2014\/?page_id=7"},"modified":"2014-10-10T14:21:05","modified_gmt":"2014-10-10T14:21:05","slug":"syllabus","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/mycours.es\/gamedesign2014\/","title":{"rendered":"Syllabus"},"content":{"rendered":"

Carnegie Mellon University \u2013 School of Art
\nProfessor: Paolo Pedercini<\/strong>
\nCourse number: 60427<\/strong>
\nClassroom: CFA 307 + CFA 318 (Mac Lab)<\/strong>
\nTime: Tuesday and Thursday 06:30PM 09:20PM<\/strong>
\nOffice: CFA 419A \u2013 4th Floor<\/strong>
\nOffice hours: By appointment<\/strong>
\nEmail address: paolop [at] andrew [dot] cmu [dot] edu<\/strong><\/p>\n

All playthings*, from folk games to computer games, emerge from a stratification of efforts, design iterations, house rules, play testing, successful patterns that crystallize into genres and conventions, intentional transgressions and subconscious inspirations.<\/p>\n

In this course we will approach game design as an act of critical inquiry: transforming and subverting playable artifacts, injecting \u201creality\u201d into games and games into \u201creality\u201d, interrogating gaming culture and its impact in society.<\/p>\n

Activities include analog and digital design exercises, workshops\/playshops, readings, and in-depth analysis of works from the digital arts and the independent gaming world. The first half of the semester consists in conceptual design exercises while the second half will be hands-on digital game development.
\n
\n*I use the word playthings to encourage the exploration a wide range of form, not limited to computer games: algorithmic performances, toys, interactive art, playful installations etc\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

UNITS AND ACTIVITIES<\/h1>\n

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SUBVERSIVE PLAY<\/h2>\n

Before becoming critical game designers we must become critical players.
\nMis-play a game of your choice by acting against the intention of the designer or by exploring\/exploiting the limits of its system. Try to achieve an aesthetic goal or provide insights on the game itself.
\nDocument your intervention through video and\/or screenshots.<\/p>\n

Works\/case studies: <\/strong>Prepared Playstation, My Trip to Liberty City, Suicide Solution, Dead in Iraq, The Council on Gender Sensitivity and Behavioral Awareness in World of Warcraft, Pacifist Runs, Skate 3 Compilation, Breaking Madden, Magnasanti, Gold Farming.<\/p>\n

On game boundaries:<\/strong> Invisible Walls, Puffy Clouds, and the Unheavenly World Behind Them.<\/p>\n

Readings:<\/strong>
\nWhat\u2019s the Point If We Can\u2019t Have Fun? by David Graeber
\nPlay is by Miguel Sicart
\n
\nDesigning for subversive\/creative play, implementing unenforceable rules:<\/strong> draw something, drawception, TmVille, Chicanery, J.S. Joust, Space Team, Fingle, Bounden, Ninja.<\/p>\n

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FIXING BOARD GAMES<\/h2>\n

Many classic board games are imbued with conservative values to make them palatable despite their poor designs. After analyzing patterns and mechanics from contemporary euro-style games, redesign an old classic addressing the problems affecting both gameplay and theme.
\nGroups of 2-3.<\/p>\n

Games to mod:
\n<\/strong>Monopoli – Make it shorter, skill based and without a dominant strategy.
\nRisk – Make it shorter and avoid petty diplomacy.
\nThe game of life – Make it non-normative.
\nCandy Land – Make it deep and strategic.
\nSinging chairs – Make it non-violent\/inclusive.
\nAny non digital game – analyze a game according to Roger Callois\u2019 4 elements of play (Agon, Alea, Mimicry, Ilinx) and redesign it with \u201cinverted\u201d components (e.g. skill-based slot machine\u2026)
\nBonus – board game archeology: starting from a picture or game materials, design a game around it.<\/p>\n

Games\/case studies:<\/strong> LOTR the confrontation, Lost Cities, Modern Art, Pandemic, Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne, Zooloretto, Animal Upon Animal, Corporate America, Escape: The Curse of the Temple, Train, 3 Players Chess.<\/p>\n

A people’s history of board games:<\/strong> from the Landlord game to Freedom: the underground railroad.<\/p>\n

A Game Design Terms:<\/strong> Skill vs chance, theme and gameplay, meaningful choices, hidden information, heuristics, politics, targeted interaction, kingmaking and 3 player problem, cooperative games and roles, snowballing and catch-up, elimination and griefing, multiple paths to victory, downtime and busywork, materials and tactility.<\/p>\n

Playshops:<\/strong> 5 fingers by Eric Zimmerman, Seller and Buyers by Naomi Clark, Mafia\/Werewolf, RPS tag, 2 Rooms and a Boom, Games and complex systems: the fishing game.<\/p>\n

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GAMIFY EVERYTHING!<\/h2>\n

Games are experiences governed by rules, like many non-playful activities. Find a real world system or an activity that can be turned into a game. Alternatively, devise a challenge that can create an interesting situation in a public space. Does it reveal something about the activity or context? Does it encourage a different kind of behavior or interaction?
\nGroups of 2-3.<\/p>\n

Additional prompts:
\n-Signs transforming a space into playground
\n-Game involving unaware non-players
\n-Secret messages hidden in plain sight
\n-Ambient game
\n-Game for a specific social situation
\n-Behavior changing game<\/p>\n

Readings:<\/strong>
\nContribution to a Situationist Definition of Play – Guy Debord
\nJane McGonigal: Gaming can make a better world – TED talk
\nGamification and Governmentality – Niklas Schrape<\/p>\n

Case studies:<\/strong> Tommy Guerrero – Future Primitive – 1985 , Jump London – Parkour, Flashmobs, Camover, Tagging the City by Ludic Society, Metakettle by Terrorbull games, SuperBetter, SF0.<\/p>\n

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GAME LUDDITES<\/h2>\n

\u201cPlagiarism is necessary. Progress implies it. It holds tight an author\u2019s phrase, uses his expressions, eliminates a false idea, and replaces it with just the right idea\u201d.
\nIn this unit we will learn the basics of Unity development by remaking classic 2D games and by modding them beyond recognition.
\nGroups of 2-3.<\/p>\n

Artist Mods:<\/strong> Ars doom by Orhan Kipcak, Museum Meltdown by Tobias Bernstrup & Palle Tornsson, SimCopter hack by Jacques Servin, retroYou R\/C by retroYou, nostalG by retroYou, SOD by Jodi, Quilted Thought Organ (‘QTHOTH’) by Julian Oliver, Untitled Game by Jodi, Adam Killer by Brody Condon, Super Mario Clouds by Cory Archangel, q3apd by Julian Oliver, Super Mario Battle no.1 by Myfanwy Ashmore.<\/p>\n

Exercises:<\/strong>
\nAutism – turn a single player into multi player game
\nJoystick envy – gender swap a game
\nMilitarism – turn a shooting game into a \u201cpacifist\u201d game
\nFrenemies – turn a competitive game into a co-operative game
\nJuicyness – turn a dull game into a \u201cjuicy\u201d game
\nFlow – turn a hard, stressful game into a \u201cnicer\u201d game
\nAdaptations – make Atari\u2019s E.T. good and more consistent with the movie<\/p>\n

Playshop:<\/strong> computerless modding workshop.<\/p>\n

Indie games – new retro: Braid, Everyday Shooter, Warning Forever, Super Crate Box, Luftrauser, ROM CHECK FAIL, Nidhogg, Sword and Sworcery, Cart life, Triad, Canabalt, Corrypt, Psychosomnium, Plasma Pong, Mondo Medicals.<\/p>\n

The humor and existential horror of physics games
\nWorks: Qwop, Stair dismount, Flappy bird, Not Tetris, Tug the Table, How do you do it, Envirobear, Crayon physics, Tower of goo, Incredipede.<\/p>\n

Expanding the game design vocabulary<\/strong>: Game Feel, Juicyness, Flow, Ludo-narrative Dissonance. Clones: Flappy bird, 2048 and Threes. When is a clone – Raph Koster<\/p>\n

Assignment:<\/em> values\/politics in games, analyze a game.<\/p>\n