GAMESTAR MECHANIC JR Video Game Design Unit

ABOUT VIDEO GAMES BrainPop Video Games

THE GOAL Soon you will be creating your own video games but first you have to go to “Game Design School” (Gamestar Mechanic Jr.) to learn what goes into making a game.

WE WILL/I WILL We will find simple design problems and find solutions by planning and testing variables. I will work through the quests on GSMJ to practice the elements of game design.

EXPECTATIONS This is not an arcade. Even though we are learning about video game design, we are still learning and the noise level should reflect that. We are playing through the QUESTS only at this point I do not want you to go home and do this until the end of class four. Read and/or listen to directions.

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QUESTS FOR DAY 1

SOCRATIVE- ROOM NAME: RAMLAB

GAMESTAR MECHANIC JR LESSON 2 Rules and Components

WE WILL/I WILL We will find simple design problems and find solutions by planning and testing variables. I will work through the quests on GSMJ to practice the elements of game design.

WHAT DID WE LEARN YESTERDAY? Share with a partner and then we will share out together

RULES Sports games have rules- let’s think about basketball timers Name some of the rules in basketball Video Games have rules too timers health meters space restrictions (can’t fall off a cliff without losing a life)

COMPONENTS Components serve a purpose and make the game more interesting. Think back to basketball and tell me some components of the game the opposing team, 3-Point line, the ball, points, etc.

EXPECTATIONS This is not an arcade. Even though we are learning about video game design, we are still learning and it the noise level should reflect that. We are playing through the QUESTS only at this point and I do not want you to go home and do this until the end of class four. Read and/or listen to directions.

LOG IN

QUEST DAY 2

SOCRATIVE- ROOM NAME: RAMLAB

GAMESTAR MECHANIC JR LESSON 3 Mechanics

WE WILL/I WILL We will find simple design problems and find solutions by planning and testing variables. I will work through the quests on GSMJ to practice the elements of game design.

WHAT DID WE DO LAST MONTH?

MECHANICS What each player can do within a game Think about basketball- what can a player do down the court with 30 seconds on the shot clock Players can shoot, pass, play defense, and run the floor all within the rules of the game.

SPACE Space comes into play in basketball when we are talking about how the floor is divided up (two sections separated by a mid-court line), the height of the goal (10 feet), 3 point line, Out of Bounds, etc.

SPACE All games have a world in which they exist known as the space. It describes the look and feel of the game itself including: Visual space Barriers Colors Sounds Lighting

EXPECTATIONS This is not an arcade. Even though we are learning about video game design, we are still learning and it the noise level should reflect that. We are playing through the QUESTS only at this point and I do not want you to go home and do this until the end of class four. Read and/or listen to directions.

QUEST DAY 3

FIX THE GAME This game cannot be won as it is designed right now. Using what you have learned about game design, give at least 3 problems with this game and suggest how each can be fixed with editing.

There are three things that make Puzzling Modern House unbeatable and I know all three!

Picture to refer back to First sentence Picture to refer back to Start a post

GAMESTAR MECHANIC JR LESSON 4 Design your own game

EXPECTATIONS This is not an arcade. Even though we are learning about video game design, we are still learning and it the noise level should reflect that. Read and/or listen to directions. You can now play at home if you would like to!

The 5 Basic Elements of Game Design REVIEW The 5 Basic Elements of Game Design

GOALS how does someone win at this game? But not just about points- Think about how players can achieve the end goal and map that out. Is there only one way to win or can a player take multiple paths to achieve the end goal? Can more than one player win? Are you trying to get the player to learn something? Can players continue on after someone wins? Ask yourself these questions to really determine the goal of the game.

RULES The rules are what guide a player through the game. It tells them what they can and cannot do in order to win. They not only describe how to play the game, but the rules also help shape the game play experience.

COMPONENTS The characters and objects that exist in the game and how they are used to play the game Bad guys Heroes Dice Vehicles mazes They should serve a purpose to the game

MECHANICS These are the actions that characters and other components can do, or have done to them, in the course of the gameplay. Think them through. You can’t have your character break through a brick wall in one place and then be stopped by a piece of wood in the next area.

SPACE All games have a world in which they exist known as the space. It describes the look and feel of the game itself including: Visual space Barriers Colors Sounds Lighting

But play it to test it out and make sure it works as a real game Make it