Free and Low Cost Game Design Tools for Game Based Learning with Student Game Creation Mark Lewis, Faculty Instructional Technologist Introduction There are many free or low cost game design tools for instructional activities that integrate game design as a method for examining course concepts. Activities can incorporate analytical and system thinking, and creativity and self- expression. This poster examines the types of tools available, suggested uses, possible costs, technical requirements and the degree of difficulty to learn each tool. Software, tools and game demonstrations are available on a laptop, tablet and as tabletop card games. This poster uses difficulty levels which correspond to level defined in the CIT Conference Program. This poster and additional resources are available at: Games about Game Design Interactive Text Games Designing interactive text games provides one of the easiest and quickest ways to incorporate the design and creation of functioning playable games into an instructional activity. Interactive text games provide students the opportunity to create detailed descriptive or creative writing and construct game worlds. Students can analyze systems, situations and choices and create models of the real world. They can include complex character profiles, geographic location descriptions, social and political background information and historical context. Video Game Creation Tools or Engines GameMaker Studio, Construct 2, Stencyl and Game Salad are game creation tools for creating 2D sidescrolling or platformer type games for publishing to PC, iOS, Android or the web. Side-scrolling games present the action from a side camera view (or a top camera view) and typically the movement in the game is from left to right. Platformer games have series of obstacles or puzzles that require the player jump, run or perform some other action to negotiate the challenges and progress in the game. GameMaker GameMaker Studio GameMaker has features for both beginners and more experienced users. Drag and Drop design and pre-installed programing objects are available for novices and an optional programming language is available for those who want a higher degree of control or customization. There are a large number of tutorials available both on the GameMaker website and on Youtube. Suggested Uses: Creative and expressive games, modeling systemic choices and simulations, rapid prototyping of games and simulations. Cost: Free for Studio Version, Standard and Professional Versions range from $25 to $100 (Paid versions are frequently discounted 50% throughout the year) Technical Requirements: Window 7 or 8 (See site for details) Degree of technical difficulty: Introductory to Intermediate Grow-A-Game (Card Game, iOS) Grow-A-Game is a set of cards designed to inspire consideration of human values as part of the process of creating a game. There are four card types: Challenges, Games, Values and Verbs. There are several different ways to play either as a single player or in groups. Each play style has the players draw from two or more card types and design a game that combines the attributes on the cards. The total time for the activity is flexible and ranges from 20 to 60 minutes. At the conclusion of the activity each player shares their design. Suggested Uses: Areas of study dealing with social, economic and political issues. Cost: $15 to $30 for table top card game (depending on edition purchased). Free for I-phone and I-pad. Technical Requirements: iOS for App version Degree of technical difficulty: Introductory What’s Your Game Plan? (Card Game) What’s Your Game Plan? is a group brainstorming game about enhancing a classroom activity with a game mechanic. The total activity time is 20 minutes and group sizes can range from 2 to 8 players. Player share their design with the other groups after the design time ends. There are four card types: Action, Game, Lesson, Mechanic. Suggested Uses: Education, training, other areas of study that use presentation activities that could be replaced with a collaborative game design activity on the same topic. Cost: $15 Technical Requirements: None Degree of technical difficulty: Introductory Resources Grow-A-Game Game Instructions, Slide presentation and resource site. Belman, J., Nissenbaum, H., Flanagan, M., and Diamond, J. Grow-A-Game: A Tool for Values Conscious Design and Analysis of Digital Games. Proceedings of DiGRA 2011 Conference: Think Design Play, Hilversum, Netherlands. GrowAGameTool-BelmanNissenbaumFlanaganDiamond.pdf What’s Your Game Plan? Gamecrafter (to purchase) What’s Your Game Plan? – Website with notes for facilitators Twine Twine website (including software download and tutorials) Creating Interactive Texts with Twine with-twine/46413 (Twine image retrieved from Inklewriter Interactive Text Games Game Based Learning through Text Adventures s-based-learning-through-text-adventures/ GameMaker YoyoGames (GameMaker) website GameMaker Education Resources Shaun Spalding – GameMaker Tutorials UDK – Unreal Development Kit Unread Development Kit (Video and PDF tutorials are available on the UDK site) Interactive Text Game Tools Twine (Computer Software, Web Version Preview) Twine is a free tool for creating interactive stories, poems, educational resources and games. Twine creates interactive HTML files and can be distributed as web pages on a web host or via a cloud storage service. The tool uses a visual design interface and can be learned in less than an hour. Twine creates text based stories and games, but it can be enhanced with images, audio or video using basic HTML skills. The program is available for Windows and Macintosh and a browser (web-based) version is under development. Suggested Uses: Digital storytelling, interactive text games, decision making tools, modeling systemic choices. Cost: Free Technical Requirements: Windows or OSX computer for computer software, modern browser for Web Version Preview. Degree of technical difficulty: Introductory to Intermediate (if extending Twine with Javascript, HTML or images) Inklewriter (Web 2.0 Tool) Inklewriter is a browser based interactive text creation tool that can be used to create interactive games that can include illustrations. The games are hosted on the Inklewriter web site or exported to a Kindle e-book format. Students can create a free account and publish interactive stories and games online. Suggested Uses: Similar to Twine Cost: Free Technical Requirements: Modern Browser Degree of technical difficulty: Introductory UDK - Unreal Development Kit UDK is the free version of the Unreal Engine 3 professional game creation tool. UDK provides the ability for students to create fully interactive 3D game worlds for the PC, iOS and Mac. There are many 3D game creation tools, in non-technical classes the use of these tools for an educational project would be dependent on individual student aptitude and interest. Suggested Uses: Creating fully rendered 3-D game worlds and simulations. Cost: Free to $19/month (professional version) Technical Requirements: A PC optimized for graphic and video production or gaming – check the UDK website for specifics Degree of technical difficulty: Advanced