Game Design Basics

What does it mean to design a game? How is it different from making a game, or scripting, or programming? Game design is an exciting new field that we're really still figuring out. In the games industry, we often spend most of our time worried about the nuanced difficulties of implementing, testing, and iterating. And for good reason! These are hugely important. But they can often overshadow the more fundamental aspects of the actual process of design as a separate, artistic craft. At the same time, long-winded answers to questions like "what is fun?" lead to winding, inconclusive conversations.

In this course, you'll learn what it means to think about games like a game designer in a productive and meaningful way with a clear focus on what actions you can take and why you should take them! I speak in the abstract about the kinds of questions you should be asking, and help to lay out a conceptual foundation for how to think about game design in a more active and productive way, so that your designs can iterate better, faster, and stronger!