Skip to main content

ENGL 315

ENGL 315: Game Design  

Credit Hours: (3)

Instructional Methods: Three hours lecture

Examination of the theory and design of video games and tabletop (board) games. Students will analyze leisure and serious games, discuss the business of game design, develop a game prototype using the professional tools and project management processes of game design, and critically reflect on those processes.

Note(s): Applied Learning designated course.

 

Detailed Description of Content of Course

This class will survey the fundamentals and professional practices of game design, including the basic mechanics of video games and tabletop (board) games and the processes involved in game development and promotion. Students will investigate concept and design elements as they begin developing their own games as well as approaches to rapid prototyping, models of project management, research techniques, the game revision process, pitching games for funding, crowdsourcing, usability testing, and accessibility. Finally, as part of an ePortfolio, students will critically reflect on their abilities as a game designer by articulating their competencies in game design to potential employers or graduate school admissions committees, by outlining a professional development plan to gain knowledge and skills they might be missing, and by producing a revision plan for their game prototypes.

Course topics and activities will include

  • The practices of rapid prototyping and diverse models of project management.
  • The role of games in the business realm, including how employers use games for knowledge and skill development.
  • The best practices of usability testing.
  • The positive and negative aspects of crowdsourcing as a form of obtaining capital.
  • The selection of appropriate artifacts for the ePortfolio, given one’s academic and professional goals.
  • The creation of an ePortfolio that is accessible and professional.
  • The application of diverse approaches to accessibility, such as universal design, participatory design, and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), to games.
  • The planning of a usability study, including recruiting participants, running a usability test, and reporting on the test’s results.
  • The creation of a revision plan using the results of a usability test.
  • Identifying important components of a professional pitch.
  • Composing a professional pitch for a specific audience.
  • Providing feedback to peers on their games in progress.
  • The basic tenets of professional writing, including proposal writing.

 

Detailed Description of Conduct of Course

Depending on instructor preference, the course may incorporate the following instructional strategies:

  • Peer-to-peer and peer-to-instructor conferences
  • Lecture
  • “Flipped” lectures facilitated by D2L
  • Small- and large-group discussions
  • Experiential learning activities
  • Peer-led learning
  • Guest lectures
  • Field visits
  • Computer-assisted instruction
  • Collaborative learning

 

Student Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, a student will be able to successfully:

  • Explain diverse models of project management and rapid prototyping.
  • Apply diverse models of project management and rapid prototyping to game development.
  • Propose a game and produce a prototype of that game.
  • Produce analytical, argumentative, and/or reflective writing about gaming for academic and non-academic audiences.
  • Define various game mechanics and apply those mechanics in appropriate situations.
  • Develop and then complete a usability study, including recruiting participants, running a usability test, and reporting on the test’s results.
  • Identify what they know about game design and how this knowledge contributes to their professional goals.
  • Recognize the need for usability testing, especially as it relates to insuring accessibility.
  • Use feedback from a usability study, meetings with industry professionals, and peer feedback to create a revision plan.
  • Create a professional ePortfolio that critically reflects upon their engagement with game studies and design.

Additionally, this course meets the following goal and outcomes for the L REAL designation:

Learning Goal: To explore professional practice through the application of knowledge, skills, and critical reflection.

Learning Outcome 1: Students apply acquired knowledge and skills to develop professional identity or professional practice.  

Learning Outcome 2: Students critically reflect on their learning, abilities, experiences, or role within professional contexts.

 

Assessment Measures

Depending on instructor preference, students may be assessed via

  • Quizzes and homework
  • Informal, in-class writing exercises
  • Informal, targeted writing activities completed outside of class, such as reading responses, journals, or logs
  • Formal composition activities, such as traditional academic essays but also reflective, professional, digital, and multimodal writing assignments
  • Outlines, drafts, and revision work of major assignments
  • Peer-to-peer writing workshops
  • Creative projects, including game prototypes
  • Essay exams
  • Oral exams
  • Collaborative/individual projects or presentations
  • Class discussion

 

Other Course Information

Not Applicable

 

Review and Approval

June, 2025

March 29, 2026

Apply NowPlan a Visit