Game Studies: Compilation & Presentation
21.04.2025 - 12.05.2025 (Week 1 - Week 4)
Kiew Ting Yi (Nicole) / 0361143 / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative MediaGame Studies
Task 1 : Exercises
Table of Contents:
1. Lecture: Game Studies
2. Instructions
3. Exercises
4. Game Creation
5. Reflection
2. Instructions
LECTURE: GAME STUDIES
Week 1: Principles of Game Design
In our first lecture, we explored the foundation of what makes games meaningful, engaging, and fun to play. Game design blends creativity, psychology, storytelling, and technical skills to craft interactive experiences with purpose.
1. Player Experience
Great games are designed around the player. Emotions, immersion, and flow
are central. Using frameworks like PLEX (Playful Experiences), designers
identify different emotional goals such as excitement, challenge,
imagination, or social bonding.
2. Gameplay Mechanics
These are the actions players take. Core mechanics include movement, dice
rolling, or card playing. Secondary mechanics such as resource management
and trading add depth. Feedback loops or positive, negative, or dynamic
helps shape pacing and strategy.
3. Storytelling
Narrative gives games meaning. Through environmental storytelling,
character design, and player agency, games can create immersive worlds.
The best stories unfold through player choices, not just preset
scripts.
4. Balance and Challenge
Games should gradually increase difficulty without overwhelming the
player. A mix of skill and luck keeps things dynamic. Progression systems
reward players with growth and new experiences.
5. Feedback and Iteration
Playtesting is key to refining games. Designers must listen to feedback
and adjust mechanics, difficulty, or narrative to ensure enjoyment and
clarity.
6. Immersion and Worldbuilding
Strong worlds make players care about the game. Context adds emotional
impact, making each action feel more significant.
Challenges in Game Design
Some common issues include over-complication, ignoring player feedback,
and placing monetization above player satisfaction.
Week 2: Balancing Fun and Educational Elements in Game Design
This lecture focused on how to design games that are both entertaining and educational. Whether it's a serious game or edutainment, the goal is to make learning natural, engaging, and enjoyable.
What is Fun and Education in Games?
Fun comes from exploration, discovery, competition, and reward. Education
involves teaching skills or knowledge, from simple facts to critical
thinking. A good educational game finds the sweet spot between both.
Why Balance is Important
If a game is too focused on education, it can feel like homework. If it’s
all fun without purpose, learning may be lost. Designers must create
experiences where learning is part of the game, not separate from
it.
Strategies for Blending Fun and Learning:
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Learning Through Play: Let the game mechanics naturally teach. For example, Pandemic teaches global health management through cooperative gameplay.
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Layered Learning: Unlock educational content gradually as the player progresses. This keeps the game from feeling too heavy upfront.
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Game Mechanics as Educational Tools: Use strategy, problem-solving, and resource management to teach concepts. Games like Catan do this well.
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Storytelling with Purpose: A strong narrative reinforces learning goals. For example, The Resistance: Avalon teaches teamwork and critical thinking through a role-based medieval story.
Avoiding Over-Instruction
Too much teaching can kill the fun. Educational content should be subtle
and integrated. Games like Brain Age use mini-games to boost mental
agility without feeling like traditional exercises.
Player Motivation
Intrinsic motivation (curiosity, challenge) is stronger than extrinsic
(points, rewards), but both should align with learning goals. Meaningful
rewards keep players engaged and reinforce mastery.
Conclusion
Educational games work best when the learning is invisible but effective.
By embedding knowledge into fun and interactive systems, designers can
create games that both entertain and teach.
INSTRUCTIONS
According to the Module Information Booklet
(MIB), we are to:
- Work on Exercise 1 & 2
- Create a tabletop game based on the Glucose Pathways
- Document it weekly in a separate slide
- Follow the timeline given for the playtests/reiteration of games
According to the Module Information Booklet (MIB), we are to:
- Work on Exercise 1 & 2
- Create a tabletop game based on the Glucose Pathways
- Document it weekly in a separate slide
- Follow the timeline given for the playtests/reiteration of games
