ECE420 Game Architecture and Development

The course covers the design, implementation, and evaluation of digital games and serious digital games, i.e. games developed as learning tools. The course focuses on the following topics:

A. Games and serious games.

• Games and play.
• The role of games in cognitive development and socialization. The reasons for which we play games.
• Types of games and game genres.
• Digital games and their differences from non-digital.
• Serious games, i.e. games that have been developed for purposes other than entertainment.
• Serious games taxonomy.

B. Game design.

• Identification of game audience, definition of game goals and rules.
• Game terminology.
• Game design methods, including blue sky, story based, IP-based, theme-based, mechanics-based, and more.
• Game flow.
• Game elements: technology, aesthetics, dynamics, mechanics.
• Design of user experience.
• Prototype design.
• Functional and dynamic game space.
• Elements of change.
• Strategic skill: difficulty levels, dynamic difficulty adjustment, difficulty curves, speed, time constraints, avoidance, precision, and more.
• Puzzle and level design.
• Game balancing.
• Multiplayer games.
• Games for specific purposes: health and health living, exercise, marketing, awareness raising, learning, and more.

C. Game implementation

• Familiarization with digital game development environments.

The course analyzes the theory and practice for understanding, analyzing, designing, and evaluating games and serious games.

At the end of the course the participants will be able to:

• Understand concepts and methods for designing and implementing digital and learning digital games
• Apply methods and procedures relevant to conceiving, designing, implementing, and evaluating a digital or learning digital game
• Use digital game development environments
• Understand research topics related to the design and implementation of digital games and digital learning games