Schedule - Games for Social Change - IDM 111

Check this page regularly - that is, after every class. It is going to be update as we go through the course.

week 1: introduction and history
week 2: storytelling in games
week 3: storytelling and game mechanics
week 4: makeing games: interactive drama (interactive drama design paper and presentation due)
week 5: making games: design and prototype boardgame (boardgame due)
week 6: making games: Gamemaker vignettes (Gamemaker vignettes due)
week 7: final project
week 8: final project (first version of game design documents due)
week 9: final project (final version of game design documents due; first version of final project due)
week 10: final project (final version of final project and presentation)

Week 1
Date	What's going to happen in class	How to prepare
Tue 3/30	Who are we? What do we expect from this class? What are (good) games? What are "games for social change"?
Thu 4/1	What are games? What are they made of? How have they developed over time? Gamemaker tutorial 1	Read the Section called "Hello" and Chapters 1-4 from The Art of Game Design by Jesse Schell

Week 2
Date	What's going to happen in class	How to prepare
Tue 4/6	Can games change the behavior, attitude, thinking of players? Gamemaker tutorial 2	To prepare for this class you have to watch, read, write, and play. Go here for instructions.
Thu 4/8	Can/should everything be made into a game? Are there limits to what games can express?	Check here to see how to prepare for this class.

Week 3
Date	What's going to happen in class	How to prepare
Tue 4/13	How do games tell stories?	First Gamemaker homework due (Please plan enough time to do this homework assignment.) Read and write to prepare for this class.
Thu 4/14	Game mechanics Gamemaker tutorial 3	Check here to see what to read, play and write.

Week 4
Date	What's going to happen in class	How to prepare
Tue 4/20	Interactive drama design critique Gamemaker tutorial 4	part 1 of the interactive drama assignment is due
Thu 4/22	Interactive drama performance and critique	Final version of drama design paper due

Week 5
Date	What's going to happen in class	How to prepare
Tue 4/27	Reflect on interactive drama experience. Design and prototype a boardgame.	Fill in the CATME survey and post critiques of the balance in your games on the class blog. Second Game Maker homework due.
Thu 4/29	Presentation by and discussion with Owen Heneghan, Muzzy Lane Software	What to read and write to prepare for this class.

Week 6
Date	What's going to happen in class	How to prepare
Tue 5/4	Playtest and critique boardgame. Game Maker tutorial 5 Getting started on your Gamemaker vignette.	Get ready to playtest your board game.
Thu 5/6	Making a game vignette with Gamemaker.	Read about video game vignettes and post a description of your own vignette.

Week 7
Date	What's going to happen in class	How to prepare
Tue 5/11	Present and critique Gamemaker vignettes. Getting started with final project.	Game Maker vignettes are due. What to bring for this class.
Thu 5/13	Present research. The game design document. Start designing your final project.	Do research on your social issue.

Week 8
Date	What's going to happen in class	How to prepare
Tue 5/18	Game design pitches.	Hand in first version of game design documents. (More info.)
Thu 5/19	project work day.

Week 9
Date	What's going to happen in class	How to prepare
Tue 5/25	final project work day	Hand in second version of game design document.
Thu 5/27	playtesting final project	Submit version 1.0 of your final game on Blackboard. How to prepare for the playtesting session

Week 10
Date	What's going to happen in class	How to prepare
Tue 6/1	final project work day	Hand in third version of game design document.
Thu 6/3	presentations	Present your game. Submit presentations and final project on Blackboard.

Games for Social Change