Game Design Studio 1

Week 01: Introduction to FIT2037

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25022909

Today’s Schedule

What are we doing today?

• Unit Overview
• Examine High Concept & Game Design Docs
• How to present our Concepts
• Brainstorming ideas
• Pitching ideas
• Post Mortems
Learning Outcomes

• Become familiar with the structure of the unit, it’s

assessments, available resources, and the teaching staff
• Appreciate the importance of formally documenting your
game ideas
• Understand the role of the different types of design
documents, such as High Concept and Game Treatment
docs
• Become familiar with the techniques that can be used to
playtest game ideas
• Appreciate the importance of performing formal post mortems
• Become familiar with different idea brainstorming techniques
Unit Overview
What is a Game?

• So what exactly is a Game?

• There are many different kinds of games, each of which may mean
something completely different to you than to the person next to you
• Let’s go around the room and share what games mean to us
• This will also be a great way for us to get to know each other
What is a Game?

A Game is:
• Story?
• Gameplay?
• Art?
• Technology?
What does a Game Designer do?

This is you! (hopefully)

• A Game Designer’s job is to design all of these things, and to ensure that
they all combine together seamlessly to create a fun experience for the
people who will play the game
• A Game Designer’s job doesn’t just end when they hand over the design to
the programmers and artists – they keep working on the game right up until
it is published (and sometimes even longer than that!)
What does a Game Designer do?

Story
• Game Designers are responsible for designing the game’s
characters and narrative

Gameplay
• Game Designers are responsible for designing the game’s
mechanics and levels
What does a Game Designer do?

Art
• Game Designers are responsible for designing the game’s
visual and audio style

Technology
• Game Designers are responsible for designing (or choosing)
the game’s engine and delivery platform
What does a Game Designer do?

Designers work closely with all facets of Game Development

• This includes other designers, writers, programmers, publishers and
players
• To ensure that what they design and what the player experiences are as
close as possible
• The more you know about other facets of game development the better you
will be as a Game Designer
• Writing, programming, graphic design, 3D modelling, animation, sound design,
cinematography, marketing, project management, and psychology
What is this unit about?
TL;DR

• You don’t need to know programming or art for this unit. Only imagination
• This unit is purely paper based in studio. This means no laptops!
• By the end of this unit you will have a fundamental understanding of Game
Design and know what it takes to become a truly great Game Designer
• Today marks the beginning of your long and perilous (but hopefully very
fulfilling) Game Design journey! 
Welcome to Game Design Studio 1

• Game Design is a HUGE multidisciplinary subject

• We cannot cover it entirely in 12 weeks
• Instead we are going to cover some of the fundamentals and provide
resources and techniques to help you apply them when designing your
own games
• Ultimately though, the best way to get better at Game Design is to keep
designing and analysing games! 
Welcome to Game Design Studio 1
Unit Structure

• We do not have a traditional 2hr lecture 2hr tutorial structure

• Each week we have a 3hr studio followed directly by a 1hr “seminar” that
consolidates what you have learned in the studio and provides more
information
• The studios are comprised of a mixture of open discussions, and of course,
designing and critically analysing games!
• For this reason, it is critical that you attend each studio to get the most out
of this unit
• The slides are really just intended to prompt further discussions 
• This is not a unit you can do well in without attending!
Welcome to Game Design Studio 1
Unit Structure

Throughout this unit we will cover the following topics

• Idea Generation and Presentation (You are here)
• Designing Characters
• Designing Narratives
• Critically Analysing Characters and Narratives
• Designing Game Mechanics
• Designing Levels
• Critically Analysing Game Mechanics and Levels
• Producing Game Design Documents
• Understanding impact of Art and Audio on Game Designs
• Designing Games with Technology in Mind
• Critically Analysing Experience and Technology
Welcome to Game Design Studio 1
Assignments

The assessment tasks for this unit are as follows

• Assignment 1 – Building a Game World (15%)
• Due Week 4 Friday 5pm
• Character Design & Narrative
• Assignment 2 – Detailing a Game Environment (15%)
• Due Week 7 Friday 5pm
• Game Mechanics & Level Design
• Assignment 3 – Major Game Design Project (40%)
• Part A (Pitch) Due Week 7 Friday 5pm
• Part B (Level Prototype and GDD) Due Week 14 Friday 3pm
• Assignment 4 – Self-Reflection and Review (30%)
• Part A (Playtest Feedback) Due In-Class Week 10
• Part B (Game Review) Due Week 12 Friday 5pm
• Part C (Self-Reflection) Due Week 14 Friday 5pm
Welcome to Game Design Studio 1
Unit Resources

The assessment tasks for this unit are as follows

• All of the unit’s content, assessments and other resources can be found on
the unit’s Moodle page
• You are expected to regularly check the unit’s Moodle page, and your
student email, for important updates concerning the unit
• If you have any questions about the unit, or just want to start a friendly
discussion among yourselves, please feel free to post in the forums 
• Each week there are required videos and recordings. Make sure you do
these prior to class
Welcome to Game Design Studio 1
Unit Resources

Recommended Text Books

• This Unit has two recommended text books
• The Art of Game Design by Jesse Schell
• https://monash.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-
explore/fulldisplay?docid=catau51286353420001751&context=L&vid=MONUI&lang=en_U
S&search_scope=au_everything&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&tab=default_tab
&query=any,contains,The%20Art%20of%20Game%20Design&offset=0
• Game Design Fundamentals 2nd Edition by Ernest Adams
• https://monash.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-
explore/fulldisplay?docid=catau51333240930001751&context=L&vid=MONUI&lang=en_U
S&search_scope=au_everything&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&tab=default_tab
&query=any,contains,Fundamentals%20of%20Game%20Design&mode=basic
• We strongly recommend that you read these books as they cover topics of
game design beyond the scope of the unit
• Both books are available online free through the Monash Library
Unit Teaching Staff
Who are the teaching staff for this unit?

Josh Olsen Peter Hoghton Rick Laird Jason Free

Cheryl Howard Jason Haasz Jordan LeQuesne

Welcome to Game Design Studio 1
Now let’s have some fun

• We have put a lot of time and effort into creating this unit to ensure that it is
both fun and rewarding
• Designing games can be just as fun, perhaps even more fun, than playing
games!
• Hopefully by the end of this unit you will have designed at least one
complete game that you can include in your portfolio when you apply for a
job 
Design Documentation
Design Documentation

• “Boring!” I hear you all say

• On face value this might be one of the least exciting topics
we will cover this semester… but in many respects it is the
most important
• Why?
• If you can’t articulate your
amazing/original/awesome/innovative/genius game idea,
then how will it become the game you have thought up?
Design Documentation

• Design Documents shouldn’t be thought of as a chore, rather

they are your chance to hone your idea and begin the
implementation of your design
• A game is made by a team, and it is crucial that the team all
have the same shared vision
• What docs are we talking about?
• High Concept
• Game Design Document
Design Documentation
High Concept

• The High Concept document is also known as the pitch

document
• It is a 1-2 pager that should capture the essence of your
game idea
• This kind of document is not unique to games… they are
used in any instance where you need to present a new idea
to others
• It is often said that if you can’t put it in one page (or a poster)
then you need to refine your idea as it is too confusing!
High Concept
Step 1: Game Premise

• Let’s start with the first section.

• Firstly you should describe the premise of your game.
• This should be the main point of your game in a few
sentences top
• You should consider this your initial elevator pitch too
High Concept
Step 2: Target Audience

• Once your basic premise is outlined you should state who

your target audience is
• This is not just a throwaway decision!
• Your target audience will define everything about your game
• From theme, style, graphics, mechanics, level design and
story
• You do not need to go into a lot of detail at this stage. Just a
general idea
High Concept
Step 3: Genre

• Next you need to outline your Narrative and Gameplay

genres
• You do not to provide sentences or justifications for this
• Just list the genres
• E.g. Survival Horror, Medieval RPG, etc.
High Concept
Step 4: Uniqueness

• Step 4 you should talk about what makes your game cool
• This is perhaps the single most important step
• The uniqueness of your game is the cool selling point
• You should talk about this in some decent detail
• Is it story based? Mechanics based?
High Concept
Step 5: Story Overview

• For this step provide a brief overview of the story

• It can just be the introduction to the story
• A couple sentences at most
High Concept
Step 6: Gameplay Description

• Similar to story overview talk a bit about the gameplay

• What are the main mechanics?
• What are the main level styles?
• How does your game play?
High Concept
This is a lot!

• This seems like a lot to fit on 1-2 pages! And it is 

• But really, each one of those things needs to be articulated in
just a few sentences at most
• NO DOTPOINTS!
• The tough ones will be describing the gameplay and what is
unique
• But you need to be able to do this… you may be in a situation
where you need to pitch an idea or write the short blurb for
your game in the App Store!
High Concept
It does take work!

• It is difficult to do, and it is something you will need to work on

• If you have trouble with your own games, think about a game
that is similar and think about how you would describe that
one
• We will be practising one of these later in class
Game Design Document
Game Design Document
TL:DR

• This is also considered to the Detailed Design document

• This document is the one that describes all the game
mechanics and interfaces in great detail
• It usually can serve two purposes
• so the designers remember all the detail of the ideas they came
up with
• to communicate those ideas to the programmers and the artists
• It fleshes out the ideas from the high concept and often adds
more awareness of the market
• If details for your game are not written here. It is not in your
game!
Game Design Document
TL:DR

• Template can be found here

https://sites.google.com/view/indiana-game-design-
template/home
• There is no strict template however
• It will usually contain the following sections:
• Story and characters
• Level/environment design
• Gameplay
• Art
• Sound and Music
• User Interface, Game Controls
• Market Analysis
Game Design Document
TL:DR

• Much of that document will be familiar

• But what is the Market Analysis?
• You need to consider where your game fits in the landscape
of all the games out there
• What does it compare to?
• How will it be different to them?
• Who is your target market and how does it cater to them?
• Gamasutra have a number of great articles about what makes a
good design doc
• While this one is quite old now (almost 20 years!), it still has some
great points about what makes a successful design doc
• http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131632/creating_a_great_d
esign_document.php
Game Design Document
TL:DR

1. Describe not just the body, but the soul

2. Make it readable
3. Prioritise
4. Get Into The Details
5. Some Things Must Be Demonstrated
6. Not Just What But How
7. Provide Alternatives
8. Give It A Life
9. Remove Ambiguity
10. Deliver It In Good Condition
Game Design Document
TL:DR

• There are many examples of Design Docs online

• What you should do is check out as many examples as you
can to see the different ways game designs are articulated
and presented
• Let’s actually take a look at some real game design
documents now!
Presenting Your Ideas

• Speaking of presenting… how do you go about pitching your

game idea in person?!
• While this can be scary, ultimately you need to be able to
develop the skills to present your ideas to others in person as
well
• Many times you will be in a situation where it is not practical
to hand someone a document and wait for them to read it
then ask you about it... you want to pitch it to them then and
there
Presenting Your Ideas

• So what do you present?

• Your High Concept doc can double as the foundation for any
presentation or in person pitch you may do as:
• It is short and to the point
• It articulates what your game is all about
• It highlights what is new or different about your idea
• This highlights why the High Concept doc is so important
Presenting Your Ideas

• Improving your presentation skills is simply all about practice

• That is one reason we do so much of this in our class
• There is really not much more we can say about this, but any
chance you can, take the opportunity to pitch your ideas to
others in person
• Remember… you need to be enthusatic about your ideas as
enthusiasm rubs off (and if you’re not enthusiastic, why would
someone else be?)
What’s Next?
Homework
HOMEWORK WHAT!?

• Your homework for this week is to play games

• Yes really!
• Part of being a good designer is playing and analysing existing games on
the market
• What parts really work?
• What parts really don’t work?
• Next week we will be creating characters and examining archetypes