Lets Make A Game Workshop
WELCOME TO THE “Lets Make A Game” Workshop The 45 minute Speed Run Version
Facilitated by Chris Wombat Crowell Performed by “You”
Workshop Schedule 6:30 to 7:15 Workshop Minutes Start Time End Time schedule per Start Intro Concept Phase Prototyping Phase
Post Mortem Wrap Up End
6:30 PM 6:31 PM 6:38 PM 6:48 PM
7:03 PM 7:13 PM
6:31 6:38 PM 6:48 PM 7:03 PM
7:13 PM 7:15 PM
Elements
1
Wait for stragglers!
7
State Workshop Goals, Meet Team & Set Roles
10
Educational Goals, Constraints, Gameplay Description
15
10 2
• • •
Create Rules & Pieces, Playtest & Iterate Assessment: Quick Share! Goals met? Process Ups and Downs?
Other Resources, Contact Info, Q&A
7:15 PM Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
Flee The Horror! For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Who is this guy? • Chris Wombat Crowell • 23+ years in Game Design • Worked At Electronic Arts, Maxis, Ubisoft, others • Now primarily working at Prodigy Game, and secondarily with educators like you to create awesome Game Based Learning and Educational Gamification
Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Why Game Design? • Great way to apply and consolidate content • Requires Design Thinking (by teachers & students!) • Hits ALL the 21st Century Learning Skills • Collaboration • Critical Thinking • Creativity • Multidisciplinary • Multimodal • Maker Space
• Can be used by YOU!
Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
What are we doing here?
Learning a proven process that has been used successfully to create effective and engaging Game Based Learning games.
Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Workshop Elements We WON’T be doing •Using a Toolkit or Software •Making a polished final game •Making a Digital Game •Being bored watching me do all the fun stuff!
Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Workshop Elements We WILL be doing • Learning by Doing! • • • • •
Using Best Practices Identifying Goals and Constraints Concepting game ideas that deliver those goals Playtesting and making changes to get closer to the goals Analyzing what worked and what didn’t
• Working as a team • Everyone contributes • Stay focused on the Goals, not your own preferences • Ensure that the game uses sound design principles and pedagogy
• Delivering an ugly prototype that we are satisfied with Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Workshop Outcome
Gain confidence and experience in taking a concept and developing it into a prototype. Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Roles Today! My Roles • Producer Role • Guiding the Process • Making Final Decisions • Watching the Clock (please help with this!)
• Lead Designer • Ensuring all the Project Goals are included in the Game Experience • Droning on about Game Design Principles
Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Roles Today! Your Roles • Educator – deliver all the information about the curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and anything else we find out we need. • Designer – figure out how to make all of the above fun while ensuring the learning goals are achieved. • Artist – minimal since the game product today is an ugly prototype. So lets have fun with that. • Writer – Words matter. Rules and anything else that needs writerly thinks. • Playtester – Play the game objectively and subjectively
Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Starting the Concept Phase Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Concept: Choose Curriculum • Time: 2 Minutes to choose ONE • Medium: Whiteboard and Lively Discussion • Process: Identify some choices and discuss pro’s and con’s • Per areas of maximum need per educational studies • “This was a bugger to convey to the students” • Sounds like fun! (note, this is generally not a good filter for a real GBL proj)
• Deliverable: A section of Curriculum that the game will address.
Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Concept: Deep Dive on Curriculum Concepts •Time: 2 Minutes to choose a few Concepts •Deliverable: 1 key Concept that players will learn. •Process: Identify some concepts and evaluate them • Discuss actions that use them • Choose the one that teaches best + is fun to play
•Medium: Whiteboard and Lively Discussion
Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Concept: Choose Gameplay • Time: 5 Minutes to brainstorm and choose gameplay elements • NOTE – playtest will almost certainly evolve the gameplay! Thinking ahead is essential, just know that this stuff will change and be OK with it.
• Deliverable: • 1 – 4 Actions that players will perform as the key gameplay • The Gameplay Loop • Success and Fail conditions (1st Pass)
• Process: Identify, evaluate, choose gameplay scenarios that use the concepts • • • •
Discuss scenarios actions that use the concepts Discuss the kinds of actions the player would do that use the concepts Consider the rules for performing, succeeding, and failing the actions Define the Gameplay Loop that shows how succeeding at the actions will lead to winning the game. • Define what happens when the player fails at the action.
• Medium: Drawing Board and Lively Discussion Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Concept: Final Concept • Time: 1 Minute to finalize the Concept • NOTE – playtest will almost certainly evolve the game here. But it is essential to have a concept that COULD work as a starting point.
• Deliverable: • • • • • •
Target Audience Curriculum and Concepts Pedagogy Elements Theme The Gameplay Loop, Actions & Progress Success and Fail conditions
• Process: Clarify and write up the Final Concept • Medium: Drawing Board and Lively Discussion
Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Begin Prototype Phase Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Prototype: Create, Play, Review, Evolve Create/Update • Create and Update the game pieces and rules
• Time: 15 Minutes to create a Prototype • Deliverable: Acceptable Prototype that achieves the Goals. • Medium: Physical Game Pieces, Drawing Board
• Process: See chart to the right
Review • Concepts being used as gameplay? • Pedagogy solid? • Meaningful choices? • Balance: Easy/Hard • What should be changed?
Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Playtest • Watch for Blockages • Increasingly depend on Rules as written
Post Mortem: Review The Process • Time: 10 Minutes to share and review the experience • Deliverable:
• Share what was created by the teams • Reinforce the lessons learned from the workshop
• Medium: Lively Discussion • Process: • Did we meet the Goals in: • Education? • Pedagogy? • Engagement?
• What Went Right? • Next Time We Should…? Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Q & A + Resources • Time: 5 Minutes to ask final questions • Medium: Lively Discussion • Process: • Ask Questions!
• Chris Info
• [email protected] • www.crowellinteractive.ca • www.linkedin.com/in/chriswombatcrowell • www.prodigygame.com
• Some Other Resources:
• Mindshift http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/author/mindshift/ • Learning Games Network http://learninggamesnetwork.org/ • Institute of Play https://www.instituteofplay.org/resources/ Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Facilitated by Chris Wombat Crowell Performed by “You”
Workshop Schedule 6:30 to 7:15 Workshop Minutes Start Time End Time schedule per Start Intro Concept Phase Prototyping Phase
Post Mortem Wrap Up End
6:30 PM 6:31 PM 6:38 PM 6:48 PM
7:03 PM 7:13 PM
6:31 6:38 PM 6:48 PM 7:03 PM
7:13 PM 7:15 PM
Elements
1
Wait for stragglers!
7
State Workshop Goals, Meet Team & Set Roles
10
Educational Goals, Constraints, Gameplay Description
15
10 2
• • •
Create Rules & Pieces, Playtest & Iterate Assessment: Quick Share! Goals met? Process Ups and Downs?
Other Resources, Contact Info, Q&A
7:15 PM Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
Flee The Horror! For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Who is this guy? • Chris Wombat Crowell • 23+ years in Game Design • Worked At Electronic Arts, Maxis, Ubisoft, others • Now primarily working at Prodigy Game, and secondarily with educators like you to create awesome Game Based Learning and Educational Gamification
Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Why Game Design? • Great way to apply and consolidate content • Requires Design Thinking (by teachers & students!) • Hits ALL the 21st Century Learning Skills • Collaboration • Critical Thinking • Creativity • Multidisciplinary • Multimodal • Maker Space
• Can be used by YOU!
Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
What are we doing here?
Learning a proven process that has been used successfully to create effective and engaging Game Based Learning games.
Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Workshop Elements We WON’T be doing •Using a Toolkit or Software •Making a polished final game •Making a Digital Game •Being bored watching me do all the fun stuff!
Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Workshop Elements We WILL be doing • Learning by Doing! • • • • •
Using Best Practices Identifying Goals and Constraints Concepting game ideas that deliver those goals Playtesting and making changes to get closer to the goals Analyzing what worked and what didn’t
• Working as a team • Everyone contributes • Stay focused on the Goals, not your own preferences • Ensure that the game uses sound design principles and pedagogy
• Delivering an ugly prototype that we are satisfied with Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Workshop Outcome
Gain confidence and experience in taking a concept and developing it into a prototype. Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Roles Today! My Roles • Producer Role • Guiding the Process • Making Final Decisions • Watching the Clock (please help with this!)
• Lead Designer • Ensuring all the Project Goals are included in the Game Experience • Droning on about Game Design Principles
Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Roles Today! Your Roles • Educator – deliver all the information about the curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and anything else we find out we need. • Designer – figure out how to make all of the above fun while ensuring the learning goals are achieved. • Artist – minimal since the game product today is an ugly prototype. So lets have fun with that. • Writer – Words matter. Rules and anything else that needs writerly thinks. • Playtester – Play the game objectively and subjectively
Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Starting the Concept Phase Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Concept: Choose Curriculum • Time: 2 Minutes to choose ONE • Medium: Whiteboard and Lively Discussion • Process: Identify some choices and discuss pro’s and con’s • Per areas of maximum need per educational studies • “This was a bugger to convey to the students” • Sounds like fun! (note, this is generally not a good filter for a real GBL proj)
• Deliverable: A section of Curriculum that the game will address.
Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Concept: Deep Dive on Curriculum Concepts •Time: 2 Minutes to choose a few Concepts •Deliverable: 1 key Concept that players will learn. •Process: Identify some concepts and evaluate them • Discuss actions that use them • Choose the one that teaches best + is fun to play
•Medium: Whiteboard and Lively Discussion
Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Concept: Choose Gameplay • Time: 5 Minutes to brainstorm and choose gameplay elements • NOTE – playtest will almost certainly evolve the gameplay! Thinking ahead is essential, just know that this stuff will change and be OK with it.
• Deliverable: • 1 – 4 Actions that players will perform as the key gameplay • The Gameplay Loop • Success and Fail conditions (1st Pass)
• Process: Identify, evaluate, choose gameplay scenarios that use the concepts • • • •
Discuss scenarios actions that use the concepts Discuss the kinds of actions the player would do that use the concepts Consider the rules for performing, succeeding, and failing the actions Define the Gameplay Loop that shows how succeeding at the actions will lead to winning the game. • Define what happens when the player fails at the action.
• Medium: Drawing Board and Lively Discussion Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Concept: Final Concept • Time: 1 Minute to finalize the Concept • NOTE – playtest will almost certainly evolve the game here. But it is essential to have a concept that COULD work as a starting point.
• Deliverable: • • • • • •
Target Audience Curriculum and Concepts Pedagogy Elements Theme The Gameplay Loop, Actions & Progress Success and Fail conditions
• Process: Clarify and write up the Final Concept • Medium: Drawing Board and Lively Discussion
Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Begin Prototype Phase Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Prototype: Create, Play, Review, Evolve Create/Update • Create and Update the game pieces and rules
• Time: 15 Minutes to create a Prototype • Deliverable: Acceptable Prototype that achieves the Goals. • Medium: Physical Game Pieces, Drawing Board
• Process: See chart to the right
Review • Concepts being used as gameplay? • Pedagogy solid? • Meaningful choices? • Balance: Easy/Hard • What should be changed?
Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Playtest • Watch for Blockages • Increasingly depend on Rules as written
Post Mortem: Review The Process • Time: 10 Minutes to share and review the experience • Deliverable:
• Share what was created by the teams • Reinforce the lessons learned from the workshop
• Medium: Lively Discussion • Process: • Did we meet the Goals in: • Education? • Pedagogy? • Engagement?
• What Went Right? • Next Time We Should…? Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
Q & A + Resources • Time: 5 Minutes to ask final questions • Medium: Lively Discussion • Process: • Ask Questions!
• Chris Info
• [email protected] • www.crowellinteractive.ca • www.linkedin.com/in/chriswombatcrowell • www.prodigygame.com
• Some Other Resources:
• Mindshift http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/author/mindshift/ • Learning Games Network http://learninggamesnetwork.org/ • Institute of Play https://www.instituteofplay.org/resources/ Copyright Crowell Interactive Inc.
For MGIEP:TECH 2017
