DIGITAL GAME DESIGN
Bachelor	TR-NQF-HE: Level 6	QF-EHEA: First Cycle	EQF-LLL: Level 6

Course Introduction and Application Information

Course Code	Course Name	Semester	Theoretical	Practical	Credit	ECTS
GAD3026	Tabletop Game Design	Spring	2	2	3	5

This catalog is for information purposes. Course status is determined by the relevant department at the beginning of semester.

Basic information

Language of instruction:	English
Type of course:	Departmental Elective
Course Level:	Bachelor’s Degree (First Cycle)
Mode of Delivery:	Face to face
Course Coordinator :	Assoc. Prof. GÜVEN ÇATAK
Course Lecturer(s):	Instructor ERTUĞRUL SÜNGÜ
Course Objectives:	This course focuses on games played around a table. It essentially aims the students to understand analog game design processes, but also to acquire information on how to integrate game design and create links with all the other aspects of analog game production. It involves the students in various and numerous workshops and group activities. The course relies on pragmatic reasoning and professional experiences rather than academic informations and ultimately aims to widen prespectives and open a creative mind on the analog game design subject.

Learning Outcomes

The students who have succeeded in this course;
1) Comprehend the scale of use for game mechanics
2) Understanding tabletop game mechanics
3) Using pragmatic reasoning and professional perspective for analog game design
4) Being able to analyze tabletop game making techniques
5) Integrating game design and creativity on all analog projects

Course Content

This course will cover the creation of a game from the very first game idea to the production documents needed by factories, including creating and respecting a policy, brain storming a game, pitching, writing game design documents, writing rules documents, prototyping, playtesting and finalizing documents for production.

Weekly Detailed Course Contents

Week	Subject	Related Preparation
1)	Historical approaches to desktop games and design processes
2)	Defining the types of games and examining game concepts
3)	Game pacing, management of dynamics and mechanics.
4)	The formal and dramatic elements of the tabletop games
5)	Measuring the tabletop gaming experience and iterative development
6)	Concepts of competition, talent and luck in tabletop games
7)	Desktop game components: mechanics, narration and dynamics
8)	From idea to prototype: playable prototyping
9)	Gameplay testing and playability, game analysis
10)	Applicable game production and game production stages I
11)	Applicable game production and game production stages II
12)	Presentation and decision making for projections
13)	Final project preperation & revision
14)	Final project presentation

Sources

Course Notes / Textbooks:

Oxford History of Board Games, David Parlett, 2009.
The Civilized Guide to Tabletop Gaming: Rules Every Gamer Must Live By, Teri Litorco, 2016
Game Design Workshop – Tracy Fullerton
Fundamentals of Game Design – Ernest Adams & Adam Rolling
Challenges for Game Designers – Brenda Brathwaite & Ian Schreiber

References:

"XU, Yan, et al. Chores Are Fun: Understanding Social Play in Board Games for Digital Tabletop Game Design. In: DiGRA Conference. 2011.
WHALEN, Tara. Playing well with others: Applying board game design to tabletop display interfaces. In: ACM symposium on user interface software and technology. New York: ACM Press, 2003.
WIGDOR, Daniel, et al. Under the table interaction. In: Proceedings of the 19th annual ACM symposium on User interface software and technology. ACM, 2006. p. 259-268."

Evaluation System

Semester Requirements	Number of Activities	Level of Contribution
Attendance	1	% 10
Presentation	1	% 5
Project	9	% 25
Midterms	1	% 20
Final	1	% 40
Total		% 100
PERCENTAGE OF SEMESTER WORK		% 35
PERCENTAGE OF FINAL WORK		% 65
Total		% 100

ECTS / Workload Table

Activities	Number of Activities	Duration (Hours)	Workload
Course Hours	14	1	14
Application	14	3	42
Study Hours Out of Class	8	8	64
Midterms	1	3	3
Final	1	3	3
Total Workload			126

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

No Effect	1 Lowest	2 Low	3 Average	4 High	5 Highest

	Program Outcomes	Level of Contribution
1)	Comprehend the conceptual importance of the game in the field of communication, ability to implement the player centered application to provide design.	4
2)	Analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information and ideas from various perspectives.	3
3)	Analyze the key elements that make up specific game genres, forms of interactions, mode of narratives and understand how they are employed effectively to create a successful game.	3
4)	Understand game design theories and methods as well as implement them during game development; to make enjoyable, attractive, instructional and immersive according to the target audience.	3
5)	Understand the technology and computational principles involved in developing games and master the use of game engines.	1
6)	Understand the process of creation and use of 2D and 3D assets and animation for video games.	1
7)	Understand and master the theories and methodologies of understanding and measuring player experience and utilize them during game development process.	2
8)	Comprehend and master how ideas, concepts and topics are conveyed via games followed by the utilization of these aspects during the development process.	4
9)	Manage the game design and development process employing complete documentation; following the full game production pipeline via documentation.	3
10)	Understand and employ the structure and work modes of game development teams; comprehend the responsibilities of team members and collaborations between them while utilizing this knowledge in practice.	1
11)	Understand the process of game publishing within industry standards besides development and utilize this knowledge practice.	2
12)	Pitching a video game to developers, publishers, and players; mastering the art of effectively communicating and marketing the features and commercial potential of new ideas, concepts or games.	2