GAD3026 Tabletop Game DesignBahçeşehir UniversityDegree Programs ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERINGGeneral Information For StudentsDiploma SupplementErasmus Policy StatementNational QualificationsBologna Commission
ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING
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 Fall 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: Non-Departmental Elective
Course Level: Bachelor’s Degree (First Cycle)
Mode of Delivery: Hybrid
Course Coordinator : Dr. Öğr. Üyesi 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;
After successful completion of the course, the learned is expected to be able to:
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) Adequate knowledge in mathematics, science and electric-electronic engineering subjects; ability to use theoretical and applied information in these areas to model and solve engineering problems.
2) Ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems; ability to select and apply proper analysis and modeling methods for this purpose.
3) Ability to design a complex system, process, device or product under realistic constraints and conditions, in such a way as to meet the desired result; ability to apply modern design methods for this purpose. (Realistic constraints and conditions may include factors such as economic and environmental issues, sustainability, manufacturability, ethics, health, safety issues, and social and political issues, according to the nature of the design.)
4) Ability to devise, select, and use modern techniques and tools needed for electrical-electronic engineering practice; ability to employ information technologies effectively.
5) Ability to design and conduct experiments, gather data, analyze and interpret results for investigating engineering problems.
6) Ability to work efficiently in intra-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary teams; ability to work individually.
7) Ability to communicate effectively in English and Turkish (if he/she is a Turkish citizen), both orally and in writing.
8) Recognition of the need for lifelong learning; ability to access information, to follow developments in science and technology, and to continue to educate him/herself.
9) Awareness of professional and ethical responsibility.
10) Information about business life practices such as project management, risk management, and change management; awareness of entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainable development.
11) Knowledge about contemporary issues and the global and societal effects of engineering practices on health, environment, and safety; awareness of the legal consequences of engineering solutions.