Beginner Game Design & Coding With RPG Maker

For this class, students don't need to have any previous coding or game design experience  RPG Maker MV is a great entry into design and programming skills. Students will follow a kid-friendly process similar to real video game designers who create the games they play at home! 

Students will learn how to design, develop and produce games with RPG Maker’s simple to use interface and built-in visual programming language (scripts and plugins). 
Students will learn programming and logic to code character, enemy behaviors and reactions to events in their games through If/Then Statements, Switches, Variables and Loops, all done through a clickable, drag and drop interface. 
Students will learn the basic fundamentals of game design. 
Students learn more advanced coding techniques and algorithms to enhance gameplay mechanics such as power-ups and custom graphical user interfaces.
Students learn to use the tools available in RPG Maker MV such as Javascript Plugins, Animation, 
Students will create interesting terrain, towns, villages and dungeons. 
Students will write dialogue for their in-game stories and in-game non-playable characters (NPC’s) 
Students will make use of Graphic Design techniques and programs such as GIMP/Photoshop and Powerpoint (Slides/Keynote) to enhance the visual appeal of their game. 
Students will learn about the importance of audio and sound design and implement appropriate music and sound effects into their games. Students complete game design planning through a Master Design Document process, prior to starting their final projects.
Students will learn how to PORT their games and PLAY them on their iPhones or Android devices.

STEAM K-12 is an organization focused on coding and game design classes for K-12 Learners and professional learning opportunities for K-12 Educators. In our classes, kids learn to code, design video games and build software. Our learners have fun while learning the critical skills of tomorrow. We strive for the highest quality instruction. All of our teachers are either credentialed K-12 educators and/or have a background in Computer Science/Tech.

STEAM K-12 was founded in 2020 by Giancarlos Alvarado - a certified K-12 Educator and Professional Senior iOS Developer from San Diego, California. Giancarlos has has over 14 years of classroom experience in K-12 with degrees from Rutgers University and The College of New Jersey; has developed and published 10 apps on iOS since 2015, and is currently working on his first PlayStation 5 title to be released in late 2022. Giancarlos has been teaching coding and video game design classes since 2006. 

Learners will be asked to continue working on their projects in between classes. 

Students will have their own original video game at the end of this class.

1 hour 40 minutes per week in class, and an estimated 1 - 2 hours per week outside of class.