Game Design 101: Design Your Game With a Professional Game Designer

What Will Be Taught?

In this one-time introductory class, students will learn the basics of creating a Game Design Document (GDD) – a foundational tool in video game design. We'll introduce what a GDD is, why it’s essential in the game development process, and how to structure one effectively for a beginner-friendly game concept. By the end of the session, students will have created an outline for their own GDD, focusing on the main sections needed to get started on developing their video game idea.

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~~~~~ Feel free to message me if any of the scheduled times for this course don't work for you. I am willing to work to find a gap in my schedule. ~~~~~

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Topics We’ll Cover:

- Understanding the Game Design Document: An introduction to what a GDD is and how it's used by game designers
- Description: Thinking about a game’s concept and genre
- Design Pillars: Figuring out what experiences are core to the game
- Audience: Examining who may like to play the game and what lessons can be learned from it
- Gameplay Verbs: Finding the main verbs and actions players will be doing in the game
- Visuals: Deciding what the general tone and feel the visuals of the game will be
- Engine and Skills: Discovering what tools and skills will be used and learned to make the game

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How is the Class Structured?

This one-time class is structured as an interactive, 60-90 minute session. We’ll start with a quick overview of the GDD and break down each section, allowing students time to work on ideas for each component. Each section will have a short explanation, a sample, and time for students to create their own entries in real time.

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How Will I Teach?

My teaching style is interactive and supportive, designed to keep beginners engaged and excited about game design. I’ll use slides and examples to introduce each section, then guide students through brief brainstorming activities. Students will receive prompts and templates to help them organize their thoughts quickly and clearly.

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Teaching Style and Student Interaction:

Students will be actively involved throughout the session with opportunities to share ideas and get feedback on their work. Each segment includes guided prompts and quick, creative exercises so that students can develop their own GDD outline as we go. There will be time at the end of the session for students to ask questions, share their outlines, and discuss next steps in developing their game concepts.

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This one-time session is designed to give young beginners a fun, hands-on introduction to video game design, building their confidence and inspiring them to explore their ideas further!