One-On-One 2D Game Design Class (GameMaker Studio 2)

In this class, students will learn how to program their first 2D game using GameMaker Studio 2. Coding is an extremely valuable skill nowadays. The coding basics learned in this class translate directly into professional coding languages that students may use in the future! GameMaker Studio 2 is relatively easy to use game development software. It is free to use (with some minor restrictions) but perfectly fine for our class. GameMaker uses two programming systems: Drag and Drop and GML (GameMaker Language). We will only be using GML. GML is more difficult but much more flexible and similar to real coding/programming languages that professionals use. This knowledge can be used to move on to real programming languages such as Java or C++ in the future. That being said, a number of professional games have been made with GameMaker such as Hyper Light Drifter, Undertale, Deltarune, Rivals of Aether, and Spelunky. 

We will cover:

-How to make a 2D game!
-Lesser known but important programming-related keys on the keyboard
-An overview of how to use GameMaker Studio 2 (the layout of the program and its different functions)
-Making simple graphics and animations
-How to program using GML 
-Proper programming techniques, including proper formatting and syntax
-The importance of good game design
-How to deal with errors
-How to test your game for bugs

Class Layout:

#1 - Build simple game
Students will learn about: sprites (pictures in a game), game objects, and GML Code

#2 In-Depth code
We will dive deeper into GML code and learn about things like parent objects, depth, tiles, animation, etc.

#3 Good design
Students will learn the importance of good game design like proper difficulty, visibility, and variety.

#4 Extra Features
Next, students will learn about sound effects, music and fonts

#5 Art Lesson
With our game up and running, we can spend more time on art!

#6 Advanced Code
Students can experiment with game artificial intelligence, pathfinding, and fixing up their old code.

#7+ Content Creation
Any classes past or including 7 will involve content creation. Games take a long time to make and I will assist the students with any issues they may encounter. We will cycle previous material to make sure the student understands each past week correctly as well.

(Classes will continue past this point)

My teaching style:

I have been programming for over 10 years and am constantly learning new languages. I have used plenty of bad tutorials and bad videos that were not as helpful as they should have been so as a teacher and a learner, I understand what is needed to correctly and easily learn a programming language. Too often teachers in videos move too fast (such as not even giving you a second to reach your hand to your mouse and pause the video between sections) or they assume you know everything already. I like to use repetition and assume my learners, especially since they're younger, are less than experts on a subject when I teach them, while still maintaining a respect for their intelligence. 

Interaction:

Students will interact with me, one-on-one, with us sharing our screens. I will be able to see exactly what the student is typing, in order to assist them most effectively. I will provide constructive feedback after class with what the student did well on and what they can improve on for the next week's class.

Prior Knowledge:

This class does not require any previous knowledge of programming any language but it does help. They will be required to know how to use a desktop/laptop computer and know how to type using a real keyboard.