As I continue teaching the Tabletop Game Writing Lab this semester, I am preparing to teach the Game Studies course again in the Spring. As I mentioned earlier, I am making some changes to the focus of the class for this third time teaching it, increasing the focus on the iterative process.
With that in mind, I want to simplify the game iteration process and have all the students on the same level. I am trying out a Dry Erase Board Game Kit this semester that will provide students with the same components for their game designs. This will simplify the iterative process, reduce printing costs and time, and provide each student with the same components for designing their games. The dry erase element will make iterating simpler and keep students from getting attached to what they have been printing. I also think it will be fascinating to see the diversity of games the students develop from the same starting points.
Along with finding that game kit, I spent a lot of time reviewing potential textbooks. After all the research, I have decided to continue using The Art of Game Design by Jesse Schell, moving to the new 3rd edition. I find it is still the most comprehensive and easiest to teach game studies textbook available. The updates to this edition were well done and really bring the book up to current game studies, culture, technology, and industry information for teaching this course.
While I survive the craziness of the end of the fall semester here at Taylor University, I am starting to get excited about the Game Studies course I will be teaching in the spring for the Computer Science and Engineering department.
Brilliant with the dry erase board. And you can take pics to save work to refer to later, I love it.
I still use paper notebooks, typically moleskine-style ones (but cheap imitations) and currently have four small ones and two medium ones floating around. The problem I have is that I write ideas for games in all of them. I need to have some generic “ideas” notebook on me at all times and then as an idea starts to become more viable, dedicate a notebook only to it.
As it is now, I dig through them all and am scared I’ll miss some great idea.
Interesting to here your “ideas” process. Your games are always so fun, getting another glimpse of the process is intriguing.