Game Studies | Exercises
23
Sep
2025
-
30
Dec
2025
(Week
1-14)
Justin
Cleon
(0375523)
Game Studies | Exercises
2. Lectures
Lecture 1 :
Principles of
Game Design
What is Game
Design?
The art and science of creating interactive experiences for the purpose of fun and playfulness. It
combines creativity, technical skills, and user psychology.
Core Principles of Game Design
1. Player Experience: How the game feels to the player
• Focus on Emotion
Games are emotional journeys.
• User-centered Design
Consider the target audience and playstyle preferences.
• Flow State
Optimal balance of challenge and skill.
2. Gameplay Mechanics: The rules and systems that drive
interaction
Gameplay mechanics are divided into two (2):
• Primary mechanics (interaction of the player and the game)
The core actions players perform in the game.
• Movement or turn actions (Monopoly and Risk)
• Dice rolling (Dungeons & Dragons)
• Card drawing/playing (Uno or Magic: The Gathering)
• Secondary mechanics (the purpose of the interaction in
game)
Additional enriching gameplay feature.
• Resource management (Catan)
• Trading (Betrayal at House on the Hill)
• Exploration (Descent: Journeys in the Dark)
Feedback loops
• Positive Feedback
Provide rewards for achieving objectives, which encourage further
progress and give players a sense of accomplishment.
• Negative Feedback: Slow down the player's progress, making
them more cautious in future turns.
• Dynamic Feedback: Keep players on their toes and adjust the level
of challenge based on their successes and failures.
3. Storytelling: The narrative that unfolds through play
• Player Agency
Allowing players to image the narrative even if the game doesn't have a story, or we can provide the story or narrative for the game.
• Environmental Storytelling
Stories told through world design, visuals, and settings.
• Narrative Arcs
Structuring the story around conflict, climax, and resolution.
4. Balance & Challenge: Ensuring a rewarding experience without overwhelming the player
• Difficulty Curve
Start from easy until hard.
• Skill vs. Luck
Incorporate both luck and strategy.
• Player Progression
Rewarding progress.
5. Feedback & Iteration: Continuous improvement of gameplay and player experience
• Playtesting
Helps identify areas of the game for improvement or
adjustment.
• Feedback Loops
Identify where difficulty may be too high or low, or story that
feel flat.
• Fine-tuning the experience
Iterating the feedback to ensure polishness of gameplay.
6. Immersion & Worldbuilding: Creating a believable world for players to engage with
• Immersion
Helps players feel connected to the world and invested in the
story.
• Context For Actions
Provides context for the player's action and deepens the emotional
impact of the game.
Challenges in Game Design
• Over Complication
Simplicity is a more enjoyable experience.
• Failing to Adapt
Ignoring player feedback.
• Monetization vs. Player Experience
Balancing profit motives with player’s enjoyment.
Lecture 2 : Balancing Fun and Educational Elements in Game Design
What is Fun
and
Education?
Fun
Inherently fun and feels emotionally satisfying. Fun often comes from player choice, competition, discovery, and achievement.
Education
Simple knowledge acquisition to complex problem solving. critical thinking or real-world application. Involves teaching concepts, improving skills, or enhancing understanding.
What
Strategies
to
Balance
Fun
and
Education?
Ensure the challenge feels natural and rewarding to maintain
fun without overwhelming the player.
• Learning through play• Layered learning
• Game
mechanics as educational tools
• Storytelling with purpose
Avoiding Over-Instruction Gameplay Mechanics
• Focus on
fun mechanics that naturally integrate learning
• Use gradual
learning
3. Exercise 1A
Player Motivation & Rewards
(Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic
Motivation)
intrinsic
Driven by curiosity, exploration, achievement.
Extrinsic
Rewards like points, levels, or badges.
Lecture
3
: Playtesting & Iterative
Design
Design
Thinking
Process
• Empathize• Define
• Ideate
• Prototype
• Test
Basic Iterative Design
• Design (game
mechanics)
• Playtest (player
behaviour or experience)
• Analyse
(game motives)
3. Exercise 1A
4. Exercise 1B
5. Exercise 2
6. Feedback
Week 1
General Feedback : Introduction to Game Studies,
followed by a briefing about
exercises.
Week 2
General Feedback : No feedback given this
week.
Week 3
General Feedback : No feedback given this week (go
to board game cafe).
7. Reflection
Of all the design modules in all semesters, this module is probably
the most interesting. Because we were told to go
to a board game cafe to play and get ideas about what board game we
would make. Moreover, this module is also suitable for people
who like to play games before and want to learn what aspects are
important in a game. Additionally, users also participate in
testing to find out which parts need to be fixed and improved
to get good user interaction.
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