Over the last few years we have seen the rise of "serious games" to promote understanding of complex social and ecological challenges, and to create passion for solving them. This project-based course provides an introduction to game design principals while applying them to games that teach. Run as a hands-on studio class, students will design and prototype games for social change and civic engagement. We will learn the fundamentals of games design via lecture and extensive reading in order to make effective games to explore issues facing society today. The course culminates in an end-of- quarter open house to showcase our games. Prerequisite: CS147 or equivalent. 247G recommended, but not required.
Some of the values I see in this game include: “coding is magical” and “every detail in coding matters.” The setting of the story is reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland (e.g. Lewis Carroll, Queen For), which made me realize that coding is more than a mundane activity. Instead, homework assignments can feel like writing a story to accomplish a mission. In the different branches and outcomes, there are a few instances where if you select an option that does not correspond with the typical Python syntax, the story takes a slight detour to reinforce the learning concept and return to the original plot. I thought the project’s goal was very clear—the author wanted to show that computer science is accessible to learn and can be fun. As a computer science major, even though I knew the “right answers” to some of the syntax branches and went through the story relatively fast, it confirmed my interest in the field due to how much fun the plot was. I loved the font color and IF theme because it gave off a whimsical vibe and felt like I was reading a bedtime story. I also enjoyed the similarities and references to Alice in Wonderland, it made the story more relatable. If I were to improve a couple of aspects of the story, I would suggest having some way to quickly replay the story and variance in the plot. I felt that both sand.py and checkerboard.py had similar lessons and would appreciate if I could learn even more things from this IF.
UPDATED COMMENT: Some of the values I see in this game include edutainment and attention to detail. The setting of the story is reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland (e.g. Lewis Carroll, Queen For), which made me realize that coding is more than a mundane activity. Instead, homework assignments can feel like writing a story to accomplish a mission. In the different branches and outcomes, there are a few instances where if you select an option that does not correspond with the typical Python syntax, the story takes a slight detour to reinforce the learning concept and return to the original plot. I thought the project’s goal was very clear—the author wanted to show that computer science is accessible to learn and can be fun. As a computer science major, even though I knew the “right answers” to some of the syntax branches and went through the story relatively fast, it confirmed my interest in the field due to how much fun the plot was. I loved the font color and IF theme because it gave off a whimsical vibe and felt like I was reading a bedtime story. I also enjoyed the similarities and references to Alice in Wonderland, it made the story more relatable. If I were to improve a couple of aspects of the story, I would suggest having some way to quickly replay the story and variance in the plot. I felt that both sand.py and checkerboard.py had similar lessons and would appreciate it if I could learn even more things from this IF.
The value is education in the game, which was achieved through the use of design and visuals. I think that this is really effectively done because of the game choices that you decided to make. For example, there are conditional statements and loops that you run into through the story, and you also have the use of variables that people are keeping track of. Additionally, the illustrations feel more accessible because they match the fun and cute energy of the game that looks like it would best teach children or people new to computer science.
I really loved the images in the story, and I loved the inclusion of pictures to tell the story. They were adorable and helped me feel more attached to the story. I thought this was a great touch that made me feel more connected to the story and the characters that were in it.
The game felt very similar to going down a rabbit hole, and I think that the branching narrative naturally lends itself to that. I also liked how the game incorporated coding terms that made the goal of teaching computer science education more accessible to me.
I think that the choices to use different variables or loops felt consequential to me because of the fact that as someone who knows how to code. In reflection, I think they would feel more consequential for people new to programming. I also liked being able to explore different assignments through the game that made the game feel more interesting because of the different paths I could take.
As I mentioned before, the images are so cute! I think this was my favorite part of the game was seeing how the images would change and reflect the story that you were telling. I loved learning about the characters because of the images and the expressions that the characters had.
One thing you could improve is the generalizability of the game. Because this is a game that is based around 106A, if you’re not familiar with the course material or not from Stanford, this game doesn’t feel relevant. I also wonder how this game can teach general programming knowledge rather than just 106A assignments.
This game really communicates that coding is fun and brings life to otherwise abstract concepts. I loved how each different type of coding element had a unique character and aesthetic. The writing is full of energy, and is amplified by the adorable images and captions!
As someone who has not taken CS106A but has basic coding experience, I think I missed some of the educational content. I didn’t realize until I read other reviewers’ comments that the choices you make correlate to coding syntax. BUT – I really didn’t mind! I was just absorbed by the story and clicking through whichever choices felt fun.
I especially liked the opportunities to impersonate Lewis Karel. I thought they were really funny – and I like how the choices made the difference between being reassigned vs deleted. The world felt like it reacted logically to my mischief, and it helped me learn about bugs.
Overall, I love the aesthetic and attention to detail. The images, captions, and blue background make the story feel complete! I also appreciate the grey text with additional information at the bottom of most pages – definitely helps communicate the educational content.
If this were to turn into P4, it would be great to expand the final interaction with Queen Main! The lead up to it felt like I was going to end up with some big “boss battle” moment.
Great work!
Could you please host this on itch.io, rather than have it download, so all. Can read in any device? Thanks!