I had always viewed game design as a mysterious black box, something that only the most brilliant geeks could undertake in their spare time. Little did I realize the tremendous amount of work and dedication it took to craft a medium of fun that would bring joy to players. My limited experience with gaming dates back to my third-grade days when my first and only Nintendo DS was stolen from me. Despite that, I still faintly remembered the exhilarating feeling of escaping the real world and immersing myself in the virtual realm of The Sims.
However, after that unfortunate incident, I never really stuck with any games. It seemed near impossible to find the time for them amidst the demands of my daily life. That was until I stumbled upon a game called Elevate while studying for my SATs. This Math and English-based game managed to captivate my attention once again, and this time, I played it with a clear goal in mind: the experience of learning. Despite my newfound “gamer” persona, all other games I heard of remained unapproachable mysteries, forever out of my reach—or so I thought.
To be honest, I had no idea what to expect when I first signed up for “Design for Play”: it sounded fun, but the specifics eluded me. As the class progressed, I quickly learned that fun is the ultimate goal, and I began to comprehend the various types of fun that players can experience. It was during this exploration that I made a fascinating discovery about myself—I found immense pleasure in the act of learning and overcoming cognitive challenges.
In this class, I began to comprehend the nuances of game design, realizing that it required a delicate balance between captivating gameplay mechanics, engaging storytelling, and meaningful learning opportunities. As my understanding of game design deepened, so did my appreciation for the work that went into crafting these interactive experiences. Behind every game, there was a team of dedicated individuals pouring their passion and expertise into every detail, ensuring that players would find their kind of fun within their creation.
I started to look at games in a different way. I began to view games I had never played with the eye of a designer, boring in for holes and fishing for great design choices. Before CS247G, I had never willingly played a new game someone did not first introduce me to. And yet, here I was, scrolling through different games, finding one that I could learn the most from.
Moreover, I am grateful for the opportunity to learn the art of sketch-noting, which has transformed the way I absorb and process information. With the help of Christina’s book, ‘Pencil Me In,’ as well as lectures and resources on Canvas, I discovered invaluable techniques and strategies that allowed me to better capture and organize big ideas. Keeping a dedicated Moleskine book filled with my figures and diagrams became a reliable resource, providing inspiration whenever I encountered challenging concepts.
What truly amazed me was the profound impact sketch-noting had on my focus and attention during lectures in other classes. Armed with my sketchbook, I found myself fully engaged, no longer scrambling to transcribe every word the professor said. Instead, I could distill the most critical concepts and establish connections in real time.
However, it wasn’t always easy. At first, I had trouble keeping up with all the information in my other classes. To help with this, I started checking the lecture outlines before class if they were available. That way, I could get an idea of what would be talked about and be better prepared.
Looking into the future, if I continue working on my games, my plan is to focus more on making changes and improvements. I want to keep refining my games and making them even better than before. By constantly working on enhancements, I hope to take my game design skills to the next level and create more enjoyable experiences for players.
