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The Mechanics of Magic

Game Design Writings by Students at Stanford taking 247G and 377G

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by ashiravi | Posted on April 18, 2025

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Welcome to the Stanford HCI Game Design Blog.

Currently this blog holds two formal classes being taught by Christina Wodtke as well as Independent Study Work. In winter of 2022, cs377g was cancelled because of covid-19 uncertainty, and became a study group. You can follow along by looking at the SGSG syllabus and weekly break down.

CS 247G: Design for Play(SYMSYS 195G)

A project-based course that builds on the introduction to design in CS147 by focusing on advanced methods and tools for research, prototyping, and user interface design. Studio based format with intensive coaching and iteration to prepare students for tackling real world design problems. This course takes place entirely in studios; please plan on attending every studio to take this class. The focus of CS247g is an introduction to theory and practice of the design of games. We will make digital and paper games, do rapid iteration and run user research studies appropriate to game design. This class has multiple short projects, allowing us to cover a variety of genres, from narrative to pure strategy. Prerequisites: 147 or equivalent background.

CS 377G: Designing Serious Games

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.

SGSG: Serious Games Study Group

Library
Read Write Play
247G Syllabus
Serious Play Study Group Overview
On Sketchnotes
Printing at Stanford

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Critical Play: Play Like a Feminist – Kai Ssempa
Critical Play: Games of Chance and Addiction – Kai Ssempa
Critical Play: World Building – Kai Ssempa
Critical Play: Puzzles – Kai Ssempa
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Christina Wodtke on Read, Write, Play: Starcraft 2 – Varsha
Christina Wodtke on Reflection Seb
Christina Wodtke on Final Class Reflection – Mateo LF
Christina Wodtke on Final Class Reflection – Thu
Christina Wodtke on Final Class Reflection

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