Final Class Reflection

Before taking this class, I thought CS247G was just about simple ideation and creation. You think up a good idea for a game and then you make it fun. I didn’t realize how much depth, intention, and love went into designing play that would actually resonate with the players. Additionally, I never really played any games as a “game designer.” I’ve always played them passively not wondering why certain parts made me frustrated and then fulfilled, why something in the game made me laugh or how a game could make me feel so empowered. This all changed when I took this class.

Over the quarter, I learned how to prototype, iterate, playtest and grow rapidly. MDA stuck through it all. I realized that every mechanic whispers a value and every rule had the power to invite or exclude. Working on Someone Call SecuriTree with my team became the ultimate test of how I should manage theme, ethics, and fun. Our game asked players to spot Berkeley “infiltrators” during the Big Game Week, all packed in a retro pixelated style. Ultimately, it was supposed to be a satirical game but it also made us reckon with discomfort around “policing” mechanics, representation, and what it means to make a game that’s playable, fun, and responsible. This tension between the mechanics and meaning was one of the most powerful learnings for me.

Implementing the game wasn’t easy either. Our team struggled with UI, onboarding, and especially the balance between clarity and complexity in our game. Most times our builds felt too chaotic. But I learned that design is about caring enough to try again and refine, not getting it perfect on the first go.

I also grew by learning how to listen better. I learned to listen with more openness and take more creative risks. There were so many ideas during our team’s brainstorming session that sounded so bad, even stupid at times. But learning to take every idea seriously and build on each other’s thoughts helped us collaborate more effectively and ultimately led us to our final game concept. These brainstorm sessions helped me realize that it’s okay to have fun and that part of being a good designer isn’t just about being the smartest person in the room but rather being the most willing to throw something out on the table and hoping it sticks somehow.

The next time I make a game, I’ll start at a place where I’m not just asking players what they want to see and do in the game but instead the question how do I want them to feel when they play the game. This one question that Christina has asked us again and again is now my north star.

This class is extraordinary. It not only changed the way I see games, but also in some small but very real way, how I see people. Because good games, like good magic, reveal something true about the world, or at least a little something about ourselves.

Ultimately, we all ate down on this project and in this class. Love you team! 😀