I would highly recommend CS247G to anyone who is curious about why games are regarded as the ninth art.
Before I took this class, gaming was not a serious part of my leisure time. Yes, I did play games from time to time, but I was never able to truly appreciate the mechanics, dynamics, and artistry of games. Playing games used to feel like a brainless activity.
During the course, the concepts of MDA and the 8 types of fun inspired me to think about how to design games that are both engaging and mentally stimulating. I applied these ideas to our second project, Ernest Estate, a narrative puzzle game. Our group worked closely together to implement meaningful mechanics and to incorporate the fun of narrative, exploration, and achievement into the experience.
Throughout the process, we faced challenges—such as designing a better onboarding sequence that would be intriguing enough to hook players, yet simple enough to ease them in. After several iterations, we finalized an onboarding design that opened with a mysterious sentence and included subtle tutorials on how to explore the world. It worked well during playtests, and we’re proud of that result.
I can imagine myself taking another game design–related course in the future, as I had so much fun during class times, working with my teammates and reflecting on ideas alone. Next time, I’d love to learn more about how the newest technologies, such as generative AI, are transforming game design.
All in all, I’d like to thank the fantastic teaching team (including Nina, of course!) and my amazing teammates from both Project 1 and Project 2.
nina says hi! I’m glad you plan to keep exploring games and AI in games is a really exciting subject. Keep going!