Coming into the Class
Coming into the class, I already had some familiarity with game design concepts from CS247G, including ideas like player agency, narrative structure, and the importance of iteration through playtesting. Because of this background, I felt relatively comfortable with the idea of designing a game and was less focused on learning what games are and more focused on learning how to make them effectively. I also wanted to dive my toes in more “serious games,” to understand what constitutes one. I was especially excited about the opportunity to build a complete game over multiple iterations rather than creating isolated prototypes or purely conceptual designs.
I also entered the class with a strong interest in narrative-driven games and interactive storytelling. I wanted to explore how player choice, dialogue systems, and environmental storytelling could be used to communicate complex themes and emotional experiences. At the same time, I assumed that my prior technical experience would make implementation relatively straightforward, allowing me to focus more heavily on creative decisions. This expectation ended up being challenged throughout the class, but it helped frame my initial mindset: I was eager to push creative boundaries, experiment with systems like branching dialogue, and see how far I could take a narrative-focused project within the constraints of a quarter and 2-3 weeks per project.
During the Class
Overall, during the course, I learned a lot about both the creative and practical sides of game development. Through Read & Plays, I expanded my understanding of different games, genres, and design philosophies, many of which I would not have sought out on my own. Experiencing and analyzing these games helped me see how different mechanics, aesthetics, and player expectations shape the overall experience. Rather than thinking about games in isolation, I began to see them as intentional design systems built around specific goals.
One major takeaway was game balance. I learned about key concepts in balance like sources and sinks. In my projects, adjusting the balance became easier overtime. Heartland started with a myriad of cards with different values. At some points, we found that cards like olives were busted and some grains felt pointless. Even before the balance lecture, playtests showed us that balancing requires real players and real experiences to really perfect. For example, in P3, Stayin’ Alive’s balance felt RNG at times due to randomized / procedural spawning. Adjusting these values and ensuring that there are atleast X number of things spawned initially helped to make the game feel more fun.
Thus, this brings me to the idea that rapid prototyping was also a major lesson. The class emphasized building quickly, testing early, and iterating based on feedback rather than aiming for perfection from the start. Through playtests, I saw how early, rough versions of a game could reveal design flaws that would have been much harder to fix later. This reinforced the importance of using placeholder assets and simple implementations to test ideas before fully committing to them, something that I will take away for future projects.
I also learned how to brainstorm more effectively. Instead of chasing every idea, I became more focused on generating ideas that supported a central theme or player experience. Structured brainstorming helped me evaluate ideas based on scope, feasibility, and relevance rather than novelty alone. This was especially important for avoiding feature creep and keeping the project aligned with my original goals.
Finally, I gained a strong appreciation for game branding and presentation. How a game introduces itself—through its title screen, visual cohesion, onboarding, and overall polish—dramatically affects player perception. Small presentational details made the game feel more complete and intentional, even when the core mechanics remained the same. This taught me that presentation is not separate from design, but an essential part of how players understand and engage with a game.
Takeaways
At the end of the day, I get to bring home 3 games (actually planning on playing Heartland with my little brothers over break). P1: An awesome board game about farming, P2: A homage to my alter ago as an artist, and P3: A full blown game with lots of animals, relationships, and so much more. Everything was super fun and insightful during the quarter!
Fig 1. I made my first ever customization screen and learned so much Unity UI stuff this quarter
Fig 2. I made a silly animation that made a lot of people laugh
Fig 3. I drew lots of crops and made cool looking cards
