Final Class Reflection

Before this class, I thought about (play, game design) like this
I did these things and experienced these learnings
These class concepts stuck with me…
I implemented them into my work by…
I experienced these challenges
I grew in this way
Next time (or, if I keep working on my games) I will…



Before this class, I honestly never thought much went into making a game. In my head, the process was just that once the player has the game idea then they can just make it. Taking this class made me realize how many elements go into creating these games which is something I wasn’t aware of before. Learning that game design deals a lot with core mechanics and outcomes along with other elements like MDA Framework stood out to me. I also didn’t realize how much games could reflect cultural values or influence behavior. I simply thought of games as something that we played for enjoyment but didn’t think too much about how much it plays a role in our development.

I feel like from the moment that I decided to take this class, I started to think alot more deeply about games. For example, doing the critical plays that we were assigned each week forced me to think about games in a different light. In my head, I started to think about for what reason there are such mechanics in a game and who benefits from playing a certain game which is something I honestly haven’t thought about before. Another thing that also stuck with me was the importance of ethics in gaming. I never really thought about how much ethics can play a role in games, especially ones that deal with violence and problematic concepts. Realizing the important of ethics in gaming was something I was able to implement into my work even outside of the class. For example, I’m working with my PI on a research project that is a game relating to human perception and now I feel like I’m able to add ethical insights into the implementation of the game.

In the beginning of the class, one of my biggest challenges was honestly understanding why we needed to understand certain concepts such as core mechanics. However, as time went one where I was doing more of the assignments, I started to understand why we learn every concept that we do. Now, I feel like I try to approach certain projects I make even outside of gaming with the thought process that goes behind making a game. Through all the sketchnotes, critical plays, and projects we did in this class, I feel like I definitely grew to understand the importance of every class and discussion we attend. In the future, I plan to take on the approach that comes with designing a game and apply that to other sectors of my life.