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Game Design Document: Define the Art & Concepts
  • Level Professional
  • Duration 16 hours
  • Course by California Institute of the Arts
  • Offered by

About

The Capstone project is a place for you to develop your game idea into a fully-fleshed proposal. A game design document is your game bible, the go-to document that defines the genre of your game, its look and feel, and the evolution of gameplay. This four-part capstone project guides you to distill and improve the foundational aspects of your game so that you may express your ideas in a clear and productive way. Note: Only learners who have earned a certificate in the four previous courses in the Specialization are eligible to take the Capstone.

Modules

Introduction

    • 1 Videos
    • 3 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Welcome

3 Readings

  • Course Structure
  • Course Milestones (Assignments)
  • Academic Integrity

Course Communication Policies

    • 3 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
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1 Discussions

  • Meet and Greet

3 Readings

  • Instructor Presence and Staff Support
  • Forum Guidelines
  • Requesting Peer Reviews

Getting Started

    • 2 Videos
    • 2 Readings
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2 Videos

  • 3 Key Questions
  • The Video Game Artist

2 Readings

  • GDD vs. Pitch
  • Final Project Examples

Ideation

    • 1 Videos
    • 3 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Review: Ideation

3 Readings

  • Assembling Your Research
  • Understanding Your Market
  • List of Genres

Week 1 Milestone

    • 1 Readings
    • 1 PeerReview
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1 Peer Review

  • Ideation and Market Test

1 Readings

  • Recommendations for peer review (Week 1)

The Extra Mile

    • 2 Readings
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2 Readings

  • The Traditional Game Development Workflow
  • Creating a Production Plan

Know Your (Technical) Limits

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Review: Prototyping

Prototyping Tools

    • 9 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
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1 Discussions

  • Discussion Question: Your Tools

9 Readings

  • About Prototyping Tools
  • 3D Game Engines
  • 2D Game Engines
  • Simple Game Engines
  • Mod Kits
  • Board and Card Games
  • Storyboarding
  • Flowcharts
  • Other Methods

Week 2 Milestone

    • 1 PeerReview
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1 Peer Review

  • Create a Prototype

The Extra Mile

    • 2 Readings
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2 Readings

  • Playtesting and Data Gathering
  • Playtesting Checklist

Week 3 Milestone

    • 1 Readings
    • 1 PeerReview
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1 Peer Review

  • Refine Your Prototype

1 Readings

  • About refining your prototype

Visualizing the Game, part 1

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Review: Visualization

Week 4 Milestone

    • 1 PeerReview
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1 Peer Review

  • Visualizing Your Game

The Extra Mile

    • 1 Videos
    • 2 Readings
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1 Videos

  • In Person: Akash Thakkar

2 Readings

  • The Experience
  • Building a Team

The Penultimate Step

    • 1 Readings
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1 Readings

  • Evaluating and Refining

Week 5 Milestone

    • 1 PeerReview
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1 Peer Review

  • Refining Your Visuals

The Extra Mile

    • 1 Readings
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1 Readings

  • The Experience, continued

The Game Design Document

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Review: the Game Design Document

Final Milestone: Presenting Your Concept

    • 1 PeerReview
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1 Peer Review

  • Final Presentation

The Extra Mile

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • In Person: Sean Velasco

1 Readings

  • Getting to Know the Community

Untitled Lesson

    • 1 Readings
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1 Readings

  • Final Review and Next Steps

Auto Summary

"Game Design Document: Define the Art & Concepts" is an immersive course designed for aspiring game designers within the Arts & Humanities domain. Guided by Coursera, this professional-level capstone project empowers learners to transform their game ideas into comprehensive proposals. Over a span of 960 hours, participants will create a detailed game design document, serving as a crucial blueprint that outlines the genre, aesthetic, and gameplay evolution of their game. This course is exclusive to those who have completed the preceding four courses in the Specialization. Subscription options include Starter and Professional plans, making it accessible for various levels of commitment. Ideal for dedicated individuals aiming to refine their game design skills and articulate their creative visions with precision.

Théotime Vaillant
Instructor

Théotime Vaillant