Game
Design
Improv
Improv
Brenda Brathwaite
Ian Schreiber
Charles Shami

What is game design improv?

A chance for you to stretch
yourself as an educator
and designer.

To challenge yourself to do things
you normally wouldn’t do

To experience interdisciplinary
fellowship and love.

To take a chance on innovation
innovation.

Why Game Design Improv?
• Bringing non-digital
non digital
game prototyping to the
masses and classes
• Exploring key design
principles
• Creativing designers
that are flexible and
Some see junk. Others see Katamari
junk Katamari.
innovative
i i
• Great icebreaker

Some housekeeping…
housekeeping
• Complete several
non-digital
challenges
• Give you 20
examples you can
use in the classroom
when you return

Today s
Today’s Plan
• Challenge #1 – Design from IP
• Challenge #2 – A message from the publisher
Break
• Challenge #3 – “…But make it multiplayer!”
• Challenge #4 – Civil War Battle
• Challenge #5 – The Iron Designer Challenge

Challenge #1

Starting Points:
Starting with Clean Slate
The Virtually
Microscopic
Planet of
Original Games
The Big
Fat World
of IP

Starting Points
• Starting with Gameplay
g py
– Sequels
• Starting with Technology
– Fi t P
First-Person Shooters
Sh t
• Starting with Story
– Adventure Ga es, Books
d e tu e Games, oo s
• Starting with IP
– TV Shows, Personalities, Movies
• Starting with a Clean Slate
– ??

Starting Points:
Starting with Gameplay
• Preserve gameplay
style
• Add new features
• Improve existing
features

Starting Points:
Starting with Technology
• Crafted
gameplay/story
around the
technology
• Often dictates genre
• Platform choice
affects gameplay

Starting Points:
Starting with Story
• Designed around the
story
• Adapt technology to
p gy
needs of story

Know Your Constraints
• Genre/Type
yp
• Rating
• Audience
• Budget
Bd
• Platform
• Tone/Style
• The “Incidentals”
• Engine
ge
• Release date
• Skill Set Limitations

Design
Di
Exercise #1
Create a
Game From
G F
IP

What is “IP”?
IP ?
• IP = intellectual
property
– WWE
– MTV
– TV Show Heroes
– Halo

Starting With IP
• Designed around
strengths of IP
•D i
Designed t
d to
target IP’s target
market
• IP often dictates
genre

Group Exercise #1
• Need 12 IPs
– Six that are good
– Six that are very, very bad
y y
• Roll d6 to determine column you’re in and
which IP you g
y get
• Break into teams
• ETA: 30 mins
• Present idea and discuss challenges

Group Exercise #1
• Core of the game
• 3 or 4 features
• Define
D fi avatar or character
t h t
• Platform
• Estimate budget
• Estimate release date

The Finish Line

A Message from the Publisher

Change your platform to
Facebook or iPh
F b k iPhone

You re Done
You’re Done.

In other news
news…

Your company has closed
closed.

Please collect your
“pink slips” and rearrange
yourselves into new groups.

“…But Make It Multiplayer!”
But Multiplayer!

Start Here

Hints
• How do players interact with the game?
• How do players interact with each other?
•HHow can players h l each other
l help h th
(cooperation)?
• How can players hurt each other
(competition)?

Requirements
• Multiplayer (2 to 8 players over LAN)
• Can be individuals or teams (your choice)
• Competitive: one player ( t
C titi l (or team) wins
)i
• You can add a narrative/theme
• ETA: 30 mins
• Ready, set,
Ready set go!

The Finish Line

Challenge #4: Civil War

The Challenge
• Create a board game to simulate and
resolve a real battle from the Civil War.
• Difficulty: Victory condition cannot be
“control enough territory” (Axis & Allies) or
“destroy all enemy units” (Risk)
destroy units (Risk).
• Hint: what is the object of the game? How
do l
d players achieve th t goal?
hi that l?

The Finish Line

Iron Designer Challenge

The Rules
• Create a game using only 100 index cards
and a pen.
• Create a better game than everyone else
else.
• ETA: 30 mins

Congratulations
A WINNER IS YOU

Contacts
Brenda Brathwaite bbrathwa@scad.edu
@bbrathwaite
Ian S h ib
I Schreiber ischreib@scad.edu
i h ib@ dd
Charles Shami cshami@scad.edu
@cshami
www.appliedgamedesign.com
www appliedgamedesign com
www.scad.edu