The document outlines a GameSalad seminar presented by Billy Garretsen, focusing on the basics of game design and development using the GameSalad platform. Key topics include the core components of games, the design process, collaborative exercises, and design challenges aimed at building various types of games. The seminar encourages creativity, research, and iterative learning as essential practices in game creation.

1. Game Creation for Everyone.
GameSalad Weekend Seminar
January 2012
Billy Garretsen, Manager Game Development
billy@gamesalad.com
Monday, January 30, 12

2. GameSalad - Confidential Game Development Seminar2
INTRODUCTIONS
• What is GameSalad?
• A little background on Billy Garretsen
Session 1 Overview
GAME DESIGN PRIMER
• Why are we all here?
• The core components of a game
GAMESALAD
• General UI Discussion
• Actors and Scenes
• Behaviors and Attributes
• Advanced: Custom Attributes
• Tables
• Advanced: Expressions
Monday, January 30, 12

3. GameSalad - Confidential Game Development Seminar
What is GameSalad?
3
TOOL OVERVIEW
• Logic-based
• Drag & Drop functionality
• No coding or programming
• Uses logic & mathematical
expressions
BENEFITS
• Rapid prototyping
• Test out gameplay
• Free to use
• Easy to learn
• Test live on the device as
you go
PLATFORMS
• iOS
• Android
• Mac Desktop
• HTML5
Monday, January 30, 12

4. GameSalad - Confidential Game Development Seminar
A Little About Billy Garretsen
4
CURRENT TITLE
• GameSalad: Manager, Game Development
• Head of internal Game Team One
EDUCATION
• BA Studio Art, University of Texas at Austin
2004
INDEPENDENT DEVELOPMENT
• Made first publicly released game at age 19
• Formed Perfect Dork Studios LLC in 2007
• Contributed development and art services for
Wii, Xbox360, PSHome, iOS, Android, PC and
Mac titles
• Experience with multiple game development
platforms such as Torque, Unity and Unreal
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
• Spent 7 years designing and illustrating
casino games for Multimedia Games, Inc.
• Have shipped over 50 titles and hold a
number of gaming patents (pending) CREDITED ROLES TO DATE
• Director
• Designer
• Art Direction
• Illustration & Animation
• Music Composer
Monday, January 30, 12

5. GameSalad - Confidential Game Development Seminar
Why Are We Here?
5
WE LOVE PLAYING GAMES
WE LOVE SOLVING PROBLEMS
WE LOVE SHARING IDEAS
WE LOVE EXPRESSIVE TECHNOLOGIES
BEING PASSIONATE ABOUT GAMES
ULTIMATELY DRIVES US TO BECOMING
GREAT GAME MAKERS.
WE LOVE INTERACTION
WE LOVE ART & MUSIC
WE LOVE LEARNING
Monday, January 30, 12

6. GameSalad - Confidential Game Development Seminar
The Core Components of A Game
6
A DRASTIC SIMPLIFICATION OF WHAT MAKES A GAME:
GRAPHICS
• The visual representation
of game mechanics
• Reinforcement of positive
or negative game feedback
AUDIO
• Aural feedback/cues and
reinforcement of game
mechanics
• Often used as the
emotional backbone
Recommended Reading:
The Art of Game Design - A Book
of Lenses by Jesse Schell
GAME MECHANICS
• The actual activity the
player is engaged in from
moment to moment
• Can be emotionally driven.
Games can encourage,
taunt, frustrate and satisfy
“Elemental
Tetrad” (Schell)
Monday, January 30, 12

7. GameSalad - Confidential Game Development Seminar
GameSalad Concepts
7
Monday, January 30, 12

8. GameSalad - Confidential Game Development Seminar
GameSalad Interface
8
LAUNCH SCREEN
• Select new or existing
projects
• Open templates and
tutorials
SCENE SELECTION
• Add new scenes to the game
• Rearrange existing scenes
• Rename scenes
ACTOR EDITOR
• Add behaviors, rules, notes,
and groups to the actor
• Edit attributes, images
• Add new attributes
Monday, January 30, 12

9. GameSalad - Confidential Game Development Seminar
BREAK FOR LUNCH!
9
CAFFEINE
• Try Coffee or Tea
• Limit your Sodas
• Don’t overdo it
A QUICK WORD ON DEVELOPER FITNESS
SNACKS
• Try and handful of nuts
or dried fruit
• Chips and candy will
slow you down
SESSION 2 BEGINS AT 1PM
YOUR BRAIN & BODY NEED TO STAY FIT
EXERCISE
• Doesn’t take much
• Get up and stretch once
and in a while
• Good circulation keeps
you focused
Monday, January 30, 12

10. GameSalad - Confidential Game Development Seminar10
ELEMENT 1: Core Theme and Mechanics
• The Design Process
• High Level Objectives
• Reinforcement of theme
Session 2 - Let’s Design a Game!
ELEMENT 2: Presentation
• Different views for different genres
• Technical considerations based on POV
ELEMENT 3: Planning Ahead
• Thought maps and flow charts are great!
• Understanding how it all fits together
Monday, January 30, 12

11. GameSalad - Confidential Game Development Seminar11
The Design Process
• Anything can inspire a game
• Imitation is sometimes the best way to learn
• It is easier to change direction early on
• Ask a lot of questions - explore a lot of options
Core Theme and Mechanics
High Level Objectives
• What is the meat versus what are the potatoes?
• Hammering down the handful of game mechanics that define
your game vision
• Genre, control schemes, etc
• Think broadly within your constraints...leave a little wiggle room
Reinforcement of Theme
• Begin understanding that everything in your game should
tie into and reinforce your central vision
• Includes visuals, audio, level design
Monday, January 30, 12

12. GameSalad - Confidential Game Development Seminar12
Different views for different genres
• How will the player experience your vision?
• Genre and Point of View
• Scale as an emotional and communication tool
Presentation
Technical Considerations based on POV
• Understanding that some genres are more intense
than others design and development wise
• Static Camera versus scrolling
• Top Down vs. Flat Side Scrolling vs. Multiplanar
Side Scrolling...
• Room-by-room exploration vs. Open World
Monday, January 30, 12

13. GameSalad - Confidential Game Development Seminar13
Thought Maps and
Flow Charts
• Gathering your ideas
visually is a great way to
organize all of your
individual thoughts into a
cohesive design
• Thought Maps allow you to
take the elements of your
design and categorize them
in a hierarchy that will make
your flow charts and engine
easier to create
• You’ve probably seen Flow
Charts before. They are the
visual representation of
what will ultimately be your
game logic with an
emphasis on order and
dependencies
Planning Ahead - EVERYTHING is Connected
Monday, January 30, 12

14. GameSalad - Confidential Game Development Seminar14
Collaborative Design Exercises
EXERCISE 1:
GOAL: Create a Thought Map
& General Flow Chart as a group
EXERCISE 2:
GOAL: Translate Flow Chart
into logic using GameSalad
Monday, January 30, 12

15. GameSalad - Confidential Game Development Seminar15
Jump Right In
For the rest of today’s session you will be
working on your own original design and
implementation using GameSalad.
GameSalad associates will be available for
Q&A and assistance if you get stuck!
Tomorrow we will review your work and offer
critique. Afterwards we will go through a few
more goal-driven design challenges before
wrapping up at noon.
Monday, January 30, 12

16. GameSalad - Confidential Game Development Seminar16
DESIGN CHALLENGE 1
30 Minutes
• Build a scrolling top down shooter
• Key Components: Keyboard Input, scene wrap, actor spawning
Session 3 Design Challenges
DESIGN CHALLENGE 2
30 Minutes
• Build a point-and-click navigation game
• Key Components: Device Attributes, Constraints and Move To Behavior
DESIGN CHALLENGE 3
60 Minutes
• Build a basic side scrolling platformer with jumping and platforms
• Key Components: Game Attributes, Keyboard Input, Collision, Velocity
ONE on ONE REVIEWS and Q&A
60 Minutes (Optional Attendance)
• Review any work from previous session and field individual questions
Monday, January 30, 12

17. GameSalad - Confidential Game Development Seminar17
In Closing
GAME DESIGN IS AN ART AND A SCIENCE
• Play Games...IT’S RESEARCH!
• Make games as often as you can with any tool you can...even pen & paper
• Study other designer’s documents. Don’t design in a bubble.
GAMESALAD AS A DEVELOPMENT PLATFORM
• Unrivaled in speed and accessibility
• Prototype your ideas faster to find out if they are fun
• Great for the transition from student to professional.
DESIGNER EXPERIENCE IS CUMULATIVE
• Good game designers usually have a number of years or titles under
their belt. Each project will teach you something new you can take
into the next one to make it better/faster/bigger
PATIENCE WITH A CAPITAL P
• You will probably fail more times than you succeed and that is
normal. As long as you can assess your ideas objectively and learn
from your design choices (good and bad) you will come out on top
• Don’t ever give up! Games are AWESOME!
Monday, January 30, 12

18. Thank you for attending!
Questions? Comments? Contact us at:
billy@gamesalad.com
msones@gamesalad.com
Monday, January 30, 12