Making games requires the synthesis of a number of skills, from the development of the visual and haptic aesthetics to the storytelling and user experience. Our department of Art+Design at NC State’s College of Design fosters active learning through collaborative effort. The “Introduction to Game Creation” course teaches the creative process by immersing students in game theory and design.

One of the main objectives during this course was to encourage an innovative, game-related design process. Students were taught to use critical thinking, research and analysis, in a collaborative environment to foster originality instead of simply memorizing step-by-step blueprints or technical templates. Students then explored storytelling in the context of game design—plot elements. The brief asked to design and develop a hybrid board game, mixing a digital interface and a challenge delivery system with a tangible physical board game. The students worked in four groups and approached the task by targeting four different age groups: 6-9, 9-12, 12-15 and 15-18 years old. The theme was sustainability this semester.