lifes challengesI just finished teaching a two week Computer Game Design course (as part of Summer Study at Penn State). It was a fun experience for the 15 high school students and myself alike. The students first designed and made board games in groups to learn basic game mechanics and principles, and then they moved on to making simple computer games using a free tool, Game Maker 7. They learned about values in games, designer meta-goals, Serious Games, narrative, and basic game design skills. The highlight was when they made “Games for Good,” basically serious games for change / social impact computer games. They chose to design and create games that incorporated themes including peer pressure, cigarette smoking, teen pregnancy, obesity, and making wise choices.

You can play their games (.exe files) at the course webpage: http://gamedesign2008.pbwiki.com/ (you can view screenshots and a few photos there too). Some games are definitely more polished than others (some are a little bit… crude and buggy) — but they’re all playable enough, and some have neat ideas buried within.

Teaching this class was valuable for me, personally, research-wise (helping me think about some thesis ideas) and otherwise. The students seemed to really enjoy the class, giving it really high ratings and some going out of their way to say nice things to me. More importantly though, some students indicated that they’re more inclined to consider computer science careers, and that they have the power to impact society through technology (especially through digital games, a medium with such potential for expression and persuasion). Anyway, feel free to check out the students’ work if you have time.