Game Design and Research

Games here are treated as a media form and cultural artifact worth analyzing, not just something to build — you'll spend the first half reading game studies theory (Murray, Juul, Jenkins, the MDA framework) and learning to dissect mechanics, dynamics, narrative structure, and player experience. The back half pivots to practice: an iterative group project where you prototype a game, write a GDD through alpha and beta passes, and playtest between iterations. It's an entry point into the games track at COMD, so the emphasis is on building the vocabulary and design instincts you'll lean on in later production-heavy electives.