CFG: Lesson - Introduction and Vocabulary Acquisition
Introduction and Vocabulary Acquisition
Congratulations on your progress through the Engineering Design Process in game development! Let’s review The Engineering Design Process again as a reminder:
- Step 1: Identify the problem/Challenge
- Step 2: Brainstorm
- Step 3: Plan & Design
- Step 4: Build & Create
- Step 5: Test & Analyze
- Step 6: Reflect & Improve
- Step 7: Communicate
At this stage, you have identified the challenge: to create a functional game. You have brainstormed, planned, and designed your game by creating your game development document and storyboarding your game. Now it’s time for us to build and create!
Game Types
Remember there are various game styles that you may choose from. Below are a few of the popular styles and an example of each for you to explore:
- Action Games focus on fast-paced action and hand-eye coordination. They are designed to be played in short, small bursts and usually don't have a complex storyline. For example: Sky Dash Links to an external site.
- Adventure Games are filled with fantasy. Players usually explore an interactive adventure story and discover interesting characters and objects along the way. For example: Minecraft Links to an external site.
- Strategy Games take many different forms, but all require thinking about the best strategies to beat the game. Learners will have to come up with the best strategy for knocking down objects to get rid of the greedy pigs that steal the birds' eggs! For example: Angry Birds Links to an external site.
- Role-playing Games (RPG) are games in which the player assumes the identity of a game character acting out a story in that person’s life. For example: Zelda Links to an external site.
Scratch: Game Development Tool
In past lessons, we have utilized various online platforms such as Code.org and Khan Academy to reinforce learning. For this module, we will highlight Amazon’s Engineer For the Week - Game Design lesson resources to provide you with informative and engaging options to create your game using a game development platform named Scratch. This is going to be fun!! As with the other modules in this curriculum, you will have a choice in what you create and will be provided with step-by-step guided instruction for the novice game developer. If you are a more experienced game designer, you are welcome to use the game development platform you are most comfortable with.
Vocabulary Review
Throughout this curriculum, you have been introduced to terminology common to game design and game development. Review the additional terms and descriptions that you may encounter as you create your game:
- Game mechanics: The rules and systems that govern how a game is played, including how players interact with the game world and each other.
- Scripting languages: A type of programming language used to control the behavior and actions of game elements, including characters, game mechanics, and the game environment. Scripting languages are used to create interactivity and add complexity to game design. Examples of scripting languages used in game development include Lua, Python, and JavaScript.
- User interface (UI): The graphical elements and controls that allow players to interact with the game. This includes elements such as menus, buttons, and other on-screen displays that give the player information and control over the game.
Video Lesson
Watch this video titled Getting Started with Your Game for inspiration, advice, and guidance from professionals in the gaming industry. Think of ways in which you can incorporate the information provided.
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