Game Design Studio I (CMPS 170) is the first course in a three quarter-long project sequence in which students work in teams to create a large substantial computer game.

Class announcements and discussion takes place via a Piazza class forum: https://piazza.com/class/irwjutk1tae6rc

Learning Goals

The primary goal of the class is for students to rapidly develop a wide range of novel game design concepts, then select a small subset of these ideas that will be further developed into complete working computer game. Course activities center on techniques and exercises for presentation and evaluation of game pitches, as well as prototyping and evaluating game concepts. Complete description of a game design is accomplished by writing a complete game design document.

Students also develop their professional image via the creation of a professional resume and LinkedIn profile. 

Meeting Times

Lectures are held Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 2:40-3:45pm, in Kresge 321.

There are 8 class sections, and attendance in your assigned section is required, unless instructed otherwise.

All section meetings are held in Baskin Engineering, room 169.

Teaching Assistants

Teaching assistants for the class are Dylan Lederle-Ensign (dlederle@ucsc.edu) and Leland Dawson (lsdawson@ucsc.edu).

Office Hours

Teaching assistants have office hours scheduled at these times, in the undergraduate game lab (BE 368). Any student can attend office hours for any TA.

Dylan Lederle-Ensign: Wednesdays, 12:30-1:50pm

Leland Dawson: Thursdays, 3-5pm

Professor Whitehead has office hours from 4-5:30pm on Mondays in his office, E2 273. He also holds lab hours from 4pm-5:30pm on Fridays in the undergraduate game lab.