The following five lessons provide an introduction to Gamestar Mechanic and to game design in general. After completing these five lessons, students will be able to:

• Correctly use terms and concepts to describe aspects of game design
• Identify and define the five elements of game design
• Design balanced games that are both fun and challenging
• Playtest and effectively give feedback each other’s games
• Iterate on their games incorporating feedback

These five lessons can be taught as a stand-alone course, or as an introduction to a larger course on game design.

• Lesson 1: Terms and Concepts
• Lesson 2: Core Design Elements
• Lesson 3: Balance
• Lesson 4: Design
• Lesson 5: Playtest and Iterate

Lessons that dive deeper into the art of game design can be found online in the More Lessons section of this guide. 

Worksheets

Some lessons have accompanying worksheets which can be viewed or downloaded under the Attachments section at the bottom of the screen.