Introduction

Go to the Fall 2025 Syllabus

Course Description 

Design and development studio course focused on the creation of projects (games, applications, websites, video, etc.) that can take a wide variety of forms, from physical games to virtual reality.

Course Overview

Upon completion of this course, students will have an understanding of the interconnection between video game technologies, their social/political/economic context, and the media which are created for them. Students will explore and push their understanding of game design and critical game studies.

Students will develop an appreciation for the complexity of "the industry," game technologies, and game design. Continually, students will be encouraged to draw connections between video games and other forms of interactive media.

Concepts for the course

This is a hands-on, project-based class in which you will learn about and try different approaches to push your concepts and development to a higher level to create a portfolio piece in line with industry standards.

This is the first in the series of two Game and Project Design Studio courses, in the second course (MI 846 Game and Project Design Studio II), you will continue your project if it is an interactive pitch or prototype and potentially create a new work if you have created a website or app. This is based on the complexity of the project and how long the industry expects deliverables by.

You will choose from the following production processes:

• Game:

  • Game Concept

  • Game Concept + visual art and design development

  • Game concept + prototype 

  • Game concept + alpha build

• Website or App

  • Website / App concept

  •  Website / App + content design 

  • Website / App + visual prototype 

  • Website / App Launch

The project production process that you choose should be one that you are familiar with. (The course is not focused on technique as much on the concepts of your work and pushing the project to a new level of success according to the industry benchmarks.)