EDGE

Submit Final Draft of Major Assignment 2: Framing Transformative Game Design

Major Assignment 2 is a culmination of all the work you have done in the course. Think of your previous assignments as stepping stones to this paper.

In Major Assignment 1, you designed a workshop and debrief based on a research question and theoretical concepts, then tested this design with a small part of your scenario in a playtest. Major Assignment 2 describes this process, first including information from Major Assignment 1, then explaining how the experiment unfolded, analyzing your playtests, feedback, and subsequent iteration.

Word count: 1200-2000 words single-spaced in Times New Roman font (not including References and Appendices).

This paper will integrate the following sections:

1. Introduction:
   • Brief summary of nano-game: In one (1) paragraph, include a brief summary of the current version of your nano-game.
   • Research Question: Include a research question for your framing design. What problem are you trying to solve or question do you hope to get answered through this Research Through Design process?
   • Brief summary of your workshop: In one (1) paragraph, discuss the one (1) workshop activity you have playtested and your safety structures. Describe how your workshop activity was designed to help players learn how to engage with your game and prepare them for play.
   • Brief summary of your debrief: In one (1) paragraph, discuss your process of designing the debrief. Is the question geared toward and emotional, intellectual, and/or educational debrief? What are your specific goals or learning objectives? How are they reflected in the debrief question?
2. Theoretical framework: Reflect upon your game design according to no more than three (3) concepts:
   • Use only sources from this course: You can integrate any concepts from the materials in this course. You must have at least one unique (1) source cited for each concept from a different creator.
     • Do not cite multiple ideas from the same creator.
     • You are not permitted to use sources outside of this courses materials. Note that the Transformative Role-playing Game Design textbook is not on the literature list of this course.
   • Focus on details rather than generalities: Avoid choosing larger concepts like “debriefing.” Instead focus on three (3) specific concepts within larger distinct theories or practices that you can define from your sources, for example choosing a specific category of debriefing described in an article in the course.
   • Apply concepts to design practice: Discuss specific ways in which these concepts are useful in understanding your game design choices. Be specific about how the concepts might help explain, for example, your chosen mechanics, workshop design, debrief questions, etc. 
3. Method: Describe your process of Research Through Design, citing and engaging with one (1) or more of these linked sources. This section should include a brief summary of your Playtest Plan and feedback gathering method(s).
4. Results: Describe how your game experiment unfolded in your playtest, the feedback you received, and how you iterated on your design accordingly after the playtest session.
5. Discussion: Analyze the game design process, returning back to your chosen concepts and any other relevant sources. Was your research question answered? 
6. Conclusion: Evaluate how you would proceed with future research, design, and playtesting of this nanogame should you choose to continue this work. This section can also include personal reflections, takeaways, and ideas for future research and design beyond this particular project.

In addition, include: 

1. References: References should be organized in alphabetical order.
2. Appendix I: Playtest Scenario and Playtest Plan
3. Appendix II: Revised Game Design Document
   • Your Game Design Document should contain all the instructions for your nano-game that facilitators and participants need to play. You can choose whether or not to integrate a version of your newly designed framing. You may start with the Game Design Document from Introduction to Transformative Game Design as a baseline or create a new game. These instructions should not exceed 1300 words Times New Roman 12 point font.
4. Appendix III: List of Recommendations from Peer(s) and Instructors and Revisions
   • Include a point-for-point list indicating how and where in the text you addressed each point of feedback on your First Complete Draft of Major Assignment 2 you received from your peer reviewer(s) and your instructor. If you decided not to integrate one or more recommendations, please provide a persuasive reason why. In this way, you are iterating not only on your game design, but on your academic work.

Notes:

• The Appendices and References do not count toward your word count.
• You may not use generative AI on this assignment or any others. We are interested in your own design thoughts, not a machine’s. 
• Cite in Chicago Author-Date format. We recommend using the citations we provide for you in the Module Overviews and textbook References, which mostly reflect Chicago Author-Date 6th edition.
• Including concepts from sources external to this course will result in an automatic fail on the paper. Do not include more than three (3) concepts. 
• You may use materials from Major Assignment 1, but make sure to compose your text in an academic analytic tone rather than as game instructions. 
• While your paper will focus on testing your new framing (Appendix I), you will also submit a revised version of your Game Design Document as Appendix II. The revised version should reflect any changes you made as a result of feedback from your peers or instructor.