Course Content
Unit 2: Transformative Leisure Role-playing Games
These types of games were not necessarily designed for an educational or therapeutic purpose, but that players might find them transformative in a variety of different ways.
0/5
Unit 3: Therapeutic Role-playing Games
These types of games are designed for a therapeutic purpose or to help participants develop social skills.
0/4
Unit 5: Research Through Design
We will discuss ways to design and iterate role-playing games, but also how to take that process a step further and engage in formalized analysis of the process through academic writing.
0/7
Unit 6: Ritual, Myth and Symbolism
We can consider role-playing games ritual spaces, but rituals can also be embedded into role-playing games for deeper experiences.
0/4
Unit 9: Game Technologies and RPGs
By its very name, analog role-playing emphasizes interactions between people unmediated by technology, but of course in reality, we often use technologies during play.
0/4
Unit 10: Transformative Game Design and You
In this unit, you will reflect upon the course as a whole, as well as your design and playtest experiences.
0/3
Introduction to Transformative Game Design

Reflection Journal 2: Role-Playing Game Design and You

Read Bowman et al.’s “Chapter 4: Practice: Transformative Role-playing Game Design and Research” in Transformative Role-playing Game Design.

Read Martin Nielsen and Martin Andresen’s “The Mixing Desk of Larp.”

Watch Josefin Westborg’s “Basic Design.”

Answer the following questions:

  1. What parts of the game design process have you found most challenging in the past? In this project?
  2. After reviewing the Mixing Desk of Larp, which faders do you think are most relevant to your design? How will you approach these faders in your design? Be specific.
  3. Choose another fader. How might the design of your game change significantly if you moved that fader to another position? How would the game concept or play experience change? Be specific.