Course Content
Unit 1 Introduction to Role-playing Games
This course explores foundational concepts and practices to consider when designing for transformative impacts. In addition to lectures, discussions, and journals, you will be designing a game.
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Unit 2: Introduction to Transformative Role-playing Game Design
In this unit, we will discuss three different types of contexts: transformative leisure, therapeutic, and educational role-playing games.
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Unit 3: Transformative Role-playing Game Design in Practice
In this unit, we will share our model of transformative role-playing games
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Unit 4: Character, Culture and Mechanics Design
In this unit, we will provide some techniques and additional considerations when adding these facets to your game.
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Unit 5: Myth, Symbolism, Ritual and Magic
In this unit, we will discuss some of the factors that can make role-playing games such powerful and transformative experiences, including the use of mythic structures, symbolic images, and ritual activities within games and also in the act of play itself.
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Unit 6: Culture and Conflict in RPGs
In this unit, we deepen our understanding of culture, thinking about it as something surrounding games and also embedded within them.
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Unit 7: Designing Safety Structures
In this unit, we will deepen into concepts related to safety design. Several issue that can arise with regard to psychological safety during games.
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Unit 8: 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.
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Unit 9: Offering and Receiving Design Feedback
In this unit, you will be providing feedback on the scenarios of other students. Figuring out the best way to give feedback can be difficult.
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Transformative Role-Playing Game Design

Learning Objectives and Success Criteria

After completing Transformative Role-playing Game Design, the students will be able to:

  • Learning Outcome 1: demonstrate knowledge and understanding of transformative analog role-playing game design and relevant interdisciplinary theories
  • Learning Outcome 2: demonstrate the ability to present and discuss information, problems and solutions in speech and writing on transformative analog role-playing game design in dialogue with the field of role-playing game studies
  • Learning Outcome 3: identify, formulate and solve problems through transformative game design based on intended impacts
  • Learning Outcome 4: demonstrate the ability to make assessments in transformative game design informed by relevant interdisciplinary, social and ethical issues.

Please see below for specific Learning Objectives and Success Criteria for each type of assignment:

  • Discussion Boards Assignments: You are expected to participate in each discussion assignment, including your initial posts and posts to the required number of peers throughout the week in Ask a Question, Answer a Question format.
    • Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4
    • Success Criteria: Complete your initial posts answering all questions thoroughly. Reply to at least two (2) posts of your peers throughout the week in Ask a Question, Answer a Question format.
  • Reflection Journal Assignments: You are also expected to complete Reflection Journals at the end of each Unit. Note that only your instructors and you can see your journals.
    • Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4
    • Success Criteria: Complete your journals answering all questions thoroughly.
  1. Major Assignment 1: Transformative Nano-Game Design Document: You will write a game design document for your transformative game design project based on your brainstorming work in the Discussions and Reflection Journals throughout the semester.
    • Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4
    • Success Criteria: Complete your paper in the required format with each section.
  • Quizzes: You will complete quizzes based on your readings, videos, and/or other materials.
    • Learning Outcome 1
    • Success Criteria: Answer quiz questions correctly.