EDGE

Empowering Game Design Education

Course Content
Course Information
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Course Calendar
Schedule & Instructions
Department Standards
Learning Objectives and Success Criteria
Course Materials
Policy on Generative AI
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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 1 Overview: Introduction to Role-playing Games
Discussion Forum Instructions
Discussion 1: Introduction to Role-playing Games
Instructions for Major Assignment 1: Transformative Nano-Game Design Document
Quiz 1: Role-playing Games
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 2 Overview: Introduction to Transformative Role-playing Game Design
Reflection Journal 1: Transformative Game Design and You
Quiz 2: Transformative Game Design
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 3 Overview: Transformative Role-plaaying Game Design in Practice
Discussion Forum Instructions
Discussion 2: Setting Brainstorming
Quiz 3: Transformative Game Design in Practice
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 4 Overview: Character, Culture, and Mechanics Design
Discussion Forum Instructions
Discussion 3: Character and Relations Design
Quiz 4: Character, Culture and Mechanic Design
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 5 Overview: Myth, Symbolism, Ritual, and Magic
Discussion Forum Instructions
Discussion 4: Myth, Symbolism, Ritual, and Magic
Quiz 5: Myth, Symbolism, Ritual and Magic
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 6 Overview: Culture and Conflict in RPGs
Discussion Forum Instructions
Discussion 5: Culture and Conflict
Quiz 6: Culture and Conflict
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 7 Overview: Designing Safety Structures
Reflection Journal 2: Designing Safety Structures
Quiz 7: Designing Safety Structures
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 8 Overview: Game Technologies and RPGs
Reflection Journal 3: Game Technologies and RPGs
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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Unit 9 Overview: Offering and Receiving Design Feedback
Discussion Forum Instructions
Discussion 5: Transformative Nano-game Design Document Feedback
Quiz 8: Inclusion and Sensitive Content
Unit 10: Transformative Game Design and You
In this unit, you will reflect upon the course as a whole.
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Unit 10 Overview: Transformative Game Design and You
Reflection Journal 4: Transformative Game Design and You
Major Assignment 1: Transformative Nano-Game Design Document
Transformative Role-Playing Game Design

Reflection Journal 3: Game Technologies and RPGs

Watch the first 28 minutes of Taisto Suominen’s “Game Technologies in Larp and Tabletop RPGs — Taisto Suominen” until the end of the section on augmented reality. 

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Then, answer the following questions:

  1. Have you experienced technology in games or other types of narrative or immersive experiences?
    • If so, did the technology enhance or detract from the experience, or both? Please explain.
  2. Consider one technology Suominen mentioned. How might you include this technology in your nanogame, or a scaled up version? Be specific.
  3. How might inclusion of this technology affect the transformative potential of your game, whether positively or negatively or both? 
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