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

Unit 2 Overview: Introduction to Transformative Role-playing Game Design

Welcome to our unit on Transformative Role-playing Game Design! For our purposes, transformative role-playing games involve play and framing exercise that have specific goals to impact participants. In this unit, we will discuss three different types of contexts: transformative leisure, therapeutic, and educational role-playing games. We will also discuss working with specific populations. Each of these contexts has unique aspects to consider in your design.

Required materials:

Readings:

  • Bowman, Sarah Lynne, Elektra Diakolambrianou, Kjell Hedgard Hugaas, and Josefin Westborg. In review. “Chapter 2: Transformative Role-playing Games: Types, Purposes, and Features.” In Transformative Role-playing Game Design,edited by Sarah Lynne Bowman, Elektra Diakolambrianou, and Simon Brind, 39-65. Transformative Play Research Series. Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis, Uppsala University Press.

Optional materials:

Videos:

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