UCSC General Catalog - GAME - Games and Playable Media (2023)

GAME 200 Game Design Systems

Analyzes how games aggregate mechanics to create dynamic, interactive systems. Students analyze and design systems by general categories (e.g., movement, economy, conflict) to better understand their histories, relationships, and implementations.

GAME 201 LevelDesign

Level design integrates architecture, psychology, and drama with the tools of game making. Course explores both 2D and 3D level design through both analysis and construction of video game levels, along with key readings, particularly in architecture.

GAME 202 Alternative Controllers, AR, and VR

Introduction to physical computing, AR, VR, and interaction design concepts critical for building novel physical interfaces. It employs a combination of theory and practice, ranging from gamepad, circuit, and interaction design to in-class activities and projects guiding students through creating their own alternative controller games. (Formerly offered as Foundations of Alternative Controller Games.)

GAME 210 Game Art Intensive

Teaches the basic vocabulary, concepts, and practices of creating 2D and 3D art assets for games, as well as their management and integration into game engines. Includes sprites, models, textures, animations, and an introduction to effects.

GAME 215 Audio Direction

Introduces fundamentals of digital audio and its implementation into a game project. Explores elements of acoustic audio therapy, musical theory, and digital audio theory, coupled with hands-on creation. Students work with audio software, synthesis, plug-in processing and microphones to develop and create an audio direction.

GAME 221 Professional Development for Game Makers

GAME 222 Professional Development for Game Makers II

Second course in a three-course sequence covering the game industry, game jobs, current thinking on games, and becoming a professional game maker. Focus on design considerations and methodologies employed in the game industry with emphasis placed upon the student's ability to develop designs beyond mere ideas through to execution.

GAME 223 Professional Development for Games Makers III

The third course in a three-course sequence covering the game industry, game jobs, current thinking on games, and becoming a professional game maker. Focuses on the business of the game industry, including funding, corporation types and formation, budgeting and burn rates, pitch decks, and marketing.

GAME 230 Fundamentals of Game Engineering

Deep introduction to technologies used in the construction of computer games. Principles of 2D game engine design, including architecture, object-oriented design patterns, collision detection, particle systems. Also examines artificial intelligence techniques including pathfinding, state machines, and behavior trees.

GAME 231 Game Technologies

Learn the fundamentals of at least two contemporary game engines. Develop 3D game prototypes using custom-level geometry and shaders. Understand common features of the engines and how engine-specific features shape the space games that are reasonable to implement.

GAME 232 Advanced Game Technologies

Exposes students to cutting-edge research technologies enabling the creation of games not possible with off-the-shelf techniques. Students learn how understand research to incorporate such technologies into a game. Students create rapid prototypes using several different technologies.

GAME 235 Game Development I

First in a two-course sequence providing an introduction to game programming using a modern object-oriented language. Introduces the technologies used in the construction of computer games. Introduces the principles of 2D game engine design, including architecture, object-oriented design patterns, and collision detection. Students may not receive credit for this course and GAME 230.

GAME 236 Game Development II

Second in a two-course sequence providing an introduction to game programming using a modern object-oriented language. Intermediate technologies are used in the construction of computer games. Includes NPC behavior, scenes and shaders, physics, debugging, and managing game code. Students may not receive credit for this course and GAME 230.

GAME 238 Computer Graphics for Games

Advanced computer-graphics techniques for computer games. Covers a range of computer graphics techniques used in contemporary computer games, with emphasis on those that complement existing game engines. Subjects covered include: lighting for models and scenes, shader programming (including several visual effects), procedural mesh manipulation, advanced use of particle systems, and non-photorealistic rendering techniques.

GAME 240 Game Usability

Research approaches to game usability, from direct interaction with players to game instrumentation methods. Students learn to understand, select between, and adapt research designs and analysis approaches. Includes defining and measuring impact and effect size of serious games.

GAME 250 Foundations of Serious Games and Gamification

Provides an overview of serious games and its applications in health, education, training, and advertisements. Further, it introduces gamification and discusses various examples of gamifications used in the market today in various industries including social media, retail, health trackers, and food industry. Course also provides a practical guide of the process of design and development of serious games and gamification techniques. Through projects students apply these lessons and develop two serious games or gamification projects. (Formerly offered as Foundations of Serious Games.)

GAME 251 Games User Research

Research approaches to user experience of games, from direct interaction with players to game instrumentation methods. Students learn to understand, select between, and adapt research designs and analysis approaches. Includes defining and measuring impact and effect size of serious games.

GAME 252 Modeling and Simulation

Introduces the concepts of models, including how models are created and represented both conceptually and computationally. Also delves into practical aspects of developing and evaluating simulations. Students introduced to the value of simulations for what-if analysis as well as a way to explore and derive models around specific phenomena such as social and cultural structures, global warming, weather systems, among other applications within the field of serious games. Students introduced to various theoretical concepts and then asked to implement a project involving developing a model and simulation given a particular topic.

GAME 255 Serious Games Studio I

Focuses on developing innovative project concepts, rapid prototyping and playtesting, and the creation of concept presentations. Students identify appropriate sources of subject matter expertise, elicit knowledge to inform a game project, and integrate that knowledge into the core gameplay experience.

GAME 256 Serious Games Studio II

Students work in teams to develop serious games. Involves multiple aspects of game production with emphasis on initiating production and coordination between requirements and design, and preparing a game iteration for efficacy measurement. Students receive frequent critiques on emerging game projects.

GAME 257 Serious Games Studio III

Students work in teams to develop serious games. Involves multiple aspects of game production with emphasis on performing efficacy measurements and responding through iteration. Students receive frequent critiques on final game projects.

GAME 270 Games and Playable Media Studio I

First course in a three-course sequence covering the fundamentals and advanced topics in game and playable-media development. Focuses on developing innovative project concepts using methods ranging from prototyping to design documents, planning, and initiating project development.

GAME 271 Games and Playable Media Studio II

The second course in a three-course sequence in which students work in teams to develop an innovative computer game. Coursework involves multiple aspects of game production, including agile methodology; game and level design; development of code to implement game behavior; art direction; and audio design. Students receive frequent critiques on emerging game projects.

GAME 272 Games and Playable Media Studio III

The third course in a four-course sequence in which students work in teams to develop an innovative computer game. Coursework involves multiple aspects of game production including agile methodology; game and level design; development of code to implement game behavior; art direction; and audio design. Students receive frequent critiques on emerging game projects.

GAME 273 Game Production Intensive

Fourth course in a four-course sequence in which students work in teams to launch an innovative computer game. Coursework involves multiple aspects of game production, including agile methodology, game and level design, development of code to implement game behavior, art direction, and audio design. The emphasis is on interacting with game media to publicize the game. Students receive frequent critiques on emerging game projects.

GAME 280A Games Proseminar

Students learn through guest speakers, design exercises, master classes, and interactive group activities. Students prepare through reading texts, playing games, and developing their own materials. Features visitors from small and large developers, game scholars, and those using games in general. Can be taken for Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory credit only.

GAME 280Y Games You Should Know

Examines games that produce novel experiences. Each session consists of game play and discussion of associated readings. Students learn to appreciate the range of possible game experiences, and understand key design ideas that enable those experiences.

GAME 290A Advanced Topics in Games

In-depth study of current topics in digital and non-digital games. Topics vary, but are expected to include virtual reality, augmented reality, novel game interfaces, advanced computer graphics techniques, advanced game-design techniques, advanced procedural content generation, and autonomous characters.