University of Canberra Game Design Elective Major

University of Canberra Games Major (BM0047.1)

So, you're interested in making games? Good for you!

My name is Anna Tito and I'm a lecturer in games and digital at the University of Canberra (UC).

This year (2022) have launched the elective major in game design at UC. This page will break down the first couple of units for you for the full break down of the major requirements you can look at the page on the UC Website: Breadth Major in Game Design (BM0047.1)

The two first year units for this course are:

This page will give you the low down on these two courses and what you can expect


Introduction to Games Production

Introduction to Games Production is the first of the game design units. If you'd like some more information about the unit then read on below. Otherwise you can read the rather dry and boring official unit description on the UC Web Site.

So what's this unit about?

This unit is all about understanding how games are made. It's a practical hands-on unit where we use a tool called Unity to build some simple demos of game techniques. Each demo focuses on a different skill you need to make a game. By the end of the unit we'll get you to modify one of the demos to build a more fleshed-out unique game of your own.

I take a really wide view of what games are. Most people's initial thought about games is stereotypical - first person shooters, real-time strategy, competitive online, etc. In this unit I take a wide view of games. Everything from The Sims, Bitlife and Stardew Valley through interactive story games on to RPGs and Pokemon to platformers all fall within the remit of this unit. Some of the most creative and interesting games to have come out recently absolutely shatter gaming stereotypes.

Don't I have to be a computer whizz to do this stuff?

Not at all! In fact, this whole unit assumes you know absolutely nothing about computer programming or game development. If you'd asked me this question 10 years ago, I'd probably have said yes, you need quite a lot of technical knowledge to make a game. But these days we have some really great tools that anyone can learn to use if they're enthusiastic prepared to put some effort in.

One of the best things about this unit is that it's designed to be accessible to a wide audience. I'm personally very interested in how people from any background can learn how to make creative digital works using techniques that used to be limited to computer science.

Don't worry about this unit being too hard for you - instead, let me worry about making sure you're properly supported and that you have all the materials and contact you need to do well. All you have to do is show up and engage!

And absolutely don't worry if you don't think you're the right kind of person or that you won't fit in. This unit welcomes everyone, and especially women and people from diverse backgrounds who often bring fresh new insights and creative ideas.

Will I have to write an essay or do an exam?

No, and no. No essays in this unit. We get you to do a small research assignment at the beginning of the unit (week 4), but you'll submit that as a short video.

I don't like exams as an assessment tool - they're stressful and really just test your ability to do an exam. I understand they're pretty important in some professions, but for creative professionals like game designers, it's more about your ideas and execution than your memory.

This unit is all about learning through doing. At the end of the unit you'll be able to demonstrate all you have learned by showing me what you can do. And making games is a lot more fun than writing about them or doing exams about them!

What software do you use?

We will be using Unity in this unit. It's free for non-commercial use and there are thousands of online tutorials and forums that you can go to for extra information and help. Unity is also a fully-fledged game engine that has been used to build a number of independent professional titles.

We'll also be teaching you some basic C# (pronounces, c-sharp) programming. If you have done programming before and have been put off by it, do try it again! This is a design unit, so we approach learning code a little differently to more traditional information technology courses.

Can I do this unit online?

This unit is not designed as an online unit, but given the difficulty that some people may have with attending classes on campus in the current environment, the unit will support people who can't come to class as best we can. I still strongly encourage you to attend classes if you can, as being on campus is generally a better experience that sitting at home, and game development is more fun when shared with others!

If you're going to be doing this unit online, just let me know at the beginning of semester so that I can make sure all the online people are properly supported!


Introduction to Game Design

Introduction to Games Design is the second of the game design units (though you can easily do this one first if you join mid year). If you'd like some more information about the unit then read on below. Otherwise you can read the rather dry and boring official unit description on the UC Web Site.

So what's this unit about?

This unit is about teaching you the practicalities of and theory behind game designs. We look at things like why games are compelling, how reward systems work, what makes a game engaging and what makes it fall flat.

We step away from the computer for this course and look at pen and paper and board games. By stripping back the technical component we can really look at what makes the essence of a good game. With your class mates you will play games an iterate over rules, trying out a range of approaches to really look at what makes a game "fun".

Don't I have to be a computer whizz to do this stuff?

Not at all! This course is about the principles of game design which can be applied to a pen and paper, board game or digital games. Your most trusty tools in this course will be a pen and paper.

Will I have to write an essay or do an exam?

There are no essays or exams in this course. You will have to write a reflective journal, this journal is about engaging with and reflecting on the theoretical material we will be covering. You will also be designing games, writing rules and doing your own reflective analysis of these games explaining the choices you have made and why.

What software do you use?

None specifically, students are allowed to use whatever tools they wish to design their games this can be as simple as pen and paper or as complex as creating a digital version of the game.

Can I do this unit online?

This unit is not designed as an online unit, the need to play games together and iterate on them limits the ability for this course to run online.

If we have enough students interested in an online version, we may be able to run an online tutorial through canvas but it is not planned that way at this point in time.

Who runs these units?

This unit is run out of the Faculty of Arts and Design and is run in Canberra by Anna Tito. I have been working in games industry both in Australia and the USA for about 9 years, I am a games engineer by trade but have worked in a range of other areas on different projects depending on team and project size.

I really like my units to be fun and engaging. I like students to feel relaxed in my classes and I am not the kind of lecturer who fails people on technicalities. I encourage my students to come and talk to me whenever they want, and to discuss problems related to the unit so we can solve them. At the end of the day, what I really want is for everyone in my unit to have a good time and learn!

Where do I sign up?

If you'd like to enrol in either of these units, you'll need a free elective slot in your degree. If you're not sure if you do, speak with your Faculty's course advisors, or go visit student central. For information on how to find these people, see myUC course advice.

Once you know you're good to go, just enrol in the unit through myUC: log in, then go to the menu in the top left corner of myUC, click course > enrolment > unit enrolment and follow the advice there. In semester 1 the unit name is "Introduction to Games Production" and the unit code is 11683, in semester 2 the unit name is "Introduction to Game Design" and the unit code is 11689.

Why does this web page look like it's from the 1990s?

I dunno, the vapourwave aesthetic just appealed, and the retro look seemed appropriate. Hope you like the parallax star field scroller!