GAME 1303-2A1

Syllabus Checklist Snapshot

Approved: Initials/date Intro to Game Design (Game 1303) CREDIT 3 Semester Credit Hours (2 hours lecture, 4 hours lab) MODE OF INSTRUCTION Online PREREQUISITE/CO-REQUISITE: There are no Prerequisite/Co-requisites for this course. COURSE DESCRIPTION Introduction to electronic game development and game development careers. Includes examination of history and philosophy of games, the game production process, employee factors for success in the field, and current issues and practices in the game development industry. COURSE OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to • Identify and describe fundamental elements of game design, including mechanics, dynamics, aesthetics, and user experience. • Analyze existing games to evaluate how design choices affect gameplay, engagement, and player behavior. • Apply the iterative design process to develop and refine game concepts and prototypes. • Create basic game prototypes using industry-standard tools and techniques. • Develop clear and organized game design documentation that communicates concepts, rules, and mechanics effectively. • Demonstrate collaboration and communication skills within team-based design projects. • Reflect critically on the design process and incorporate feedback to improve game projects. INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION Instructor: Abhinav Kamatham Email: akmatham@lit.edu Office Phone: 409-257-0058 Office Location: TC-230 Office Hours: Via email or blackboard REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND MATERIALS • Available on the blackboard • Access to the Internet. ATTENDANCE POLICY There is not an attendance policy. However, Starfish will contact you if you do not log in once a week. DROP POLICY If you wish to drop a course, you are responsible for initiating and completing the drop process by the specified drop date as listed on the Academic Calendar. If you stop completing the assignments and fail to drop the course, you will earn an “F” in the course. STUDENT EXPECTED TIME REQUIREMENT For every hour in class (or unit of credit), students should expect to spend at least two to three hours per week studying and completing assignments. For a 3-credit-hour class, students should prepare to allocate approximately six to nine hours per week outside of class in a 16- week session OR approximately twelve to eighteen hours in an 8-week session. Online/Hybrid students should expect to spend at least as much time in this course as in the traditional, face-to-face class. COURSE CALENDAR DATE TOPIC ASSIGNMENTS/Quizzes (Due on this Date) Week 1 Introduction / Game Mechanics 6/9/2025 Week 2 Prototyping and Iteration 6/16/2025 Week 3 Making a Coherent Game 6/23/2025 Week 4 Digital Prototyping 6/30/2025 Week 5 Making a Usable Game / Final Project 7/07/2025 Final grades will be calculated according to the following criteria: • Assignments 40% • Final Project 60% GRADE SCALE • 90-100 A • 80-89 B • 70-79 C • 60-69 D • 0-59 F TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS The latest technical requirements, including hardware, compatible browsers, operating systems, etc. can be online at https://lit.edu/online-learning/online-learning-minimum-computer-requirements. A functional broadband internet connection, such as DSL, cable, or WiFi is necessary to maximize the use of online technology and resources. DISABILITIES STATEMENT The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are federal anti-discrimination statutes that provide comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. LIT provides reasonable accommodations as defined in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, to students with a diagnosed disability. The Special Populations Office is in the Eagles’ Nest Room 129 and helps foster a supportive and inclusive educational environment by maintaining partnerships with faculty and staff, as well as promoting awareness among all members of the Lamar Institute of Technology community. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Special Populations Coordinator at (409)-951-5708 or email specialpopulations@lit.edu. You may also visit the online resource at Special Populations - Lamar Institute of Technology (lit.edu). STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT STATEMENT It is the responsibility of all registered Lamar Institute of Technology students to access, read, understand and abide by all published policies, regulations, and procedures listed in the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook. The LIT Catalog and Student Handbook may be accessed at www.lit.edu. Please note that the online version of the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook supersedes all other versions of the same document. AI STATEMENT Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) recognizes the recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, have changed the landscape of many career disciplines and will impact many students in and out of the classroom. To prepare students for their selected careers, LIT desires to guide students in the ethical use of these technologies and incorporate AI into the classroom instruction and assignments appropriately. Appropriate use of these technologies is at the discretion of the instructor. Students are reminded that all submitted work must be their own original work unless otherwise specified. Students should contact their instructor with any questions as to the acceptable use of AI/ChatGPT in their courses. STARFISH LIT utilizes an early alert system called Starfish. Throughout the semester, you may receive emails from Starfish regarding your course grades, attendance, or academic performance. Faculty members record student attendance, raise flags and kudos to express concern or give praise, and you can make an appointment with faculty and staff all through the Starfish home page. You can also login to Blackboard or MyLIT and click on the Starfish link to view academic alerts and detailed information. It is the responsibility of the student to pay attention to these emails and information in Starfish and consider taking the recommended actions. Starfish is used to help you be a successful student at LIT. ADDITIONAL COURSE POLICIES/INFORMATION 1. Students should log onto Blackboard and access this course at least 3 times a week to keep on track with assignments. And do the assignments by each due date so it does not become overwhelming to catch up. 2. Cheating of any kind will not be tolerated. 3. Internet Usage – Students are expected to use proper net etiquette while participating in course emails, assignment submissions, and online discussions. 4. Students should turn assignments in by the posted due date and time. 5. If you wish to drop a course, the student is responsible for initiating and completing the drop process before the date stated in the LIT Academic Calendar. If you stop coming to class and fail to drop the course, you will earn an ‘F’ in the course. 6. Grades will be posted under the Grades icon on the class gradebook. All grades are automatically graded and posted. If you see a missing grade, please email me to call it to my attention so I can correct it after the initial 24 hours of completing the assignment. 7. If you need to contact the instructor, my LIT e-mail is akamatham@lit.edu. Your e-mail will be answered within 24 hours Monday – Thursday and within 72 hours Friday - Sunday. Be sure to include specific details and your section number, which chapter, assignment, and question you are working on. It is always extra helpful if you can include screenshots so I can see what you are referring to. 8. All assignments will be completed using the link in Blackboard. Assignments CANNOT be submitted via email. All due dates will be posted in Blackboard with each assignment. 9. ABSOLUTELY NO ASSIGNMENTS, EXAMS, PROJECTS OR TESTS WILL BE REOPENED. I strongly encourage you to complete all work well in advance of the Due Date, so you don’t miss anything. The entire course is available from day 1 for you to work as fast as you can. Once all the work is completed, you are through with the class. 10. It is not my practice to give Incompletes, except for extreme circumstances and you have successfully completed at least 90% of the course. Please see the chart below for important drop/withdrawal dates for this semester. This class is a Full-Term class.

Lecture and Discussion Topics

• Approved: Initials/date Intro to Game Design (Game 1303) CREDIT 3 Semester Credit Hours (2 hours lecture, 4 hours lab) MODE OF INSTRUCTION Online PREREQUISITE/CO-REQUISITE: There are no Prerequisite/Co-requisites for this course. COURSE DESCRIPTION Introduction to electronic game development and game development careers. Includes examination of history and philosophy of games, the game production process, employee factors for success in the field, and current issues and practices in the game development industry. COURSE OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to • Identify and describe fundamental elements of game design, including mechanics, dynamics, aesthetics, and user experience. • Analyze existing games to evaluate how design choices affect gameplay, engagement, and player behavior. • Apply the iterative design process to develop and refine game concepts and prototypes. • Create basic game prototypes using industry-standard tools and techniques. • Develop clear and organized game design documentation that communicates concepts, rules, and mechanics effectively. • Demonstrate collaboration and communication skills within team-based design projects. • Reflect critically on the design process and incorporate feedback to improve game projects. INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION Instructor: Abhinav Kamatham Email: akmatham@lit.edu Office Phone: 409-257-0058 Office Location: TC-230 Office Hours: Via email or blackboard
• REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND MATERIALS • Available on the blackboard • Access to the Internet. ATTENDANCE POLICY There is not an attendance policy. However, Starfish will contact you if you do not log in once a week. DROP POLICY If you wish to drop a course, you are responsible for initiating and completing the drop process by the specified drop date as listed on the Academic Calendar. If you stop completing the assignments and fail to drop the course, you will earn an “F” in the course. STUDENT EXPECTED TIME REQUIREMENT For every hour in class (or unit of credit), students should expect to spend at least two to three hours per week studying and completing assignments. For a 3-credit-hour class, students should prepare to allocate approximately six to nine hours per week outside of class in a 16- week session OR approximately twelve to eighteen hours in an 8-week session. Online/Hybrid students should expect to spend at least as much time in this course as in the traditional, face-to-face class. COURSE CALENDAR DATE TOPIC ASSIGNMENTS/Quizzes (Due on this Date) Week 1 Introduction / Game Mechanics 6/9/2025 Week 2 Prototyping and Iteration 6/16/2025 Week 3 Making a Coherent Game 6/23/2025 Week 4 Digital Prototyping 6/30/2025 Week 5 Making a Usable Game / Final Project 7/07/2025 Final grades will be calculated according to the following criteria: • Assignments 40% • Final Project 60% GRADE SCALE • 90-100 A • 80-89 B • 70-79 C
• • 60-69 D • 0-59 F TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS The latest technical requirements, including hardware, compatible browsers, operating systems, etc. can be online at https://lit.edu/online-learning/online-learning-minimum-computer-requirements. A functional broadband internet connection, such as DSL, cable, or WiFi is necessary to maximize the use of online technology and resources. DISABILITIES STATEMENT The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are federal anti-discrimination statutes that provide comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. LIT provides reasonable accommodations as defined in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, to students with a diagnosed disability. The Special Populations Office is in the Eagles’ Nest Room 129 and helps foster a supportive and inclusive educational environment by maintaining partnerships with faculty and staff, as well as promoting awareness among all members of the Lamar Institute of Technology community. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Special Populations Coordinator at (409)-951-5708 or email specialpopulations@lit.edu. You may also visit the online resource at Special Populations - Lamar Institute of Technology (lit.edu). STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT STATEMENT It is the responsibility of all registered Lamar Institute of Technology students to access, read, understand and abide by all published policies, regulations, and procedures listed in the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook. The LIT Catalog and Student Handbook may be accessed at www.lit.edu. Please note that the online version of the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook supersedes all other versions of the same document. AI STATEMENT Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) recognizes the recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, have changed the landscape of many career disciplines and will impact many students in and out of the classroom. To prepare students for their selected careers, LIT desires to guide students in the ethical use of these technologies and incorporate AI into the classroom instruction and assignments appropriately. Appropriate use of these technologies is at the discretion of the instructor. Students are reminded that all submitted work must be their own original work unless otherwise specified. Students should contact their instructor with any questions as to the acceptable use of AI/ChatGPT in their courses.
• STARFISH LIT utilizes an early alert system called Starfish. Throughout the semester, you may receive emails from Starfish regarding your course grades, attendance, or academic performance. Faculty members record student attendance, raise flags and kudos to express concern or give praise, and you can make an appointment with faculty and staff all through the Starfish home page. You can also login to Blackboard or MyLIT and click on the Starfish link to view academic alerts and detailed information. It is the responsibility of the student to pay attention to these emails and information in Starfish and consider taking the recommended actions. Starfish is used to help you be a successful student at LIT. ADDITIONAL COURSE POLICIES/INFORMATION 1. Students should log onto Blackboard and access this course at least 3 times a week to keep on track with assignments. And do the assignments by each due date so it does not become overwhelming to catch up. 2. Cheating of any kind will not be tolerated. 3. Internet Usage – Students are expected to use proper net etiquette while participating in course emails, assignment submissions, and online discussions. 4. Students should turn assignments in by the posted due date and time. 5. If you wish to drop a course, the student is responsible for initiating and completing the drop process before the date stated in the LIT Academic Calendar. If you stop coming to class and fail to drop the course, you will earn an ‘F’ in the course. 6. Grades will be posted under the Grades icon on the class gradebook. All grades are automatically graded and posted. If you see a missing grade, please email me to call it to my attention so I can correct it after the initial 24 hours of completing the assignment. 7. If you need to contact the instructor, my LIT e-mail is akamatham@lit.edu. Your e-mail will be answered within 24 hours Monday – Thursday and within 72 hours Friday - Sunday. Be sure to include specific details and your section number, which chapter, assignment, and question you are working on. It is always extra helpful if you can include screenshots so I can see what you are referring to. 8. All assignments will be completed using the link in Blackboard. Assignments CANNOT be submitted via email. All due dates will be posted in Blackboard with each assignment. 9. ABSOLUTELY NO ASSIGNMENTS, EXAMS, PROJECTS OR TESTS WILL BE REOPENED. I strongly encourage you to complete all work well in advance of the Due Date, so you don’t miss anything. The entire course is available from day 1 for you to work as fast as you can. Once all the work is completed, you are through with the class. 10. It is not my practice to give Incompletes, except for extreme circumstances and you have successfully completed at least 90% of the course. Please see the chart below for important drop/withdrawal dates for this semester. This class is a Full-Term class.