The Capstone project is a place for you to develop your game idea into a fully-fleshed proposal. A game design document is your game bible, the go-to document that defines the genre of your game, its look and feel, and the evolution of gameplay. This four-part capstone project guides you to distill and improve the foundational aspects of your game so that you may express your ideas in a clear and productive way. Note: Only learners who have earned a certificate in the four previous courses in the Specialization are eligible to take the Capstone.
This course is part of the Game Design: Art and Concepts Specialization
Game Design Document: Define the Art & Concepts
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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
13 hours to complete
Week 1: Ideation
Welcome! In this first week we’ll lay out the structure of the course, and what milestones you will have to meet each week. At the end of this week is your first assignment: presenting your preliminary game idea to your peers.
4 videos (Total 11 min), 11 readings, 1 quiz
11 readings
Course Structure5m
Course Milestones (Assignments)2m
Academic Integrity2m
GDD vs. Pitch8m
Final Project Examples10m
Assembling Your Research8m
Understanding Your Market3m
List of Genres5m
Recommendations for peer review (Week 1)10m
The Traditional Game Development Workflow8m
Creating a Production Plan8m
Week
23 hours to complete
Week 2: Prototyping and Playtesting
In Week 2 we’ll take a look at several different ways of making a prototype (some of which you’ve seen before) and play testing. Before the end of the week you'll be making and presenting a prototype of your game, using the tool of your choice.
1 video (Total 3 min), 11 readings, 1 quiz
1 video
11 readings
About Prototyping Tools1m
3D Game Engines5m
2D Game Engines5m
Simple Game Engines5m
Mod Kits5m
Board and Card Games8m
Storyboarding8m
Flowcharts8m
Other Methods5m
Playtesting and Data Gathering8m
Playtesting Checklist5m
Week
32 hours to complete
Week 3: Prototyping and Playtesting continued
In Week 3 you'll continue refining your prototype.
1 reading, 1 quiz
1 reading
About refining your prototype10m
Week
43 hours to complete
Week 4: Visualization
In Week 4 you will start concretizing the look and feel of your game with visuals and other descriptive materials.
2 videos (Total 20 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
2 readings
The Experience8m
Building a Team8m
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22 Reviews50%
started a new career after completing these courses
38%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
Top reviews from Game Design Document: Define the Art & Concepts
Very hands on and creative. Pushed my ideas to the paper and to develop further and better than I would ever without guidance. Thank you so much.
I really liked the way this course was designed. It helped me revise some forgotten concepts when I was studying.
Instructors
Dariush Derakhshani
Faculty, Character AnimationSchool of Film/Video
Théotime Vaillant
Instructor, Experimental AnimationSchool of Film/Video
About California Institute of the Arts
CalArts has earned an international reputation as the leading college of the visual and performing arts in the United States. Offering rigorous undergraduate and graduate degree programs through six schools—Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music, and Theater—CalArts has championed creative excellence, critical reflection, and the development of new forms and expressions.
About the Game Design: Art and Concepts Specialization
Stemming from the principles of storytelling and design established in CalArts’ renowned Animation programs, this Specialization lays a primary foundation for experimentation and exploration of video game design, story, character development, and winning gameplay before programming begins. These four courses emphasize the self-reliance and personal expression of the gaming artist, and encourage you to take conceptual risks and develop new modes of expression and form through gaming. In the final Capstone Project, you’ll put your creative skills to work by generating an engaging game design document for a personal game project, outlining the conceptual, narrative and aesthetic elements of your game.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
Is financial aid available?
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