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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Introduction to Game Design by California Institute of the Arts

4.7
stars
2,751 ratings

About the Course

Welcome! This course is an introduction to the primary concepts of gaming, and an exploration of how these basic concepts affect the way gamers interact with our games. In this course you will understand what defines a “game” and the mechanics and rules behind different types of games. Through four linked assignments you'll learn ways to create and describe a game concept, and specifically what makes a compelling game. This course focuses on the conceptual underpinnings of games, and all assignments can be completed with a pencil and paper – no previous programming knowledge is required....

Top reviews

TN

Apr 12, 2020

I really loved doing this course. Learnt how to make a simple game and make it really interesting! I loved how the easily the instructor was able to teach us and make us curious throughout the course.

DG

Feb 12, 2020

The lecture videos from Professor Fran and his old friend were surprisingly entertaining. Kudos to the team because they were able to make it fun, informative, and engaging throughout the four weeks.

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651 - 675 of 814 Reviews for Introduction to Game Design

By Oguz G

Apr 17, 2016

This course provides a nice insight into the gaming theory. Do not expect to make a dive into video game analysis. This game focuses on the fundamental ideas behind gaming, which includes all games. However, the assignments revolve around building board games, so you do not need to worry about not knowing any coding to make video games. Assignment criteria could use some polish, as the rubrics focus too much on mechanics (is it one page long?) rather than content elements. The delivery of the content is interesting. The instructor has gone to great lengths to bring in features that will help you focus better. There could be a better 100% integration between the material in the videos and the assignments, as sometimes you are asked to use only a tiny portion of 30 minutes of videos for the week, and that can make the videos less useful, or the assignment not as educational.

By Kumsal O

Oct 24, 2015

This course was interesting. It's truly an introduction to the field. I've actually read about Game Design in my spare time and it was nice to remember some of the concepts I've seen. It's all positive and good but I'd have liked to see the assignments handled a bit differently. It just felt too much one way, especially with one page rule. I do understand this is done to keep people organized and not going crazy with their ideas because since it's peer reviewed it should be fair. Also, once your game idea from an earlier week didn't have much room to introduce the aspect presented in the current week you feel kind of stuck. Although assignments mention we should build on previous weeks' games there is also mention to building a new game too. That part could be clarified or the nature of the exercise can be much more varied than one page requirement.

By Anne K

Nov 25, 2015

I really enjoyed this course! The videos were fun and informational, the assignments were enjoyable, and reviewing other student work was helpful. I also liked hearing from my fellow students and their ideas about my work and improvements I could make.

I would give the course five stars except for one thing - there was no one from the university to interact with. No one answered our questions on the forums, so questions went unanswered, ambiguities remained, and some issues grew as we progressed. Someone, even just a grad student or two, needs to be involved with the course in my opinion.

By Oleg L

Sep 17, 2018

The course is more of "teach yourself" variety - you're given brief advice, you're given the task, you're given one week to do it. Good for trying different ideas and improving your ability to see the idea through instead of leaving it hanging in your head. You also see others' ideas at peer review, and one can learn a great lot by noticing opportunities they missed themselves.

For those taking the course, I advise to make a new game each time rather than alter one idea you got at the very beginning over and over. You're learning _design_, not _polish_.

By Jordan L

Jan 24, 2016

This course is an excellent introduction into the world of game design. Fran Krause's teaching style is both engaging and fun. While the lectures are really short, and there's not really a whole lot of material, I found that I learned well through the doing the projects.

My only criticisms are that this course is a little too easy and a little too short. A good game increases it's difficulty as the levels progress. If you don't increase the difficulty, you take away from the reward. The same can be said about a good course.

By Shelley

Jun 24, 2021

It's a really well-designed course that is succint but imparts some useful knowledge. I am not a fan of the peer-reviewed assignments. The course seems slow - a few times I have logged in and there were no peer reviews to do. Also, your own game doesn't get reviewed very quickly either. You cannot complete the course unless someone reviews your work or you have reviewed a sufficient number of assignments so this is problematic and also a waste of time - constantly checking for someone to review.

By Agnieszka O

Dec 6, 2016

I'd give it a 5 if I was only rating the material- it was very informative and easily digestible. Just what you need for a starting course.

The assignment and scoring part of the course is what brings the rating down a notch. Relying solely on feedback from people who are probably beginners in the field and who go by one sentence instruction on what to feedback on was not always constructive. More guidance needs to be added to what to look out for when scoring somebody's work.

By amberlimshin

Nov 21, 2020

Really fun and engaging lessons that are short and achievable—fun teachers. I think the peer reviews are helpful—there is something to improve upon in my game every week from peer reviews and new lessons. I left out one star because I think the content could improve a bit. So far everything is very basic, I think some snippets of more interesting or deeper concepts could make this course more valuable beyond some common sense ideas that are taught.

By Sharifah N A

Apr 7, 2016

The module is overall great and gave me an intro on how game documents are developed, plus it made me start thinking like a game designer (I hope!)

My only complaint is that the homework is fairly restrictive (only one-page game per week, which means there's only so much you can do) but I do appreciate the fact that it simplifies things and if anything, it pushes you to be even more creative, beyond the typical "board game".

By Даша К

Jul 6, 2022

Я не получила достаточно профиссиональной информации, как хотела. Видео материалы не загружались, но блогодаря субтитрам я смогла выполнить задания, хотьи с некоторым дискомфортом. Я получала средние оценки без каких либо уточняющих коментариев. Люди просто писали "ок" или "всё хорошо". Думаю, если если поднять минимально необходимое количество символов для комментария, эта проблема может быть решена.

By tiziano c

Jul 20, 2020

VERY INTERESTING COURSE, NOW i KNOW MORE MANY THINGS ABOUT THE COURSE SUBJECT AND I'M REALLY SATISFIED WITH THE PREMISES,, SO I WILL GO ON WITH NEXT COURSE IN THIS SPEC.. HOWEVER THE HOMEWORK RATE SYSTEMS IS BIASED BY STUDENTS WHO SOMETIMES DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT IS REQUESTED TO THEM OR SIMPLY BYPASS THE REVIEW ASSIGNEMENT GIVING CASUAL JUDGEMENTS , JUST TO SETTLE IT AND PUT IT APART SWIFTLY

By Quinn W

Jun 12, 2017

Great course. Thank you so much. I especially loved the inclusion of the puppet and your comforting speaking style. To be honest, none of my other courses are nearly as fun. What I'd love to see is a sprinkling of conceptual theory in order to increase the value of the takeaway. But, overall, bravo(! seriously, bravo!), and I hope to take another one of your courses in the future.

By Steve C

Jun 30, 2019

This was my first class on Coursera. I really enjoyed the lessons and practice activities. The peer review process for grades is understandable but leaves the class vulnerable to evaluations by people who may or may not take the class as seriously as you would like. For someone who has played games for a long time, it was not a difficult class but still worth while.

By Kate

Jul 23, 2020

The course is extremely basic. It doesnt worth the cost I paid for it. Moreover, the peer tasks evaluation of the tasks is so useless. Most of the time I just got one word "ok" or "wow" or "good" so I didn't get really helpful feedback on my work. To improve the workflow give the feature to evaluate the task reviewer back! Very disappointed.

By Ritankar S

Aug 18, 2020

A quite fun and interactive course designed for the beginners out there who have a great passion for games but don't know how these are made. The video content is not something that is not already available on youtube but I think the peer reviews and helping my classmates with their games made me learn so much more than those videos.

By Benjamin B H

Jan 4, 2016

Very good course, though it is an introduction, I feel as though I already knew most of the subjects that were explained, however I did not know the impact that those could have on a game's value and how it helps the player engage in the game. The course was simple to follow and helped me know what to focus on when starting a game.

By Emmanuel L

Sep 11, 2021

nobody actually grades each other, everyone just does what they want and gives each other the max score so that they all pass. It's a very easy course but it seems like nobody really tried very hard. The instruction from the lesson videos was clear and very approachable for beginners. Good course just don't expect any real critiques

By Joanna W

Jul 6, 2020

A good introduction to the basics of game design including mechanics, balance and character creation. It is VERY brief, so don't expect to cover too much ground. The course covers paper-based (board game) design, so it does NOT teach how to make video games, but it does impart the necessary foundation to do so in future.

By Magali R

Feb 14, 2017

Very good introduction. In a light and friendly manner, we're given basics of game, I particularly remember balance, that I now keep in mind and look for in many aspects. I appreciated that no computer knowledge is needed, it's really about thinking what makes a good game. Comments from the peer reviews are helpful.

By Angela H

Oct 16, 2017

The course was great! I really enjoyed the instructor and his puppet. Grading suffered a bit from the peer review system, so maybe not make 100% of the course grade depend on peer feedback. Overall, you get what you put into the course. I put a lot of work into designing my games, and learned a lot in the process.

By Shrubin S

Oct 12, 2015

Starting third week now, and I'm sold on learning by doing.

The classes are great, very easy to maintain focus because of how much variety Fran Krause brings to his lectures.

The best part, in my opinion, is going through the games of other people out there because of so many diverse ideas they bring to the table.

By Ansh W

Jan 4, 2018

Frank is a little too plain while explaining things which makes it a little difficult to understand. A bit more expression and gestures while speaking would have made it easier. Otherwise, it is a very good course carrying amazing content and learning potential. Thanks a lot for this CalArts and Coursera!

By Matías R

Aug 29, 2020

The professor is funny and explains the concepts in a simple manner. The examples are great and I learned a lot. I had trouble with the assignment because it kept asking to add stuff each week, but still limiting to one page and my project was a little complex, so I had to resort to make everything tiny.

By Юлия Ф

Sep 20, 2021

This course is rather informative for beginners, it teaches students some basics of the Game Design. You are able to get information from the course, or while working on your own game, or while reviewing the games of other people. Unfortunately, the feedback from other students is not always useful.

By Alexandria J

Feb 17, 2022

The course itself was fantastic! I feel like a learned a lot, and it's a good basis for getting into the world of game design. My only complaint was the peer reviews took quite a while, resulting in late grades, and having to push the deadline further because I didn't get the peer reviews I needed.