During this inspiring week long workshop, game design researchers and practitioners Jussi Holopainen (Nokia, Finland) and Dr. Staffan Björk (Chalmers University, Sweden) present a groundbreaking and effective model to support the design, analysis, and comparison of games through the use of game design patterns, inspired by Christopher Alexander's pattern language. Hence, game design patterns can be defined as descriptions of reoccurring interaction relevant to game play. The model consists of a framework to describe the invariant components of games, and patterns of interaction that describe how components are used by the players (or a computer) to affect various aspects of gameplay. Holopainen and Björk will present a selection of core game design patterns in detail.

In effect and over the course, students learn how to analyze and design games using the patterns and the framework. Through this, they enhance their knowledge about play spaces, and entertainment architectures.

METHODS

This seminarwoche consists of a series of lectures interleaved with concrete exercises where the students will put the theoretical models into real use. In the last exercise, students eventually use the component framework and the core patterns to design a playable prototype game using simple materials such as buttons and playing cards.