Game Arts is a student’s introduction to the historical, aesthetic, conceptual, and technical dimensions of game making within the primary mediums, genres, and forms. In this course students learn an introductory foundation in game design, game development, and game production, while exploring a multiplicity of game forms, from social, to tabletop, to game animation.  As a class, we will engage with gaming history, game-making principles, and theories of play while being introduced to the technological tools of digital and analog game design and development, including a first introduction to the program and industry standard digital game design engine, preparing students for intermediate coursework in the major.Games are a universal form of human expression shared across epochs and cultures. Games are at once ancient, pre-dating civilization itself, yet also the preeminent entertainment medium of the new millennium. Today, gaming is a fertile landscape to be explored by visual artists and makers. This course is your introduction to this dynamic creative medium. Many like to play games, but fewer know how to make effective, fun, and impactful games. In this course students will learn the basics of game design, game development, and game production, while exploring a multiplicity of game forms, from social, to tabletop, to game animation. As a class, we will engage with gaming history, game-making principles, and theories of play. We will investigate many game genres with an eye towards making our own games, both digital and analog, including: animated video games, roleplaying games, sports and physical games, board and card games, art and experimental games, installation and site based games, virtual and augmented reality games, and social games. We will learn the elements shared across game genres, while illuminating the unique qualities and challenges of making with each game type. No prior knowledge of programming is required, as basic programming skills will be learned in class. Students will also use Twine and Unity Playground, two Mac applications that allow non-programmers to build digital games. “Game Arts 1" serves as the introductory course for students interested in the new Game Arts major, though it is open to all students who meet the prerequisites.

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