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91003 PSYC-4962-01
92836 PSYC-4962-02
Game Mechanics
Tuesdays, Fridays 10:00AM - 11:50AM (Section 1)
Tuesdays, Fridays 12:00PM - 1:50PM (Section 2)
Sage 2510

Section 1 Instructor: Jesse Raymond
Email:

Section 2 Instructor: Benny Raymond
Email: bennyraymond@gmail.com

Course Description: This is a class in ludology - the study of games before the marketing team decided they should be more like movies. We will deal with games almost exclusively from the perspective of rules and system dynamics. Topics will include luck vs. skill, cooperation vs. competition, game balancing, and kinesiology. This class is not about graphics, sound, characters, or story.

Objective: To teach the proper analysis, criticism, design, prototyping and playtesting of games. We will primarily deal with classic and fundamental gaming media such as cards and dice, and then move into software scripting. Prior programming experience is useful, but not required.

Course Policies

Preparation and Attendance: This is a hands-on course. Attendance is mandatory, and participation will be a large factor of your grade. You will be constantly testing and tuning games, which will require your presence, and the ability to work with other people. The number one skill game designers need is communication. You will be allowed one unexcused absence, any others must be excused with a letter from the Dean of Students Office. Missing a class does not excuse you from any assignments given that day.

Academic Honesty: Student relationships are built on mutual respect and trust. Students must be able to trust that their teachers have made responsible decisions about the structure and content of the course and that they are conscientiously making their best effort to help students learn. Teachers must be able to trust that students do their work conscientiously and honestly making their best effort to learn. Acts that violate this mutual respect and trust undermine the educational process. They counteract our very reason for being here at Rensselaer and will not be tolerated. Any student who engages in any form of academic dishonesty will receive an F in this course and will be reported to the Dean of Students for further disciplinary action. The Rensselaer Handbook defines various forms of Academic Dishonesty and procedures for responding to them. All of these forms are violations of trust between students and teachers. Please familiarize yourself with this portion of the handbook.

Gender-fair language: Because the way we speak and write affects the way we think, everyone in this course is expected to use gender-fair language in all discussions and writing. A guide to gender-fair language is available from the Writing Center and from the Library.

Grading: You will be maintaining a design notebook throughout the semester, which will be graded periodically. Homeworks will consist of a number of design exercises and challenges, and there will be an individual final project which will be presented to the class during the final exam period.

Exercises will be taken from the following books:

"The Complete Wargames Handbook" - Jim Dunnigan
"Balance of Power" - Chris Crawford
"Game Design Workshop" - Tracy Fullerton
"A Gamut of Games" - Sid Sackson
"Dice Games Properly Explained" - Reiner Knizia
"Card Games Properly Explained" - Arnold Marks

Class Schedule (not cast in stone - schedule may vary depending on game availability)

Notebook Questions