GAMES STUDIES - EXERCISE 1: MY FAVOURITE VIDEO GAME

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22.09.25 - 07.10.25 (Week 1 - Week 3) 
Michelle (0373843)
Games Studies / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
Exercise 1: My Most Favourite Video Game & What Makes This Game Playful
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Lectures

Week 1
Lecture 01 - Principals of Game Design
Game design breakdown human reaction with media - combineing creativity, technicality, and psychology.

Core Principles
1. Player EX
  • Games are emotional journeys (immersed).
  • User-centered, depends on target audience & playstyle preferences.
  • Flow state = Feeling locked in, "in the zone" mode.

Figure 1.1 Playful Experience Framework

2. Gameplay Mechanics - what's the main purpose of interaction?
  • Primary - core actions.
  • Secondary - enhance gameplay.
  • Feedback Loops - how to determines the winner/loser (positive - rewards, negative - penalties).
3. Storytelling: narrative
A game can have a set up story or allow people to imagine their own stories.
  • Player - ownership to influence story.
  • Environmental - world-design, visuals, settings.
  • Arcs - conflict, climax, resolution.
4. Balance & Challenge: increase of challenge
  • Difficulty curve: Overtime increase in difficulty (from told what to do > figure out yourself) - the higher level, the more challenge.
  • Skill vs Luck: from poor to rich, winning to losing.
  • Player progression - rewarding progress, growth, and achievements.
Enhance & Refine
5. Feedback (feeling when playing) & Iteration (continuous playing)
  • Play-testing - identify areas that needs improvement/adjustment.
  • Feedback loops - difficulty level (too high/low), storyline (flat/too complex).
  • Fine tuning experience - balance game composition to make sure polishness.
6. Immersion and Worldbuilding - more in games development
Deepen context and connection to the world.

Challenges
  • Over complication
  • Failure to adapt
  • Monetization vs. Player Experience

Week 2
Lecture 02 - Balancing Fun & Educational Elements in Game Design
  • Game - naturally needs to be fun, inherently look, feel, smell fun (emotionally satisfying).
  • Through engaging mechanics & rewarding challenges.
  • Usually from discovery, competition, achievement.
Educational component - can be simple knowledge acquisiton, 
Learner - designer - but think as player

Challenges:
Gamifying education without making fun a secondary.
Too difficult to understand.

Strategies:
  • Learning through play - conscious strategic decision making. 
  • Layered learning - unlock learning as game progress.
  • Game Mechnics as educational tools - seemless integration - problem solving, puzzles, etc.
  • Storytelling with purpose
Try to include more unknown information/knowledge

To Avoid:
  • Edutainment Fatigue - don't make education obvious, not forced.
  • Over-Instructions - gradually, simple concepts in the beginning harder as time goes.
  • Player Motivation (intrinsic) curiosity, exploration, achievement & Rewards Gameplay. Mechanics (Extrinsic) - points, levels, badges.
memorable experience

Week 3
!

Exercise 

Brainstorm session about group project, make whatsapp group

w3 - find game cafes, exposed with a whole bunch of games, understand how to play
w6 - revision, adjustments
w7 - new players
w8 - game components finalized
w11/12 - playtest beta

Table Top Games - Understanding User Experience
Playing game - goal to have fun (feel happy after)
Game Skeleton (Framework) - Regulation, Games Mechanics (Minimal Design)
Look for games that were once popular but lose its popularity (adapt) - research to make sure game hasn't been invented
Keep the game simple, no complicated rules
Maintain player's interest, (fun feeling) only last for 20-40 minutes, after negative feelings starts to arise.
Target audience - people of our age (what they want
Information delivery
Game testing -

GenAI only for research, process

Report Writting (exercises 20%)
what I like
how re-media-ting affect UX (tabletop to digital/screen) 

Group 60%
ideation
propposal
test run
presentation

10% e-port
10% peer assestment


Exercise 1
Video game/Table top Game really liked, to go back to
Why locked in state?
what makes us like certain games?
How can we improve
Be smart in prompting AI -> to not get general info, but more unique
utilize technology, cuts down time to find what we need - latest research paper?
discover something we might overlook 
critical thinking, rational thinking - don't repeat things, don't copy pasta!

Indonesian culture - bring people together (socials)

Feedbacks

Week 1
together 

Week 2
Do research on a 
Can implement theories to other projects.
Petrosains - exhibition require user interactivity that goes beyond the screen.

Week 3
!

Reflection

Experience
!

Observation
!

Findings
!

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