Game Design and Development 5: Capstone Project

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/game-design-and-development-5

Introduction

### Course Review: Game Design and Development 5: Capstone Project on Coursera If you're passionate about game design and development, the **Game Design and Development 5: Capstone Project** course on Coursera is an incredible opportunity to apply everything you've learned in a hands-on, creative way. This capstone experience serves not only as a culmination of your skills but also as a fantastic platform to showcase your original game idea from concept to a playable prototype. #### Overview In this course, you'll embark on a journey to design and create an original game. Throughout the course, you will have the chance to put your ideas in front of peers and receive feedback, which is invaluable for any game developer. One of the standout features of this course is the inclusion of guest speakers from some of the top companies in the game industry, including Riot Games, Blizzard Entertainment, Insomniac Games, and Gearbox. Their insights and experiences provide a window into the industry and offer inspiration and guidance as you take your first steps as a game developer. #### Syllabus Breakdown 1. **Milestone 1: Your Game Idea** - The capstone kicks off with the crucial task of coming up with a game idea. You'll develop a high concept and create a pitch that encapsulates your vision. This initial phase requires creativity and a solid understanding of what makes a game engaging. The emphasis on hard work prepares you for the challenges ahead, ensuring you’re mentally prepared for the effort involved in game development. 2. **Milestone 2: Early Prototype, Blueprint, and Progress Report** - At this stage, you’ll convert your game idea into a tangible prototype. Whether digital or non-digital, the goal is to start testing core gameplay mechanics and systems. The requirement to create "Design Blueprints" enhances your design documentation skills, fostering a professional approach to game development. A progress report ensures accountability and keeps you on track. 3. **Milestone 3: First Playable and Fun Test** - The course intensifies as you transition to using Unity to create your first playable version. This milestone might be the most challenging, but it’s where the magic happens. Playtesting becomes essential for identifying what works and what doesn’t; it’s a crucial step in the iterative design process. The focus on "finding the fun" is especially crucial, as it aligns with the user experience that is key to successful games. 4. **Finishing Up** - Finally, you will submit your first playable prototype for peer review, which is an exciting moment! The feedback from peers adds an extra layer of depth to your project. You’ll also get advice on future steps for promising projects and insights from industry professionals through guest lectures, illuminating possible career paths and opportunities in the game development industry. #### Why You Should Take This Course - **Practical Experience**: The course is designed to give you hands-on experience. By the end, you’ll have a completed game prototype, a robust skill set, and insights directly applicable to real-world game development. - **Networking Opportunities**: Interacting with peers and industry professionals builds your network, which can be advantageous when seeking opportunities in the gaming field. - **Diverse Learning**: The mixture of theoretical knowledge and practical application helps solidify your understanding of game design and development, making you a well-rounded developer. - **Career Insights**: With guest lectures from established professionals, you can gain unique perspectives on the industry, including what employers look for and the challenges they face. #### Conclusion The **Game Design and Development 5: Capstone Project** course is a comprehensive, engaging, and challenging experience for anyone serious about breaking into the game development industry. Whether you are transitioning from a hobby to a career or are looking to enhance your design skills, this capstone is a vital stepping stone. I highly recommend this course for its robust curriculum, industry insights, and the invaluable experience of bringing your game idea to life. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to create something uniquely yours!

Syllabus

Milestone 1: Your Game Idea

Welcome to the Game Design and Development Capstone. In this module I will give you a little bit of a sense of what to expect over the coming weeks. I am going to be honest with you though, this is going to be a fair amount of work. As you have learned, making games takes time and effort. And the goal of the Capstone is to prove that you have the knowledge, skills, and attitude to make games. So, get ready to flex those game design and development muscles that you have developed across the specialization. The first thing you need to do is come up with a game idea and then flesh it out into a high concept and pitch.

Now you have to start the process of making your game a reality through early prototyping. No matter how you do this, either as a non-digital prototype or a digital prototype, you need to start building and testing some of your core gameplay systems and mechanics. Along the way, it is helpful to further document your design by creating "Design Blueprints". The result of this module is an early progress report to make sure you are on track.

The next step is the hardest one. It is time to fire up Unity and start game dev'ing. The goal is to build the first playable version of the game. With the first playable you are able to truly playtest and iterate on the game to "find the fun." Good luck.

You are almost to the finish line! In this module, you finish up and submit your first playable prototype for peer review. I will also discuss what would be the next steps for your project if it shows promise, in the "Preparing to Ship" lecture. I also included several "Career Journey and Advice" guest lectures. Watch as many of these as you like. And last, but not least, I will close out the course and specialization by discussing your possible "Future Directions" after this course.