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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Introduction to Game Design by California Institute of the Arts

4.7
stars
2,751 ratings

About the Course

Welcome! This course is an introduction to the primary concepts of gaming, and an exploration of how these basic concepts affect the way gamers interact with our games. In this course you will understand what defines a “game” and the mechanics and rules behind different types of games. Through four linked assignments you'll learn ways to create and describe a game concept, and specifically what makes a compelling game. This course focuses on the conceptual underpinnings of games, and all assignments can be completed with a pencil and paper – no previous programming knowledge is required....

Top reviews

TN

Apr 12, 2020

I really loved doing this course. Learnt how to make a simple game and make it really interesting! I loved how the easily the instructor was able to teach us and make us curious throughout the course.

DG

Feb 12, 2020

The lecture videos from Professor Fran and his old friend were surprisingly entertaining. Kudos to the team because they were able to make it fun, informative, and engaging throughout the four weeks.

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101 - 125 of 814 Reviews for Introduction to Game Design

By Болтышев М Г

Jun 7, 2021

I liked the course very much, an important part of the course was the opportunity to create your own game and share with other players. With each video, the game got better and more interesting. Thanks to the creators of the course.

By Juan R

Nov 26, 2022

I actually loved this course. Everything was well done, and the helper was very funny. It was also good for helping the blind as it didn't needed to be with pictures although course materials could have them for course asignments.

By Alexander G

Feb 13, 2016

Very good course. Learned new information that proved to be useful regarding game design and also designed a board game to play with colleagues at the office. If you want to learn game design this is a great and easy way to start.

By coke

Nov 22, 2021

I really love this course. I really liked the way the teacher taught and the doll that seemed to think. The only disadvantage of the course is that it is too short. I really want to learn more about game design from the teacher.

By Molly H

Jun 21, 2020

I like the homework part very much, which makes me constantly recall what I have learned in the course. Besides, every homework is a good experience for me, I spend a lot of time on it, and I pay great attention to it every time.

By Diego G

Jun 1, 2020

It was a really fun and educational experience. Improving the game from the simplest possible one player game to a narrative driven multiplayer experience week by week gave a lot of insight and practical challenges to learn from.

By Xavier E

Apr 2, 2020

Brilliant course ! It goes straight to the point, and the videos are super fun ! I've progressed a lot in my game design comprehension ! Thanks "Calarts" and HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE thanks to Fran Krause for this wonderful course !

By Samuel S

Nov 8, 2015

Great introductory course! Everything is very well explained and you really feel how your project develops through the week. I expected it to be a bit more technical and less theoretical, but everything is still very well made

By chanukya m

Mar 11, 2022

Great begginning to the story design games.i am midlle of this specialisation.concepts in this course really connect in later courses.Sucha a detailed game design program for begginers to start it really help to get you going

By Miguel A P S

Feb 9, 2021

This course was incredibly educational and fun!! The assignments were simple yet made you think how you could improve your games in every way. I really hope whoever joins this course has as much fun as i did while learning :)

By Varun N

Jun 13, 2020

The short, brief videos that explain the basics of game design in a very informative and humorous way made this course an absolute joy to learn. The fun assignments and extremely supportive peers made the course even better.

By Sarah P

Sep 26, 2015

I have been really enjoying this course! The professor is engaging in the videos and he explains things well. I also really like the assignments and the games are fun to make and review. I am learning a lot from this course!

By Ульяна М

Apr 19, 2020

Это было полезно и познавательно. Подача материала очень простая, но при этом я узнала много новых вещей о геймдизайне. Программирование в курсе не нужно! Вы просто знакомитесь с азами создания механики игры, ее нарратива.

By Coşkun D M

Aug 9, 2022

It was very fun to come up with ideas to create game design papers to giving my ideas I learned to limit it which is a good thing because Ideas might become overwhelming and make your design not so coherent. I loved it!!!

By Nabila N

Apr 19, 2023

Excellent course and I managed to come up with 4 new tabletop print & play games which I've uploaded on my itch page. I wish we could report some peer reviewers who seem intent on gaming the system for unclear reasons.

By Oya B

Jun 21, 2022

The instructor clearly loves his job, the back-and-forth between the instructor and the puppet made it easier to follow the lesson, very entertaining and enlightening. The assignments were fun as well, I learned a lot.

By Adrianna ( S

Jul 9, 2022

Fran (and his furry friend!) make this course engaging and fun to watch. They cover lots of aspects of game design in a thoughtful and multilayered way. I could definitely have done more than 4 weeks' worth of class!

By Aripov L

Sep 10, 2016

Only just pass, but I was very interested in since the first week! Fun and cute teacher and his puppet assistant! Everything taught is easy, with the mind and can quite understand even to those who don't know English.

By Sajin A

Sep 1, 2023

Really a good foundation for the fundamentals of game design. I loved how the assignments started with basic building blocks, and gradually in increments the mentor helped in evolving those ideas into better designs.

By Kaoê F P R P

Jun 9, 2021

This course is very good, an excellent start for those who are looking to start learning about game development, the teacher explains the points of the course in an easy to understand way. I really loved the course.

By Mohamed K E H

Mar 15, 2021

This course is a good introduction to game design, and doing the assignments with my fellow peers is nice, we give each other feedback on our progress and the weekly assignment pushes us to make some creative stuff.

By Sofia A M

Nov 16, 2016

The course is incredibly well done, the video lessons are great, the teacher is very good and the students are participative. The only thing that got a bit behind was a deepening, although the tasks were laborious.

By Daniel J C

Dec 3, 2015

I enjoyed the teacher. He made the class interesting. He introduced interesting concepts and made them enjoyable for the class. The class made me dabble in art which something I wish I could do more. Thank you!

By Thomas D

Oct 9, 2015

Good course, gets you thinking about the important things in Games - why we play them in the first place. Great teacher - mad as a hat! Kept things jovial and fun with good explanations in a professional course

By Xin P

Jan 3, 2016

Interesting course! Game design is a pretty important idea for my major and this course give me further insights into the topic and I get to know more about how to design a better game for my target audience!