General provisions

The course is part of Master´s Programme in Transformative Game Design, 60 c

Entry requirements

A Bachelor's degree, equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen, from an internationally recognised university, and at least 3.5 credits from Introduction to Transformative Game Design. Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• Knowledge of the Field: Discuss topics, themes, and theories related to transformative analog game design from various approaches, focusing upon design processes, best practices, and common design tools.
• Game Play, Design, and Playtesting: Design, play, iterate, and critique transformative analog games that have specific growth-related goals, with an emphasis on framing activities such as workshops and debriefing
• Academic, Professional, and Reflective Writing: Compose written texts and other communication materials on transformative analog game design in various formats for distinct audiences with an emphasis on design and play experiences.

Content

This course is a practicum for designing and researching transformative role-playing games. Building on the work done in the course Introduction to Transformative Game Design, this advanced course includes additional tools for design, integrating best practices from educational live action role-playing (edu-larp), therapeutic role-playing, and leisure play communities. Students will also examine wider play contexts and dynamics such as: workshopping, debriefing, safety, and calibration. Students will play short games, analyze their design affordances, and discuss their potential as vehicles for personal and social growth. Students will create a new short game or expand on one of their previous designs based upon their own interests and professional training. Written assignments will integrate design research with a practical approach to game design.

Instruction

The course is delivered through asynchronous group discussions, lectures, and flexibly scheduled synchronous group meetings. Curricular materials may include some or all of the following: video recordings, research articles, popular texts, game design documents, etc. Students will create tangible role-playing game design projects (mainly within analog role-playing games), alone or in teams, play, and test their games. Students will show and critically discuss the results with their peers, the teacher, and other researchers/stakeholders where indicated. Feedback and guidance on writing will be provided throughout the course.

Assessment

The basis for assessment is the students' active participation in course-related activities, presenting regular progress of agreed-upon deliverables and adhering to deadlines. Moreover, the students should meet regularly with the teacher, following through on directions and conducting themselves professionally throughout the course. Deliverables include oral presentations and written assignrnents.

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University´s disability coordinator.

Other directives

The course replaces and overlaps the earlier course 5SD316, Transformative Game Design 1