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Game Design Document

Define the Art & Concepts

The Capstone project is a place for you to develop your game idea into a fully-fleshed proposal. A game design document is your game bible, the go-to document that defines the genre of your game, its look and feel, and the evolution of gameplay. This four-part capstone project guides you to distill and improve the foundational aspects of your game so that you may express your ideas in a clear and productive way.

Note: Only learners who have earned a certificate in the four previous courses in the Specialization are eligible to take the Capstone.

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What's inside

Syllabus

Week 1: Ideation

Welcome! In this first week we’ll lay out the structure of the course, and what milestones you will have to meet each week. At the end of this week is your first assignment: presenting your preliminary game idea to your peers.

Week 2: Prototyping and Playtesting

In Week 2 we’ll take a look at several different ways of making a prototype (some of which you’ve seen before) and play testing. Before the end of the week you'll be making and presenting a prototype of your game, using the tool of your choice.

Week 3: Prototyping and Playtesting continued

In Week 3 you'll continue refining your prototype.

Week 4: Visualization

In Week 4 you will start concretizing the look and feel of your game with visuals and other descriptive materials.

Week 5: Visualization continued

Week 5 is a continuation of the last: refine your visual materials and upload them for one last pass.

Week 6: Presentation

Your finished, polished game design document is submitted for final review. Check out the bonus material later this week as well. Good luck!

Week 7: Final Review

The final week. We will be wrapping things up this week and reviewing our final projects.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Provides a strong foundation for beginners seeking to develop game proposals

Requires having taken earlier courses in the series, which can be limiting for learners who may want to take this course alone

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Reviews summary

Document gameplay concepts

Learners say this capstone project is a nice way to wrap up a course on game design fundamentals. It helps one document game design concepts from narrative to world building and character creation. Peer review is a good way to get feedback on one's progress.

Experts provide insights on game design

"The guest lectures are very well placed and provide a sense of understanding from experts"

"It gives a sense of how to effectively document things right from conceptualization to visualization to creating environments/characters to deciding on gameplay mechanics and beyond"

"As I've finally completed the whole specialization, I can say it got me started on my very own game design document"

Helpful to get feedback on your work

"The peer review in this course was fundamental to achieve my goals"

"If you're speeding up a little, Peer reviews for the non-graded weeks are usually late"

"Half the students in this class are turning in assignments that have nothing to do with the course"

Helps you write a game design document

"It gives a sense of how to effectively document things"

"This course would definitely help in making GDD stronger with great resources and references"

"This course moves and pushes towards making each part of GDD separately"

End course project

"this capstone project is a nice way to wrap up a course on game design fundamentals"

"This capstone project is great for making a fully furnished GDD"

"If you took part in the Specialization, this last course was a great way to put together all the things learned"

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Game Design Document: Define the Art & Concepts with these activities:

Review basic programming constructs

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Refresh your understanding of fundamental programming constructs to strengthen your foundation for this game design course.

Browse courses on Programming

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Review variables, loops, and functions.
Practice writing simple programs.

Review 'The Art of Game Design' by Jesse Schell

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Gain insights into industry best practices and fundamental game design principles by reading and analyzing the seminal work by Jesse Schell.

View The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses, Third... on Amazon

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Read the book thoroughly.
Take notes and summarize key concepts.

Participate in peer review sessions

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Engage with fellow learners to provide feedback, critique, and collaborate on game design ideas, enhancing your understanding and perspectives.

Browse courses on Peer Review

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Join or form a peer review group.
Present your game design ideas.
Provide and receive constructive feedback.

Three other activities

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Create a prototype of your game idea

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Put your game design ideas into practice by creating a playable prototype to test and refine your concepts.

Browse courses on Game Prototyping

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Identify the core gameplay mechanics.
Determine the necessary assets and resources.
Choose a suitable game engine or development tool.
Build the prototype with basic functionality.

Create a visual representation of your game's world

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Enhance your game design by creating visual representations of your game's world, bringing the environment and characters to life and solidifying your design choices.

Browse courses on Visual Representation

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Determine the aesthetic and visual style of your game.
Create concept art or sketches of your game's environment and characters.
Consider using 3D modeling or other tools to visualize your game's world.

Mentor junior game designers

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Reinforce your understanding and develop your communication skills by mentoring junior game designers, providing guidance and support to enhance their learning journey.

Browse courses on Mentoring

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Identify opportunities to mentor.
Prepare materials and resources.
Establish clear communication channels.

Career center

Learners who complete Game Design Document: Define the Art & Concepts will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Game Designer

A Game Designer creates the overall design of a game, including the gameplay, story, and characters. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of game design, as well as in developing the skills necessary to create a cohesive and engaging game experience.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Designer

Game Programmer

A Game Programmer creates the code that makes a game work. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of programming, as well as in developing the skills necessary to create a playable and enjoyable game.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Programmer

Technical Artist

A Technical Artist creates the 3D models, textures, and other visual assets that are used in games. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of 3D modeling and texturing, as well as in developing the skills necessary to create visually appealing and technically sound assets.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Artist

Concept Artist

A Concept Artist creates visual concepts for games, including characters, environments, and props. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of art and design, as well as in developing the skills necessary to create visually appealing concepts.

See salaries and explore the career path for Concept Artist

Level Designer

A Level Designer creates the environments and levels in which a game takes place. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of level design, as well as in developing the skills necessary to create immersive and engaging game environments.

See salaries and explore the career path for Level Designer

Art Director

An Art Director oversees the visual aspects of a project, ensuring that the art style is consistent and visually appealing. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of art and design, which can be applied to the creation of visual assets for games.

See salaries and explore the career path for Art Director

Game Producer

A Game Producer oversees the development and production of a game, ensuring that the project is completed on time and within budget. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of project management, as well as in developing the skills necessary to manage a team of developers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Producer

Graphic designer

A Graphic Designer creates visual content for a variety of purposes, including marketing, advertising, and branding. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of art and design, as well as in developing the skills necessary to create visually appealing graphics.

See salaries and explore the career path for Graphic designer

Motion Graphics Artist

A Motion Graphics Artist creates visual content that is animated, such as for videos, commercials, and websites. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of art and design, as well as in developing the skills necessary to create visually appealing and engaging motion graphics.

See salaries and explore the career path for Motion Graphics Artist

Multimedia Artist

A Multimedia Artist creates visual content that combines a variety of media, such as images, videos, and sound. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of art and design, as well as in developing the skills necessary to create visually appealing and engaging multimedia content.

See salaries and explore the career path for Multimedia Artist

Illustrator

An Illustrator creates visual content for a variety of purposes, including books, magazines, and websites. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of art and design, as well as in developing the skills necessary to create visually appealing illustrations.

See salaries and explore the career path for Illustrator

UI/UX Designer

A UI/UX Designer creates the user interface and user experience for websites, apps, and other digital products. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of user interface design, as well as in developing the skills necessary to create user-friendly and visually appealing interfaces.

See salaries and explore the career path for UI/UX Designer

Product Designer

A Product Designer creates the physical or digital products that people use, such as cars, furniture, and websites. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of design, as well as in developing the skills necessary to create user-friendly and visually appealing products.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Designer

Web Designer

A Web Designer creates the design and layout of websites. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of web design, as well as in developing the skills necessary to create visually appealing and user-friendly websites.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Designer

Visual Effects Artist

A Visual Effects Artist creates visual effects for film, television, and video games. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of visual effects, as well as in developing the skills necessary to create realistic and visually appealing effects.

See salaries and explore the career path for Visual Effects Artist

Reading list

We've selected 13 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Game Design Document: Define the Art & Concepts.

Game Design Workshop

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Provides a comprehensive overview of game design, with a focus on the playcentric approach. It covers the entire game development process, from concept to production, and includes exercises and case studies to help you learn the material.

Game Design Document

Define the Art & Concepts

What's inside

Syllabus

Good to know

Save this course

Reviews summary

Document gameplay concepts

Activities

Career center

Reading list

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