MW 3:55 - 5:10 Franklin 310

Professor: Edward Castronova // Contact: castro@iu.edu // Office: 030A Franklin Hall // Office Hours: MW 2:00 - 3:00

This is a course in board game design. Students will work on their own individual projects during the semester, leading to a finished board game by the end. The instructor will give lectures on the process and method of board game development, focusing on practical questions such as, how to publish a game, how to make a prototype, how to test the game's systems. Each student game will be playtested in the class. By the end of the class, students will have their own board game, that they can play with friends and family, or use professionally in contexts like education and business strategy. No prior experience necessary - just a willingness to create something new.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

1. Understand and apply basic design principles for the board and tabletop game medium. 

2. Know the different mechanics of board games, and understand how to design worker placement mechanics. 

3. Know and carry out the design cycle for a game, from idea to prototype to playtests to final product.

4. Gain experience presenting design ideas to an audience. 

5. Know practical techniques for crafting and sourcing materials for prototypes: markers, boards, boxes, play money, pawns, etc.

Teaching Method

Class time will be used for instructor demonstrations of board game design practices; playtesting; and guest speakers. 

Materials

Required

• Students are expected to find their own materials for their games, including a reasonably appropriate box.
• The instructor will teach methods for making cheap prototype elements.  

Grades

Attendance: 10%
Milestones: 40%
Presentation 10%
Final Project: 40%

Attendance: 6 ABSENCES = FAIL
Attendance is mandatory. The roll is called at the start of class. Students who are late are counted as absent.

Each student has TWO free absences. Do not contact the professor regarding your first two absences. Only contact the professor if you are on your THIRD absence or more.

Beginning with Absence Three, each absence reduces the attendance grade by 25%.

A student whose Attendance grade falls to zero automatically fails the course. These means that a student with SIX absences total, including the two free ones, fails the course.

Final Project
As a final project, each student will design a new board game. It will be graded according to the rubric given in the assignment. 

Presentation
The student will prepare a 10-minute presentation on the game, to be given in a specific slot in the last weeks of the semester. This will be graded by a rubric given in the assignment. These are individual presentations, but they go in group order: Group 1 goes first, Group 2 next, and so forth. Within groups, the presentation order is alphabetical. See the calendar for your presentation day. 

Milestones
There are several steps along the way from idea to game. Each one will be a required assignment, graded with its own rubric. See the assignments for details. Milestones may be graded Unacceptable. If a milestone is graded Unacceptable, and has been submitted on time, it can be resubmitted any number of times within the next seven days. Milestones handed in late, however, cannot be resubmitted and are graded without comment. They may also be subjected to a grade penalty, see below.

General Policies

Grading Philosophy
Generally, assessments are based on a comparison between the submitted work and the typical work of previous IU classes, covering more than 20 years of teaching and several thousand students. 

Emergencies
Class attendance and completion of assignments will only be waived in case of legitimate emergencies or serious extenuating circumstances. Minor problems such as a late bus or a brief illness are covered by the blanket policy of two free absences. If you fall into a serious illness or experience a major disruption due to events beyond your control, contact the professor immediately. Failure to inform the professor in a timely fashion can result in a failing grade due to unexcused absence. 

Late Work and Make-Ups
Unless otherwise specified elsewhere in this syllabus, work that is late loses one full grade for each day or fraction of a day past the deadline. The professor may waive this policy for certain assignments and students, depending on circumstances.

Make-ups are only available in extraordinary circumstances and must be scheduled within 48 hours of the missed test or assignment. 

Assignment Length
An assignment with minimum length will lose one full grade for every base unit or fraction of a unit below the requirement. For written assignments, the base unit is 100 words. For timed assignments, the base unit is one minute. 

Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence is not permitted in this class.

Flights
No accommodation will be made for flights scheduled during the official semester time period, including exam week.

Academic Integrity
Students are expected to follow the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct. Sanctions may include a failing grade on the assignment and/or a reduction in final course grade, including reduction to F.