Course description
The GameLab seminar will again be given Spring 2025! It is a 10 credit course where you will design, develop, and launch your own game. You will learn and explore a combination of valuable topics such as programming, entrepreneurship, game design and development process.
Throughout the course we will have go through, and learn, the complete cycle of game development from idea to launch. The course is focused on launching a functioning end product that marries user experience and technology:
- Design: Create a game design with accompanied design document.
- Technology: Make and reason the correct technology choices to create the designed game considering the constraints of time, resources, technical performance and user experience.
- Team: Decide roles and share tasks and responsibilities across team based on suitable skillset and area of interest.
- Process: Agree on process, milestones and approach to development.
- Development: Implement end to end game features in a time and performance efficient manner with the goal of creating usable and fun experience for the player.
- Business: Launch the game on the target platforms app store with a clear plan how and why the game will make money in the market.
For information about the first GameLab: https://site.uit.no/tromsogamelab/
For information about the second GameLab: https://uit-gamelab-s24.github.io/
Also check out the list of games and screenshots developed in the first round of the GameLab, and news with pictures from the course.
Administrative information
The course will be given as a master’s level course.
Admission requirements, learning goals, exam information and other administrative information is on the uit websites. You can also find the course schedule / information about the rooms used for the lecture and group on timeplan.uit.no.
Staff and collaborators
- Andre Henriksen https://uit.no/ansatte/andre.henriksen (responsible teacher).
- Ernie Roby-Tomic (Lecturer).
- Johan-Niillas Ludviksen Jernsletten (teaching assistant).
- Ismet Bachtiar (Tvibit).
- Lars Ailo Bongo (UiT)
- In collaboration with local game development industry.
Project and evaluation
The course has a very practical and hands-on approach. The primary evaluation criteria is the successful completion and launch of a game. It is equally important that the choices related to featureset, technologies and programming languages are consistent with the user experience and usage patterns of the game itself.
Technologies to be used are up for the students to decide.
In addition to being evaluated on the successful completion of the game you will be evaluated on the technical design and implementation within chosen technologies. From code patterns, architecture and implementation to database schema and client-werver communications. The evaluation is done in collaboration between representatives of the local game industry and the faculty itself.
Tentative lecture plan and course timeline
- Colloquiums every Tuesday 12:15-14:00 REALF A055, where you can work with your projects.
- Colloquium times will also be used to give shorter lectures
- GameJam Friday 24.01 to Sunday 26.01.
- Full day workshop Friday 21.03.
- Some Thursdays will be used for milestone presentations.
NB: All lecture titles are tentative
| Lecture/ seminar / event | Date | Location | Lecturer | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick-off | Tuesday 14/1 12:15 | MH1 Aud 3 | André | Kick-off |
| Lecture 1 | Tuesday 14/1 12:15 | MH1 Aud 3 | Kim-Daniel & Ismet | Game development introduction & Concept development |
| Lecture 2 | Tuesday 14/1 13:15 | MH1 Aud 3 | Ellen Landefilm | Immersive Storytelling |
| Lecture 3 | Tuesday 21/1 12:15 | REALF A055 | Henriette | Game Jam warm-up |
| Game Jam | 24.01-26.01 | REALF A010/A036/B203 | Michael David Elliott and Sebastian Røed Mangseth | Game Jam |
| Lecture 4 | Tuesday 28.01 12:15 | REALF A055 | Cris Kevin | AI & game development |
| Lecture 5 | Tuesday 28.01 12:15 | REALF A055 | Kim Ruben | How to choose game technology |
| Lecture 6 | Tuesday 04.02 12:15 | REALF A055 | Ernie & Kim Ruben | Form teams & Introduction to Unreal Engine 5 |
| No colloquiums | Tuesday 11.02 | TEKDagen | ||
| Lecture 7 | Tuesday 18.02 | REALF A055 | Kim Ruben | Game assests |
| Lecture 8 | Tuesday 25.02 | REALF A055 | Ernie & Kim Ruben | Hands-on Unreal Engine 5 |
| Lecture 9 | Tuesday 04.03 | REALF A055/Teams | Alecander Espeseth | Adaptiv musikk i spill |
| Lecture 10 | Friday 21.03 | Teknobygget, 2.019 | Anders Lauridsen | From Pitch to Publish: The Road to Launching an Indie Game |
| Lecture 11 | Friday 21.03 | Teknobygget, 2.019 | Anders Lauridsen | Product Development in an Indie Game Context |
| Lecture 11 | Friday 21.03 | Teknobygget, 2.020 | Anders Lauridsen | Speed pitching |
| Lecture 12 | Tuesday 29.04 | REALF A055/Teams | Anna Dranovska | Funding opportunities for students |
Exam dates:
- TBA: final delivery of project
- TBA (planned between 05-08.06.24): oral presentation
Readings
There are no mandatory readings.
Recommended readings are:
- The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses. Jesse Schell. Describes the non-technical aspects of game design.
- Various links and other resources posted in our Discord.
Mandatory assignments
Presentation at each milestone is mandatory. The presentations will be graded pass/no-pass.
Assignment 1:
Submit and present project milestones:
| Milestone | Deadline (submit) | Presentation | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. High-level concept | Tuesday 11.02 | Thursday 13.02, TEO-H6 | General overall direction. Approx. 2-page report. |
| 2. Design | Tuesday 25.02 | Thursday 27.02, TEO-H6 | Game and technology defined. |
| 3. Prototype | Tuesday 18.03 | Thursday 20.03, ILP-1.007 | Playable game |
| 4. Alpha | Tuesday 22.04 | Thursday 24.04, TEO-H6 | Feature complete |
| 5. Beta | Tuesday 20.05 | Thursday 22.05, TEO-H6 | Content complete. Submit |
| 6. Live | Wednesday 04.06 | TBA | Game launched! |
Assignment 2: Write a reflection note about the course
Assignment 3: (only for PhD students) Give lecture on a chosen relevant topic to the course students
Deliverables / Exam
You will submit one final report that should be organized according to the milestones presented at the kick-off:
- High Concept presents the overall direction of the game. You can include the high concept you presented in February as this part of your report.
- Design defines the game and technology. You can include the design document you presented later in February.
- Prototype is an implementation of a playable game. The report should include a description of this prototype. What was the goal of the prototype and what did you learn from it? A short discussion of the current state of the game is also expected here.
- Alpha is a feature complete implementation of the game. The report should include a description of this alpha version. What was the goal of the alpha version and what did you learn from it? A short discussion of the current state of the game is also expected here
- Beta is a content complete version of the game that can be submitted for evaluation.
- Live is the launched game. In the report you can combine the description for the Beta and Live two milestones in a single chapter. We also expect and evaluation of the complete game project is also expected here. It is also possible to discuss metrics of interest for later evaluation of the launched game here.
You should submit using Wiseflow at the end of the course:
- Your report.
- The final source code (well commented)
- The binary of the game (with a description on how to install and play).
- A link to the published game.
The presentation/demo (oral exam)
The presentation/demo should give the audience enough information to be able to evaluate the game regarding the complexity of the development of it and its playability.
Grading
This main aim of the course is develop and launch the best game possible in the given time. The grade represents our overall impression of the game and the game development including the quality and complexity of the implementation. The game, report, and code will contribute 80% of the grade, and the final presentation/demo will contribute to 20% of the final grade.