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. We may consider allowing especially motivated bachelor students to take the 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 andre.henriksen@uit.no (responsible teacher).
Lars Ailo Bongo .
Ernie Roby-Tomic (teaching assistant).
TBD (teaching assistant).
Ismet Bachtiar (Tvibit).
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 Tuesdays where you can work with your projects.
GameJam Friday 24.01 to Sunday 26.01.
One full day workshop Friday 21.03.
Some Tuesdays will be used for lectures.

Exam dates:

TBA: final delivery of project
TBA (planned between 05-08.06.24): oral presentation

Readings

There are no mandatory readings.

Mandatory assignments

Presentation at each milestone is mandatory. The presentations will be graded pass/no-pass.

Project milestones:

Milestone	Date (tentative)	Description
1. High-level concept	04.02	General overall direction
2. Design	25.02	Game and technology defined
3. Prototype	18.03	Playable game
4. Alpha	22.04	Feature complete
5. Beta	20.05	Content complete. Submit
6. Live	04.06	Game launched!

Milestone #1 : High-level Concept

Milestone #2 : Design

Milestone #3 : Prototype

Milestone #4 : Alpha

Milestone #5 : Beta

Milestone #6 : Live and exam

Deliverables

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.