Introduction to Video Game Design is a 6-week Summer intensive course instructed by Jared Bendis and offered by the Art Studio department at Case Western Reserve University.
The course is intended to give students a holistic approach to game design. Each student creates a traditional “rail shooter”. The challenge is, in addition to learning to program the game, to create a “fun” and cohesive game through code as well as through the selection and/or creation of graphics, fonts, music, and sound f/x. For most the students, this is their first studio art class.
Starting in 2019 students were only allowed to use images from The Cleveland Museum of Art “Open Access” collection.
Rail Shooter – aka Space Invaders
Students are asked to develop a video game based on the story/metaphor:
You are a _____ in a _____ shooting _____ at _____ that are shooting ______ {while optionally attacking or defending _____ }.
You are a HERO in a WORLD shooting HERO PROJECTILES at ENEMIES that are shooting ENEMY PROJECTILES {while optionally attacking/defending BASE (yours or theirs)}.
You are a PORCUPINE in THE WOODS shooting QUILLS at RACOONS that are shooting PINE CONES while DEFENDING YOURSELF.
Note: All games use the same controls – arrow keys to move and space to fire.
All games posted with permission of the students!
The 2019 Games:
Clown Combat by Joseph Broady
/Ko/ommando Kaos by Matthew Chang
Battle of the Classics by Tucker Click
Guardian’s Endeavor by Michael Grant
Picnic Panic! by Zachary Kadish
Calvin vs. Hobbes by Gloria Lee
Protect your forest! by Danyu Liu
Calamari Escape by Rachel Manning
Disregard the Constabulary! by William Turner
The Happy Violin Beginner by Margaret Wang
The Storm by Elizabeth Ye
Archerborne by Grant Zarrinmakan
