Game Design companion
You are already a student of Game Design Thinking’s course Game Design: Basic Tools, Theories and Techniques. Congratulations!
This companion site contains activities and assignments that help you get the most out of the course. By the end, you will have a card game you can play and enjoy. You will craft the mechanics from scratch, playtest them, document them, and more.
Join the Discord channel to share your work and get feedback from the instructor:
Following these activities will increase your learning outcome. They are designed so you can put the course into practice and design like a professional game designer.
How to use this site
- Work through the lessons in order from the sidebar.
- Type answers in the orange instructor prompts. They are saved in this browser on this device.
- You can also answer in a notebook or PDF. If you do not use this site, the instructor will not be able to give you the same kind of in-page feedback.
If you still have a Notion copy of the original companion, you may keep using it. This site is the same assignment, split into lessons.
Key
These caution panels are the instructor’s questions. Do not skip them.
Tips from your instructor, Gabriel Chauri, with extra information that can help you complete the assignment.
A chance to think more deeply. There are no right or wrong answers. These questions broaden your perspective.
Intro video: https://youtu.be/KBTJQ8U4zVw
Lessons
| Lesson | Topic |
|---|---|
| 1. Assignment & Tiny Pixel Fights | Game, print & play, rules, references |
| 2. Game Design Basics | Elements, roles, mechanics |
| 3. Understanding Players | SCAMPER, brainstorming, playtest |
| 4. Communicating Your Game | GDD and 3-minute pitch |
| 5. Math & Probability | Combat modelling and balance |
| 6. Game Systems Design | Feedback loops and meta-systems |
| 7. The Future and Beyond | Next steps and sharing |
Changelog
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| July 13, 2023 | Companion website published |
| July 25, 2023 | PDF (non-interactive) version added |
| October 9, 2025 | Numbering 1.3.2 corrected to 2.3.2 |
| August 24, 2026 | Moved onto this course site as separate lessons |