YOUR GAME : fundamentals of game design via constructionism

YOUR GAME suggests that fundamental game design practices can be communicated via games and learned by a target audience ages 18 and above without prior experience. YOUR GAME represents a synthesis of current game design curriculum and practices; teaching these concepts to players via its assets and gameplay. YOUR GAME is a tabletop “game-creation-game” which employs constructionism learning theory; meaning – players, via gameplay, discover problems with their designs as they create them and learn by solving these problems. Players execute a bottom-up (bricolage) iterative and exploratory game design methodology using rapid prototyping (a low cost and efficient manner by which game designs are tested on paper). A foundational design language is communicated to players while they produce visual and written documentation through the course of play. YOUR GAME leverages player imagination to create unique experiences each game session. Twenty-four people participated in a qualitative study using Grounded Theory to understand YOUR GAME’s effect. Participants’ responses suggest learning occurs. Further studies are required to assess participant comprehension of fundamentals and improve YOUR GAME’s effect. An Excel Workbook containing coded participant responses is included as supplementary material.