1. Introduction

Activities

Introduction (15 mins)

1. Tell students that they are going to be creating an entry in the STEM VGC.
2. Show the STEM VGC website on a screen for all students to see.
3. Tell them briefly about the timeline and that they need to create a video game and GDD to enter the challenge.
4. Show the students the Prizes for winners section of the STEM VGC website and the example video of last year’s winners in the Year 7–9 category.
5. Explain that students will be working in teams of up to 4 people on their game entry.
6. Explain the information in the GDD and use the winning entry as an example of how it is completed.
7. Explain that all games submitted for judging must adhere to the content and theme guidelines.
8. Show the Classification guidelines and discuss the information (specifically discuss points 1 and 2 of the guidelines relating to ‘E’ and ‘G’ ratings).

Main Activity (35 mins)

1. Ask students to think about their favourite game or a game they enjoy (these could be digital games, board games, or any other type of game).
2. Ask students to discuss, in pairs or table groups, what they like about the game they have chosen. Allow approximately 5 minutes for this task.
3. Show the students the Scoring Rubric, focusing mostly on Page 2, and explain that some key game design principles are included in the judging criteria such as: aesthetics, gameplay, and engagement.
   • Aesthetics: Aesthetics refer to the visual and auditory elements that contribute to the game's atmosphere and emotional impact. For example, the aesthetics of a sci-fi adventure game may include sleek, futuristic graphics and detailed environments alongside dynamic sound effects like laser blasts and an intense electronic soundtrack, creating an immersive experience that heightens the excitement and tension.
   • Gameplay: Gameplay refers to the interactive experiences and challenges players encounter as they engage with the game, including how they use mechanics (rules and systems that govern how a game operates and how players interact with it), and respond to the game’s environment. For example, in an action game, gameplay may include mechanics such as exploring detailed environments, completing missions, and interacting with various characters.
   • Engagement: Engagement is about keeping players interested and excited while playing the game, making sure they enjoy it and want to keep playing. For example, in a maze game, engagement may include progressively challenging mazes that reward players with cues upon solving puzzles and incorporating time-based challenges, hidden secrets, or collectibles to keep players motivated and eager to explore.
4. Distribute the Bingo Card to each student and explain that the elements on the Bingo Card are all key aspects of game design.
5. Explain that you are about to show the students some example games and that they will use the Bingo Card to identify which elements are present in each game.
6. Ask students to work in pairs or table groups to analyse each game.
7. Start the Bingo game by showing a game on the board.
   • Give groups a maximum of 5 minutes to analyse each game.
   • If they can identify 4 elements in a row, column or diagonally within that time, they shout BINGO!
   • When a group calls BINGO, the game stops, and the group needs to explain how their 4 elements feature in the game. For example, in Super Mario, the clear objective is to move through different levels to save Princess Peach from Bowser.
   • If no groups call BINGO, stop the game at 5 minutes and ask groups to each share any one element they identified. Each group should share a different element.
8. After all the games have been shown, discuss which elements were most common across all the games.
9. Ask students to consider how these features within games help to make a ‘good game’.
   • How do specific game mechanics, such as the ability to customise characters or solve puzzles, contribute to a player's overall enjoyment and satisfaction with a game?
   • How do visual and auditory elements, like graphics and sound effects, impact the atmosphere and emotional connection players have with a game?
   • How does a well-crafted story or narrative influence a player's motivation to continue playing and invest in the game's world and characters?
10. Discuss some ‘good games’ that don’t have these features.
    • What elements do they have instead?
    • Is there a common combination of ‘good game’ elements?

Reflection/Sharing Tasks (10 mins)

1. Reiterate that students will be working in teams of no more than 4 people for the STEM VGC.
2. Show the Student roles within their teams in the What you need to know section of the STEM VGC website.
3. Discuss the different roles the students will have throughout the STEM VGC: Game Designer, Artist/ Visual Designer, Programmer, Storyteller, Sound & Music Effects Designer and a Tester.
4. Ask students to consider what role(s) they would prefer to have within a team and write down why they would like to have this role.
5. For homework, ask students to play some different types of games before the next lesson.

Teacher tip: Next lesson the students will be forming teams. You may like to group students based on their role preferences or you can allow them to form their own groups.