Games Studies - Exercise 1

22.09.2025 - 07.09.2025 / Week 1 - Week 3

Muhammad Baihaqi Desya (0377271)

Games Studies / Bachelors of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor's University

Exercise 1

Table Of Contents

• LECTURES
• INSTRUCTIONS
• EXERCISE
• REFLECTION

LECTURES

Week 1

PRINCIPLES OF GAME DESIGN

Game Design

= Art and science of creating interactive experiences that is fun and playful. It combines creativity, technical skills, and user psychology.

Good Game Mechanics:

• Engaging mechanics
• Convincing narrative
• Balanced challenge

Game Design Core Principles:

1. Player Experience= how the game feels to the player;
2. Gameplay Mechanics= rules and systems that creates interaction;
3. Storytelling= narrative that progresses through the game;
4. Balance and Challenge= ensuring a reward without overwhelming the player.

1. Player Experience

• Focus on Emotion= focuses on player's emotion, ensuring the players are immersed in the game;
• User-centered Design= select the target audience and understand their playstyle preference;
• Flow state= balance of challenge and skill.

Figure 1.1 Playful experiences

2. Gameplay Mechanics

> Primary Mechanics= core actions players do throughout the game.

• Movement/Turn Actions= how players move components/pieces thorough the game board. Ex= Monopoly, Risk, etc;
• Dice Rolling= to determine what actions the players can do (attacking, moving, or determining outcomes). Ex= Dungeons & Dragon, etc;
• Card Drawing/Playing= way to get players to interact with the game and to other players. Ex= UNO.

>Secondary Mechanics= additional mechanics to elevate the game features.

• Resource Management= allows players to manage components of the game (Catan) that makes players to make-use of strategy and decision-making;
• Trading= allowing players to trade components (Catan) which creates an interaction between them.
• Exploration= allowing players to explore new areas on the board as the players go on their adventures (Descent: Journey in the Dark).

>Feedback Loops= positive and negative reward/penalty systems.

• Positive Feedback= give players rewards to encourage them to progress through the game and give them a sense of accomplishment;
• Negative Feedback= setbacks that players experience that slows down their progress and makes them more cautious on future actions;
• Dynamic Feedback Loops= players must cooperate to manage the progress of the game and as the game progresses it gets more difficult depending on their success and failures (Pandemic). This allows the players to be cautious and adjust to the level of the challenge based of their successes and failures.

3. Storytelling in Games

• Player Agency= creates a sense of ownership/control by allowing players to influence the flow of the story through the game;
• Environmental Storytelling= Telling stories through design, visuals, and settings;
• Narrative Arcs= creating a story based on conflict, climax, and resolution.

4. Balance and Challenge

• Difficulty Curve= difficulty that amps up as the game progresses keeps players engaged without frustration;
• Skill vs Luck= design challenges that allows players to utilize their skills and luck/randomness;
• Player Progression= rewarding players throughout the game to create a sense of growth and achievement.

Enhance & Refine Game Design

5. Feedback and Iteration= continuous improvements of gameplay and player experience by identifying design flaws that may impact the players negatively to ensure the game is engaging and playable at all levels.

• Playtesting= identifies the areas of the game that needs to be adjusted;
• Feedback Loops= identifying parts of the game that may be too easy or hard, or where the story is boring.
• Fine-tuning the Experience= Continuous development from the feedback to polish the gameplay.

6. Immersion and Worldbuilding

= Creating a believable world to immerse the players into the game which elevates the emotional engagement of the game and adds depth and context to the actions players take.

• Immersion= makes players feel connected to the world and story;
• Context for Actions= create a believable fictional world and story that provide context for a player's action and deepen the emotional impact of the game.

Challenges in Game Design:

1. Over Complication= simple designs are often better to create an enjoyable experience;
2. Failing to Adapt= ignoring player feedback/trends can disengage the players from the game;
3. Monetization vs Player Experience= balancing profit with player's enjoyment.

Week 2

BALANCING FUN AND EDUCATIONAL ELEMENTS IN GAME DESIGN

Fun

= Games are fun when they have engaging mechanics and rewarding challenges which gives the players a emotionally satisfying experience. Fun comes after a player makes a choice, compete, discover, and achieve it.

Education

= It can range from simple knowledge to complex critical-thinking, problem-solving, or real-world application. It can improve skills or enhance a player's skill.

Balancing Fun and Education

= Designing games that can entertain and educate players can make learning feel natural, fun, and rewarding.

Strategies for Fun and Education Balance:

• Learning Through Play= educational content arises naturally from game mechanics;
• Layered Learning= unlocks educational contents as players progresses through the game;
• Game Mechanics as Educational Tools= Teaches educational content directly to the players through the gameplay;
• Storytelling with Purpose= utilizing game narrative to support educational goals.

1. Learning Through Play

= Games as simulations. Real-world scenarios allows players to learn through trial and error. It makes the players think strategically while decision-making. This method makes the educational content emerge naturally from the game mechanics.

2. Layered Learning

= Layering Gaming Experience. By separating the educational content into layers throughout the game. It allows players to unlock educational contents as they progress through the game.

3. Game Mechanics as Educational Tools

= Problem-solving in Game. A game can include challenges that involves problem-solving or puzzle mechanics to unlock rewards. Ex= Catan.

4. Storytelling with Purpose

= Using narratives as reinforcements. Players can learn what happens next while progressing through the game with a narrative that has educational contents and emotional stakes.

Game Design Core Principles

Avoiding Over-Instruction

• Edutainment Fatigue= Forcing educational content could make it less engaging. Designers should focus on making fun mechanics that naturally implements educational contents. Designers can place the educational contents into several parts by implementing gradual learning.
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Player Motivation and Rewards= 

• Intrinsic Motivation drives player by curiosity, exploration, and achievement.
• Extrinsic Motivation rewards players by utilizing points, levels, or badges to show the progress the players have made.

Conclusion

= The main goal is to include educational content into the game naturally. Successful games are able to tach players through engaging games by balancing fun and educational elements. Designers can make the game educating and entertaining for the players.

Week 4

PLAYTESTING & ITERATIVE DESIGN

Design Thinking Process

Empathy. Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test.

Basic Iterative Process

= Design (game mechanics) > Playtest (player's behavior) > Analyse (game motives) [loop]

Figure 1.2 Iterative process with playful experiences

Instruction

Exercise

We were told to create a report based of a video-game or tabletop game we used to play and always invites us back to play it again. Deserve GOTY (One of the best game after a long time with buns game)

Exercise 2

Reflection

Experience

Working on this assignment was a fun and slightly challenging experience because it allowed me to reflect on something I genuinely enjoy: playing Elden Ring. Writing from a player’s perspective felt natural, as I could directly connect my emotions, frustrations, and sense of achievement to the game. At the same time, this task pushed me to think beyond just “I like this game” and instead analyze why it works so well using game design principles.

Using ChatGPT during the process also became part of the experience. Rather than replacing my ideas, it acted more like a thinking partner. It helped me structure my thoughts, refine my wording, and see my gameplay experience in a more academic and analytical way, especially when translating personal feelings into formal writing

Observation

One important observation I made is how easily personal experience can become clearer when supported by proper design terminology. While I already knew that Elden Ring felt rewarding and immersive, using game design concepts such as exploration freedom, meaningful challenge, and environmental storytelling helped me explain those feelings more clearly and professionally

I also observed that AI-generated responses are most useful when they are questioned and adapted, not copied directly. Some responses needed revision to better match my actual gameplay experience, while others required simplification to sound more personal. This process made me more aware of my own voice as a writer and player.

Findings

From this exercise, I learned that strong game analysis comes from balancing personal reflection and critical thinking. Elden Ring succeeds not just because it is difficult or visually impressive, but because it respects player agency and encourages learning through failure and discovery. Reflecting on this helped me better understand how design choices influence player emotions and long-term engagement

Additionally, I found that AI can be an effective support tool in academic work when used responsibly. By selecting, revising, and contextualizing AI outputs, I was able to strengthen my report while still maintaining originality and personal insight. Overall, this assignment improved both my understanding of game design and my ability to critically use AI as part of my creative and academic workflow