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UT - Prototyping - Spring 2024

January 24, 2003

SPRING 2024 WITH WILEY WIGGINS

AET-333: Prototyping (Spring 2024)

Instructor: Wiley Wiggins, MFA
Schedule: Mon & Wed, 3:30–5:00 PM (DFA 3.218)
Mode: In-Person
Office Hours: Fridays by appointment
Email: [REDACTED]
Discord: For discussion and questions. Use Canvas for grading/deadline concerns.


Course Overview

A rapid prototyping studio course focused on iterative game design. Students will create 9 short prototypes across the semester, responding to weekly constraints inspired by game jams (e.g. “gardening,” “one-button”). This is not an intro course: prior experience in a game engine like Unity is required.

Students will develop:


Prerequisites


Weekly Format

Monday: Playtesting & new theme introduction
Wednesday: Discussion and studio work


Assignments & Submissions

Over the course of the semester, you will develop one playable game prototype nearly every week, culminating in a total of 8 or 9 unique prototypes. In the final phase of the course, you will select one of these prototypes to refine and document as your last project. This comprehensive assignment structure encompasses all your submitted assessments.


Assessment

Grading happens during three Threshold weeks. You’ll choose your best prototype from each 3-week cycle for detailed evaluation.

Week Assessment Weight
5 Threshold #1 (Best of Weeks 2–4) 30%
8 Threshold #2 (Best of Weeks 5–7) 30%
12 Threshold #3 (Best of Weeks 8–10) 30%
15 Final Project (Refined prototype) 10%

Note: Weekly submission is required even if a project isn’t selected for grading. One assignment may be skipped without penalty.


Grading Criteria

Each assessed project is graded on:

1. Concept (40 pts) – Clear, engaging, and meaningful idea
2. Functionality (40 pts) – Playable, testable, and polished prototype
3. Style (20 pts) – Distinctive aesthetic, sound, feel, or tone


Themes

Weekly themes are kept secret until Monday to prevent early work. They can be aesthetic, conceptual, or mechanical in nature.


Required Materials


Inclusive Design & Accessibility

Course materials are provided in multiple formats (text, video, captions). Deadlines are fixed but some may be skipped, no timed tests. Let us know about any additional accommodations you may need.


Policies


Resources

Full list of tools, engines, and tutorials remains available in the original syllabus [Resources] section.


Final Grade Composition

In addition to the three threshold assessments and the final project, a portion of the final grade will be based on regular submissions:

Assessment Date Assessment Type Percent of Final Grade
Weekly Submissions Submission Consistency * see note
End of Week 5 Threshold #1 – Best 1 of 3 30%
End of Week 8 Threshold #2 – Best 1 of 3 30%
End of Week 12 Threshold #3 – Best 1 of 3 30%
End of Week 15 Refine and document 1 game 10%

* 1 free missed assgn., -5 points for next missed assgn., -10 points for subsequent missed assgns.

Grading Rubric

Grade Range
A 94-100
A- 90-93
B+ 87-89
B 84-86
B- 80-83
C+ 77-79
C 74-76
C- 70-73
D+ 67-69
D 64-66
D- 60-63
F 0-60

Concept

Grade Description Points Range
High Distinction Core concept is clear to the player and is provocative and/or exciting 32.1 to 40 pts
Distinction Core concept is clear to the player 30.1 to 32 pts
Credit Core concept is unremarkable and/or could be better communicated 24.1 to 30 pts
Pass Core concept is noticeably derivative and/or poorly formulated 20.1 to 24 pts
Fail is not clear to the player; the very idea behind the game needs work  

Functionality

Grade Description Points Range
High Distinction Prototype plays like a demo that could actually be released 32.1 to 40 pts
Distinction Prototype is playable and clearly proves or disproves its experiment 30.1 to 32 pts
Credit Prototype is mostly playable but more work was needed to convincingly prove or disprove its experiment 27.1 to 30 pts
Pass Prototype demonstrates lack of effort; execution is messy; bugs make it too difficult to try the concept 20.1 to 27 pts
Fail Little or no progress was made on project; prototype is not very playable 20 pts

Style

Grade Description Points Range
High Distinction Prototype is memorable in its look, sound, feel, read, or play, showcasing a honed and unique creative identity 18.1 to 20 pts
Distinction Prototype shows efforts toward a unique style, but could benefit from further refinement to make it more memorable 16.1 to 18 pts
Credit Prototype has a discernible style, but lacks uniqueness or memorability 14.1 to 16 pts
Pass Prototype’s style is underdeveloped or inconsistent, detracting from its memorability 10.1 to 14 pts
Fail Prototype lacks a distinctive style or fails to present any coherent aesthetic or creative identity 10 pts

Class Schedule

Week Date (Monday) Date (Wednesday) Monday Session Wednesday Session
1 Jan 16 Jan 18 No Class (Holiday) Class Overview
2 Jan 22 Jan 24 Project 1 Announcement Studio work on Project 1
3 Jan 29 Jan 31 Project 1 demonstrations & Project 2 announced Studio work on Project 2
4 Feb 05 Feb 07 Project 2 demonstrations & Project 3 announced Studio work on Project 3
5 Feb 12 Feb 14 Project 3 demonstrations & Project 4 announced Studio work on Project 4
6 Feb 19 Feb 21 Project 4 demonstrations & Project 5 announced Studio work on Project 5
7 Feb 26 Feb 28 Project 5 demonstrations & Project 6 announced Studio work on Project 6
8 Mar 04 Mar 06 Project 6 demonstrations & Project 7 announced Studio work on Project 7
9 Mar 11 Mar 13 - (Spring Break) - (Spring Break)
10 Mar 18 Mar 20 Project 7 demonstrations & Project 8 announced Studio work on Project 8
11 Mar 25 Mar 27 Project 8 demonstrations & Project 9 announced Studio work on Project 9
12 Apr 01 Apr 03 Project 9 demonstrations & Final Project announced Begin Final Project Work
13 Apr 08 Apr 10 Guest Speaker -
14 Apr 15 Apr 17 Final Project Work -
15 Apr 22 Apr 24 Final Project Work End-of-Semester Showcase
      Final Project Submission due Apr 28, 11:59 PM -

Note: This schedule is subject to change based on the progress and needs of the class.


Resources

Game Engines and Development Tools

Reminder: Content-heavy game ideas (lots of text, art, animation, level design) aren’t ideal for this course. Choose tools wisely and don’t shy away from exploring new ones! A successful minimal prototype can always be expanded later.

(Free or Reduced Price) Art and Graphic Design Tools

Audio Creation Tools


Tutorials and Learning Resources

2D Art and Animation

3D Art and Modeling

3D Level Design

Game Development Platforms

Coding and Misc Game Dev tutorials

Audio and Sound Design

Testing

Inspiration

Sourcing game assets

(Remember to give credit when asked! Appropriate conscientiously.)

3D Models

3D Animation

2D/3D characters

More free tools and goodies than you can imagine


Remember: The goal is to test a game idea quickly and simply. Select tools that align with your current skill level and the project’s requirements. Innovation and exploration are encouraged! Got a favorite tool? Share it on our Class Discord!


Videos:

Prototyping Orientation
Guest speaker Adam Saltsman
2D Frame animations in Unity
Rigged 2D sprites with ik chains
simple character controller with animation flip
building a Unity project (mac)

Code Sketches:

Posts:

game-a-week-8

Week 7 Topic: “Contagion”

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game-a-week-7

Week 7 Topic: “Fortune Teller &&|| One Button”

More ➜

Game-a-week 5

Week 5 Topic: “1 hit point”

More ➜

game-a-week 4

Week 3 Topic: “Bad Pet”

More ➜

game-a-week 3

Week 3 Topic: “Breakup”

More ➜

game-a-week 2

Week 2 Topic: “A Day at the Zoo”

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Game-A-Week 1

Week 1 Topic: “You Are the Environment”

More ➜