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:

Habits of quick, experimental game creation
Skills in playtesting and iterative design
A refined creative voice through regular feedback and critique

Prerequisites

Foundations of Creative Coding (AET 310)
At least two of the following: – AET 318C – AET 316C – AET 315 – AET 305 – AET 306
Proficiency in a game engine such as Unity.

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.

Prototypes Due: Tuesdays by 11:59 PM (submit to Dropbox link [REDACTED])
Format: .zip file named Project [#] [Last Name(s)]
One free skip allowed; additional missed submissions incur -5 and -10 point penalties.
Tools: Students may use any game engine or tool (digital or analog). Mixing tools is encouraged.
Groups: Solo or pairs only; flexible week to week.

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

Game-ready laptop
Notebook for sketches/notes
Recommended: USB or Bluetooth mouse

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

Attendance: Expected regularly—notify if absent.
Collaboration: Pairs permitted; in-class playtesting and feedback are encouraged.
Late Work: One free skip. Further missed assignments penalized unless excused.
Academic Integrity: Use of external assets is allowed but must be credited.
Title IX: Faculty are mandatory reporters. Confidential help: advocate@austin.utexas.edu

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

Unity: Versatile for 2D and 3D game development. Unity Free Version
Unreal Engine: High-fidelity graphics for advanced 3D projects. Unreal Engine
Godot Engine: Open-source engine for 2D and 3D games. Godot Engine
GameMaker Studio 2: Great for 2D games (e.g., Spelunky, Hyperlight Drifter). GameMaker Studio 2
Construct 3: Web-based tool for 2D games, no coding required. Construct 3
RPG Maker: Simplifies creating role-playing games. RPG Maker
Twine: Interactive, nonlinear story creation. Twine - Plus, SugarCube Expanded story format for twine. SugarCube
Processing: Java-based creative coding platform. Processing
P5.js: JavaScript implementation of Processing. p5.js
Pico-8: Fantasy console for small pixel art games. Pico-8
Bitsy: Simple no-code platform for pixel art games. Bitsy - Plus, Bitsy Hacks: Bitsy Hacks
Downpour: No-code hypermedia tool for point-and-click projects. Downpour
Clickteam Fusion: Event-based 2d game engine with physics, publishes to most platforms. Clickteam Fusion.
Adventure Game Studio: point-and-click adventure game creator. Adventure Game Studio.
Inform7: Interactive fiction programming language. Inform7
Puzzlescript: Open-source puzzle scripting language. Puzzlescript
Sok Worlds: Create and explore 3D collage worlds. Sok Worlds
Ren’py: Visual Novel development engine. Ren’Py
Phaser.io: HTML5 game framework for desktop and mobile. Phaser.io
Emotica: Build scenes with emojis. Emotica
Roblox: Sure, why not? Roblox

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

GIMP: Open-source raster graphics editor. GIMP
Glimpse: A friendlier fork of GNU IMP. Glimpse
Krita: Free, Open-source digital painting tool. Krita
Inkscape: Open-source vector graphics editor. Inkscape
Aseprite: Pixel art tool for 2D animations. Aseprite
Blender: 3D creation suite. Blender
Instant Meshes: Advanced retopology tool. Instant Meshes
MagicaVoxel: Voxel art editor. MagicaVoxel
Pixel Dudes Maker: Generate pixel characters. Pixel Dudes Maker
Piskell: Web-based sprite editor. Piskell
Texatool: Procedural texture generation. Texatool
Paint of Persia: Rotoscope pixels over video. Paint of Persia
Looom: iPad flipbook animation. Looom - LooomTools: Convert animations to PNG. Looom-Tools
Tiled: Tile-based map editor. Tiled
Coolors: Color harmony based palette picker. Coolors

Audio Creation Tools

Audacity: Multi-track recording and editing. Audacity
Bosca Ceoil: Easy music creation. Bosca Ceoil
LMMS: Digital audio workstation. LMMS
bfxr: Tool for game sound effects. bfxr
Lovely Composer: Fun Chip-style music making. Lovely Composer
Freesound: Free sound effects library. Freesound

Tutorials and Learning Resources

2D Art and Animation

2D Art with GIMP: Basics of using GIMP for game art. GIMP Tutorials
Pixel Art with Aseprite: Learn to create pixel art animations. Aseprite Tutorials
Unity 2d character rigging: with photoshop PSB or png: 2D Animation Rigging in Unity
Unity 2d character rig with inverse kinematics 2D IK Chain rigging in Unity
How to make a 2.5D Game in Unity: 2.5D in Unity
Derek Yu’s guide to Pixel Art: Pixel Art
Arne Jansson’s Digital Painting Tutorials: Intermediate Digital Painting

3D Art and Modeling

Blender Basics: Getting started with 3D modeling in Blender. Blender Tutorials
Blender Guru
3D Animation with Maya: Basic to advanced Maya techniques. Maya Learning Channel
The Souls of Low Poly Characters (Danette Beatty Artist interview & Maya tips): Modeling Tips
Steve Roselle Maya tips: Steve Roselle

3D Level Design

The Level Design Book Level design resource for designers and teachers The Level Design Book

Game Development Platforms

Unity for Beginners: Fundamental concepts in Unity. Unity Learn
Unreal Engine Tutorials: Basics of using Unreal Engine. Unreal Online Learning
Godot Engine Tutorials: Introduction to Godot for both 2D and 3D games. Godot Tutorials

Coding and Misc Game Dev tutorials

C# for Unity: Programming in Unity with C#. C# Tutorials
GDScript for Godot: Introduction to Godot’s native scripting language. GDScript Basics
Freya Holmér: Freya’s Channel
The Coding Train (Processing/P5): The Coding Train
Infallible Code (Unity): Infallible Code
Make Stuff Look Good in Unity: Unity Shader Tutorials
Mix and Jam: Mix and Jam
Brackey’s Tutorials: Brackey’s Tutorials
MJ’s Tutorial Series: AET Prof MJ’s Tutorials
Jessie’s Tutorial Series: AET Prof Jessie’s Tutorials
Game Design Principles: Explore fundamental concepts of game design. Game Design Concepts
RPG Maker Tutorials: Creating RPG games with RPG Maker. RPG Maker Web
Twine for Interactive Stories: Learn to create interactive stories with Twine. Twine Guides
Using the Unity Animator Component: A quick introduction to using the Animatior component and controller. Animator Component
Unity ProBuilder greyboxing tool: Unity tutorials for the in-engine quick modeling ProBuilder tool. ProBuilder Tutorials
Sharpstance Youtube channel Texture design tutorials Sharpstance

User Interface

Game UI Database https://gameuidatabase.com
All About Health Bars (thermometer UI): A few simple methods for making meters in different tools. Health Bars

Audio and Sound Design

Audacity for Beginners: Learn to record and edit sound with Audacity. Audacity Tutorials
Creating Music with LMMS: Tutorials for composing music in LMMS. LMMS Wiki

Testing

Derek Yu on testing feedback: Getting Feedback

Inspiration

Terry Cavanaugh’s Free Game a Week blog: Terry’s Free Game of the Week
Itch.io_,_ indie game sharing and marketplace: https://itch.io/

Sourcing game assets

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

3D Models

Turbosquid (download some free CG models)
Poliigon (free textures + materials)
Textures (free textures + materials)
Trnio (free 3D scanner for your phone)
Lincoln 3D Scans (free 3D scans)
Free3D (self-explanatory)
CGTrader (more free models)

3D Animation

Mixamo 3d character auto-rigger and stock animations Mixamo

2D/3D characters

Kenney Assets: Free game assets. Kenney

More free tools and goodies than you can imagine

Everest Pipkin’s Tiny Tools Directory: Curated tools for creative projects, including game development. Tiny Tools Directory

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!