Course Reflection

Course Reflection

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Well, the semester is nearly over and I'd like to take this time to look back and reflect. Through this class I gained a deeper understanding of games. I no longer view games from just the perspective of a player but now also the perspective of a designer. I had no idea that there were such things as game mechanics or frameworks (MDA) for how to approach game design. I have a much deeper appreciation for game designers and not just game developers. Throughout the course I enjoyed the TED talks that we watched. I particularly liked Jane McGonigal's talk on the benefits of gaming and how playing games can actually be healing.

Of everything learned, creating a game with Game Maker was the most interesting. Having no prior experience using Game Maker, I was pleasantly surprised to discover how easy it was to create a simple game. I believe that all of the material that was presented in class is connected. One primary example of this is learning about game mechanics and being able to see them at work in an actual game. Overall CS 108 delivered on its objective -- we read about games, wrote about games, designed games, and played games.