Course Reflection
In this class, I learned many new things about games. Before, I only played games for fun, and I did not think about the design or the experience. After this class, I understand that games are more than just play as they really have meaning. They include systems, goals, and design choices.
Each week, we did different work. We read about games, wrote blogs, and played with our classmates. We also had a chance to make our own games. I think all of these parts helped me see the full picture. I started to notice how rules can change gameplay, and how mechanics and visuals affect how players feel.
One part I liked was playing board games. At the beginning of the semester, I played games like Doubt It and Joker’s Grid, which was the game my group created. These games helped me learn how small rules can change the whole game, such as a little change can make the game more fair or more fun. I believe that testing and adjusting rules is a key part of design.
Another favorite part of the class was the final project. I worked with my teammate Anthony to make a 2D platformer called Bouncy Quest. In this game, you control a slime that keeps bouncing. You cannot jump, so you must move left or right at the right time to collect stars and avoid spikes.
In the project, I worked on coding, level design, and building the game menus. I added screens for winning, game over, and pause. The UI shows how many stars the player collects. If the player gets them all, they win. If they fall or touch spikes, they lose.
Anthony helped with animations and level layout. We created four levels. Some levels included moving platforms and spikes to increase the challenge. I had to spend time to fixed bugs like enemies lagging or the slime getting stuck. I also added mute buttons and a level select screen.
We tested the game many times. It was not easy, but I learned a lot. I feel happy that we finished it, and despite of the game is not perfect, but it works. I think it gives a fun and simple experience.
In conclusion, I wrote about games, played games and designed one my self. I think this class helped me understand games in a full way. I feel proud of my work and I want to keep learning more about games.