Learning Media Arts
Australian STEM Video Game Challenge
The Australian STEM Video Game Challenge is a competition created by the Australian Council for Education Research with a mission to help engage Australian students in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematic) disciplines. The purpose is to help engage students in these disciplines by using an area they are already interested in that supports the development of higher order skills.” The website has a lot of useful resources for first time game makers.
For Students: - If you were to create a game for the Australian STEM Video Game Challenge, what kind of game would you make? |
Australian Video Games
The Hobbit
The Hobbit is an illustrated text game from 1982 based on the book The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien adapted by Beam Software for the ZX Spectrum. Gameplay is controlled by inputting commands in the forms of verbs and nouns. Play the game here Further context of the game. For Students: - What limitations did programmers face during that time when it came to creating video games? - How have video games changed in the last thirty to fourty years? |
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Paperbark
Paperbark by Paper House is a 2019 point-and-click, exploration video game where you play as a wombat as he explores the Australian bush. The game’s design is done in a watercolour style, a rendering technique created especially by the developers. For Students: - How does this watercolour look change the feel of the game? - How does this game respond to Australia works of media and art? |
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Crossy Road
Crossy Road is a 2014 arcade video game developed by Hipster Whale in which the objective is to cross a series a of roads and other obstacles as far as possible, in a style similar to Frogger. For Students: - What other inspiration does Crossy Road draw from? - Why is such a compelling game to keep playing? |
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Fruit Ninja
Fruit Ninja is a 2010 video game by Halfbrick Studios initially released for mobile devices in which the player slices fruits with a blade that is controlled via the touch screen. For Students: - Why do you think the game is so suited to a touch screen environment? - What elements make it a fun game? |
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TY the Tasmanian Tiger
TY the Tasmanian Tiger is a 2002 platform game by Krome Studios in which the player controls the titular Ty, as he explores each level to gather mythical artifacts known as "Thunder Eggs". ACMI's Screen Worlds features Krome Studios and TY the Tasmanian Tiger in their Spotlights section. For Students: - How does the Australia setting affect gameplay as compared to other platform games you know? - Like Paperbark should we include more Australian settings in our games? |
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Party Golf
Party Golf by Giant Margarita is a 2016 real-time, local multiplayer game which is a twist on the popular golf game genre by creating randomly generated levels. Party Golf can support up to 8-person multiplayer. For Students: - What challenges do developers face making their game a multiplayer experience? - Do games need realistic graphics to be fun and good? |
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Untitled Goose Game
Untitled Goose Game by House House is a 2019 puzzle stealth game which went viral due to the silly nature and antics of the title character. Players control a goose who bothers the inhabitants of an English village. The idea for the game came from a photo that an employee had posted in the company's communications. The game won a number of Game of the Year awards. For Students: - What ideas for a game can you come up with using images you may have sent someone? - Why would such a silly idea engage so many people and win Game of the Year? |
Video Essays
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Crash Course Games
Crash Course Games is a Youtube series which looks at the history and mechanics of games, including video games. Recommended Videos from the Playlist: The Dawn of Video Games A brief history of video games up until the first coin-operated game in 1972. Psychology of Gaming A look at the reasons why we play games. Game Design This video looks at the fundamental basics of why and how games are made to be fun and engaging. For Students: - How have video games evolved from when they first created? - What are some strategies in making a compelling game? |
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Secrets of Game Feel and Juice
Game Maker's Toolkit by Mark Brown looks at how creators make video games. This particular video focuses on how abstract and invisible factors in a game can make a video game feel fun and satisfying. Other recommended videos from Game Maker's Toolkit are: What Makes a Good Puzzle? Point and Click Puzzle Design And the excellent multi-part series about Designing for Disability: Making Games Better for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Making Games Better for Gamers with Colourblindness & Low Vision Making Games Better for Players with Motor Disabilities Making Games Better for Players with Cognitive Disabilities For Students: - What elements make for a fun and engaging game? - How can we see these elements in the previously watched game trailers? - Does this always work for different game genres? |
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Ludonarrative Dissonance
Dan Olson from Folding Ideas explores the idea of Ludonarrative Dissonance, how gameplay and story interact with each other and oppose each other within a game and the importance of this connection. For Students: - What other games can you think of that have ludonarrative dissonance? - What can game makers do to combat this? |
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The Stanley Parable, Dark Souls, and Intended Play
A follow up video to Ludonarrative Dissonance, in which Dan Olson speaks about how video games use intended play, gameplay that has been intentionally programmed into their respective video games. For Students: - What other kinds of intended play can you think of in other video games? - How could you implement intended play into your own game? |
Game Making Tools
GODOT Game Engine
GODOT is a 2D and 3D game engine that can be used to create a game from scratch needing no other tools beyond those used for content creation (ie. art assets, music etc.). For Students: - Explore GODOT for yourselves. What are some of the pros and what are some of the cons of it? |
Scratch
Scratch is a block-based visual programming language which is targeted towards children in order to learn basic coding. It uses a block-based interface in order to create scripts. For Students: - Explore Scratch for yourselves. What are some of the pros and what are some of the cons of it? |
Unreal Engine
The Unreal Engine is a game engine developed by Epic Games, first used in their 1998 first person shooter Unreal. Though it was initially developed for first-person shooter it has been used in a variety of video game genres including, stealth, fighting games, MMORPGs, and other RPGs. For Students: - Explore the Unreal Engine for yourselves. What are some of the pros and what are some of the cons of it? |