Games 101 is the foundational course for the NYU Game Center. The focus of Games 101 is game literacy – a shared understanding of games as complex cultural and aesthetic objects. The class will incorporate lectures, discussion, readings, and writing assignments, but the primary activity of the class is critical play – playing games in order to better understand and appreciate them. The class will cover games on and off the computer, including classic and contemporary board and card games, sports, and games on the PC, internet, and consoles.    

Advanced Topics in Game Studies is a category of class that allows students to focus in-depth on a specific topic in game studies. The focus of the course will vary from semester to semester, but will be based on current issues in video game theory, video game design, and video game culture. Some example courses include: Social Games, Games and Storytelling, Convention and Experiment in Video Games, and Casual Games. Students will actively participate in the development of video game theory.        

This course reflects the various skills and disciplines that are brought together in modern game development: game design, programming, visual art, animation, sound design, and writing. The workshop will situate these disciplines within a larger context of game literacy and a historical and critical understanding of games as cultural objects. Classroom lectures and lab time will all be used to bring these different educational vectors together into a coherent whole; the workshop will be organized around a single, long-term, hands-on, game creation project. Working in small groups under the close supervision of instructors, students will collaborate on the creation of a playable game. As a creative constraint to help inspire them and guide their designs, the students will be given a theme to express in their game projects.

Prerequisites: Students will be expected to have a passion for and interest in games. However, there are no specific prerequisites.

An introduction to the fundamental principles of game design. As with any form of art or design, the field of game design has fundamental concepts and skills that must be acquired as a basis for more advanced work. This course introduces students to the basics of design through the creation of non-digital games. Students will collaborate on making card games, board games, social games, and physical games, while learning about basic game design concepts such as systems, uncertainty, game goals, social play, and meaningful interaction. Readings, discussions, and analyses will link the work students are doing off the computer to computer and videogames.

The course will help students:

• Develop a critical vocabulary around game design and games in general.
• Understand how to analyze games as dynamic, complex systems.
• Become familiar with essential essays and readings relating to game design.
• Explore games as logical, rules-based systems.
• Design games as the human experience of players.
• Understand games as cultural phenomena that relate to larger contexts.
• Experience the iterative process of prototyping-based game design.

Introduction to Programming for Games is a course that introduces students to the concepts, problems, and methods of computer programming, and how these apply to the creation of video games. The course assumes no prior programming knowledge, and is designed to touch on the basic principles of digital design in the form of computer code. There will be an emphasis on programming fundamentals; they will be motivated through the lens of designing and producing video games.

This class will involve the development of a high level understanding of the real time strategy game, Starcraft 2, including optimizing early gameplay, mastering tactical maneuvers and strategies, and real-time strategic decision making. At the same time it will touch on the development of the industry of e-sports and the design of high-level multiplayer games. Finally, the class will emphasize honing the universally valuable skills of critical thinking, mental discipline, and understanding complex systems and data in real-time, the very skills that make for a world class Starcraft player.

This is an art history course that examines the body of work and impact of a group of artists. It therefore emphasizes historical context, authorship, socioeconomic conditions, and dialogue with other works in an effort to better understand the formal evolution of a particular set of aesthetics that defined Looking Glass Studios’ and their creative contribution to video games and virtual worlds as a cultural form.

The course will be built around playing key games, and key sections of games, from Looking Glass’ body of work, both as homework and as class-based communal play. Each session will include the discussion of games from other companies that are formally related, allowing students to untangle what made Looking Glass’ games special via comparative analysis. There will also be readings for further context and a series of essay assignment so students can mark how the course is transforming their thinking.

The class will also feature former members of the company as guest speakers, depending on their availability. That way, some of the communal play will include the commentaries and insights from the developers themselves.

Prerequisites: No special theoretical background or prior training is needed to take the course. To have had practical experience with games is a distinct advantage.

An introduction to critical and analytical approaches to the subject of digital games. Though the history of video games spans roughly fifty years, and although more than half of the population plays video games, video games have only recently emerged as a field of serious study. This class introduces students to the theory of video games, and answers questions such as: How are video games structured? What types of experiences do video games give? Who plays video games, when and why?

The course will enable students to:

• Understand and discuss video games from a theoretical perspective.
• Assess and discuss game concepts and the use of games in various contexts. 
• Overview the history of video game theory. 
• Apply new theories and evaluate them critically. 
• Analyze games, and understand and apply a range of analytical methods.