Gameplay Systems and Launch Planning

This unit builds on foundational game design principles to deepen students’ understanding of mechanics, progression, art style choices, audience analysis, and playtesting methods while preparing them for production and publishing. Students will practice making scope, tool, and marketing decisions, and create a pre-launch plan that uses playtesting and data to iterate toward a viable product.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze how core game mechanics, progression systems, world design, art style, and social systems influence player motivations, engagement, and perceptions of fun using examples from existing games
• Apply game balance and design guidelines to develop and justify progression systems, difficulty curves, and scope decisions for a playable prototype or design pitch
• Evaluate target audience segments, platform publishing options, and marketing approaches to select appropriate art tools, distribution channels, and outreach strategies aligned to project goals
• Demonstrate the ability to produce a comprehensive pre-launch plan that includes playtesting methods, participant recruitment, data metrics for iteration, required team skills, and a scope-managed timeline toward launch