This course offers a comprehensive yet accessible entry point into the art and science of game design. During 12 hours, participants will explore the fundamental concepts, tools, and processes used by professional game designers across both digital and analogue formats. The course blends theory with intensive hands-on practice, guiding participants from an initial concept through prototyping, testing, and refining their own playable game. By the end, they will understand how game mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics interact to shape player experiences, and will leave with both a tangible project and a deeper appreciation of game design as a discipline.

• Introduction to game design: definitions, scope, and applications
• Key elements of game systems: mechanics, dynamics, aesthetics
• Player experience: motivation, engagement, and flow
• Core game genres and platforms
• The game design process: from idea to iteration
• Paper prototyping methods and tools
• Playtesting and feedback loops
• Team presentations and reflection

By the end of the training, participants will be able to:

• Explain the core concepts and vocabulary of game design
• Identify and analyse the mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetics of games
• Develop a simple but functional game concept and design document
• Apply rapid prototyping techniques to create a playable game
• Conduct basic playtesting and make iterative improvements based on feedback
• Present and communicate a game concept effectively

Interactive, project-based learning combining short theoretical inputs with group discussions, guided exercises, collaborative prototyping, and peer-to-peer feedback sessions.