Game Design

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Why it works

Game design is an interdisciplinary field that combines design thinking, systems thinking, problem-solving, storytelling and user experience, visual and audio art, and often programming, and it is a highly engaging vehicle for teaching these rigorous skills. Strong game-design education teaches the design process (ideate, prototype, playtest, iterate), systems and mechanics (how rules create experiences), and the technical and creative skills involved, with real iteration based on feedback, rather than just letting students make games casually. It develops computational thinking, creativity, collaboration, and persistence, and connects to growing careers.

The research: CTE and computer science education standards; game-based learning research.

The run-of-show

Choose your slot. The agenda, timings, and length update to match.

The core activity: teach the design process and systems

Teachers leave with a game-design project built on process, systems, and iteration.

Pick a game-design project or concept.
Teach the design process (ideate, prototype, playtest, iterate).
Teach systems and mechanics (how rules create experiences).
Build in real iteration based on feedback, and connect to the skills and careers involved.

Design, systems, and iteration, not just making gamesGame design develops design thinking, systems thinking, and problem-solving through prototyping, playtesting, and iteration. Teach the process, not just casual game-making.

Facilitator notes

Teach the design process, and systems and mechanics.
Build in iteration and playtesting.
It is rigorous and interdisciplinary.

Casual game-making is not game-design educationLetting students make games with no design process or iteration misses the rigor. Teach ideate-prototype-playtest-iterate, systems, and real feedback.

Adapt it

Elementary: simple design, iteration, systems basics.
Secondary: design process, mechanics, prototyping, careers.
All settings: design process, systems, iteration.

Participant handout

One page for every teacher. Print it, or save it as a PDF.

K12 Academics · Professional Learning

Game Design: process, systems, iteration

Not just making games: teach the design process, systems and mechanics, and real iteration from feedback.

The game-design project or concept:
How I teach the design process (ideate, prototype, playtest, iterate):
How I teach systems and mechanics:
How I build in iteration from feedback:
The skills and careers I connect to:

Make it stick

Process, systems, iteration:

Teach the design process and systems.
Build in iteration.
Bring a game-design lesson to the next PLC.

Common questions

Isn't teaching game design just letting kids make games?

Taught well, no. It teaches the design process (prototype, playtest, iterate), systems and mechanics, and technical and creative skills, developing serious problem-solving and computational thinking, not just casual game-making.

What skills does game design build?

Design and systems thinking, problem-solving, storytelling and UX, art, often programming, plus collaboration, iteration, and persistence. It is rigorous and interdisciplinary.

Do I need to be a programmer?

Not necessarily. Game design includes design, systems, and creative work alongside programming, and many tools support design without heavy coding. Focus on the design process and thinking.