Game Studies is a course that combines the cultural studies of games with the act of making them. In this course, students will learn to make game-like media using Unity and C#. We will focus on the development of small-scale “studies” that work to rethink games as a genre and how they fit in the discourse of art. Our technical explorations will foreground an experimental approach to game development, considering how short algorithms can develop new ludic languages and forms of play. By approaching game-making as an art practice, we will challenge the role of interaction in gameplay, the relationship between player and spectator, and the terms of representation in game spaces. The making-based portion of this course will be supplemented by in-class readings and screenings that analyze the aesthetic, cultural, and critical aspects of games. No prior programming experience is necessary. 

ELECTIVE