For the next three weeks, you will be working on a midterm game created in Flash. This will count for ~20% of your final grade. You will present your progress to the class each week for critique. You will also have class time to work on your games. Make the most of this time, and prepare technical questions specific to your project for me!

• DUE ON OCTOBER 15th: Concept and Game Design document (explained below). You will present your game idea by explaining it and drawing how it works on the dry erase board.
• DUE ON OCTOBER 22nd: Present current state of game to the class. You should be halfway complete with your game, past the core mechanic stage.
• DUE ON OCTOBER 29th: Final Game critique.

• COME UP WITH A CONCEPT: Sit down and think about a concept for your game. Spend at least a half hour playing some of the games we discussed in class. You are encouraged to start from a game or interaction that you've completed previously, though you may come up with a new idea if you'd like to start fresh. You only have three weeks, so be realistic. Your game doesn't have to have a ton of levels, but it must be playable and fun by the 29th.
• REVIEW YOUR CONCEPT: After you've come up with an idea, think about how much time its going to take to build. Can you finish it in two weeks? Is it too much? If so, what can you simplify? Often the simplest ideas are the best to start with. Feature creep happens naturally.
• WRITE A GAME DESIGN DOCUMENT: See examples here. After you've decided on your game design concept, write a game design document. You document should describe the game in enough detail to be able to give to someone else to build. If you unsure of a given part of your game or gameplay, you may articulate this in your document. Include visual aids such as charts, diagrams, sketches or screenshots where necessary. (Note: this is important! You must include visual aids in this document!)Your document should be broken into the following sections:
  1. Overview: Just that, an overview. How would you describe your game as an overall experience? If you were to explain your game to someone in conversation, how would you do it? If there is a narrative or story behind your game, describe it here.
  2. Game Interaction / Game Play: What is the core mechanic in your game? How does the gamer interact with your game? What are the rules of this interaction? What is the goal of the game? This section usually includes visual aids to help explain how the game will function.
  3. Game Elements: What are the game elements that the user is interacting with? What are are the relationships between these elements? What are the characteristics of each game element? What does it do?
  4. Implementation: This section usually includes the technical challenges in creating your game. Create a list of the technical challenges you will face when making your game. This is important! It will help me help you.
  5. Other possibilities of sections: Game Modes, Level structure, Assets (graphics and sounds)...
• Your document should be atleast 3 pages (including visuals) as a DOC or PDF.