Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mrs. Tipping, and I'm really looking forward to learning with you today about creative careers.

We're going to do lots of thinking, talking, and exploring together in this lesson.

So shall we get started? Let's go.

By the end of today's lesson, lesson, you'll be able to design a game with a festival theme.

Before we start, I would like to introduce you to some keywords.

We'll be using these keywords during the lesson, so it might be a good idea to write these words down.

The keywords we'll be using today are games designer, genre, and aesthetic.

I'm gonna see these words again, and I would like you to repeat them after me.

Games designer.

Genre.

Aesthetic.

Good job.

Now, let us think in more detail about what these keywords mean by taking a look at their definitions.

A games designer is someone who creates ideas for video games.

A genre is a category that groups things based on their style, content, or how they are played.

And aesthetic is the style that gives something its mood or atmosphere.

So pause the video here to make a note of these keywords, and when you're ready to continue, press play.

These are the learning cycles that we'll be working through together in today's lesson.

Exploring what a games designer is, and designing a festival themed game.

In this first learning cycle, we're going to explore what a games designer is.

A games designer is someone who creates ideas for video games.

A games designer might decide what the game is about, what the player can do, and how the game looks and works.

Games all have different genres.

A video game genre is a way to group games based on how they are played or what they are about.

Some game genres might include platformers.

These are games involving jumping and navigating levels with obstacles.

Or puzzle.

Puzzle games focus on logic, critical thinking, and problem solving.

So these are a couple of game genres here.

There's also adventure.

Adventure games might include exploration, storytelling, and combat.

This simulation and sandbox games, these use open-ended play, building, and creativity.

And there are racing games that are fast paced, but usually involve non-violent competition.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

Which genre of game includes building and creativity.

Is it platformer, simulation, or racing? Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think, and press play when you are ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said simulation, that's absolutely right.

These games are also sometimes referred to as sandbox games.

This is the genre of game that includes building and creativity.

Some game and game designers are Markus Persson, also known as Notch, who designed Minecraft.

Among Us, designed by games studio Innersloth.

Shigeru Miyamoto and Hideki Konno were both instrumental in the design for Mario Kart for Nintendo.

And Scratch designed by Mitchel Resnick and his team at the MIT Media Lab.

Among Us was released in 2018, but it became popular in 2020.

Thanks to streamers and social media.

Among Us is a multiplayer game where players work together to catch the secret imposters whilst completing tasks.

Marcus Bromander, Forest Willard, and Amy Liu all worked on the games design, animation, programming.

and graphics before the game was released.

The game encourages teamwork, communication, and problem solving as players have to talk, share clues, and vote on who they think the imposter is.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

A games designer will consider different genres when designing a game.

Is this statement true or false? Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think, and press play when you are ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said that's true, you are absolutely right, but can you explain why that statement is true? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner, and press play when you're ready to continue.

What did you think? Well, if you said something like a video game genre is a way to group games based on how they are played or what they are about, then you're absolutely right.

Well done.

In all genres of games, game designers need to consider the safety of their users.

They might do this by recommending their users: to establish private games with known family and friends.

To use a form of sensor chat, meaning inappropriate words are blocked.

To ensure that the themes are appropriate for the age of the players they are designing for.

And to not share passwords.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

Which of the following is not a way to help ensure the safety of game users? Using private or friends-only game settings? Sharing your passwords with other players? Using chat filters to block inappropriate language? Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think about which of the following is not a way to help ensure the safety of game users, and press play when you are ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said that sharing your passwords with other players is not safe, you are absolutely right.

Well done.

This now brings us to our first learning task.

I'd like you to explore and research a game of your choice.

You might think about the genre.

Is the game a puzzle, for example.

You might think about the characters.

Who do you play as in the game? You might think about the objective.

What is the player trying to do? You might think about the mechanics.

What actions can the player take? And the challenge, what obstacles are there in the game? And finally, the feedback.

How does the game show progress or failure? So pause the video here and give yourself enough time to explore and research a game of your choice.

And press play when you are ready to continue.

How did you get on? Were you able to consider each of these parts of the game? Well, looking at this example here, you might have said that the genre is sandbox and adventure and the characters you play are Steve or Alex or maybe a custom skin.

The objective is to build whatever you want or to survive by collecting resources and fighting monsters.

The mechanics of the game are that you can mine blocks, place blocks, craft tools, fight mobs, and explore.

The challenge is that you need to survive hunger and the monsters, and not to fall into the lava.

And the feedback, you see hearts for health, you can see the hunger bar, and you get messages when you die or craft something.

So well done for having a go at exploring a game of your choice.

Hopefully, you've unpicked each of these different elements to come to understand it more.

And you may have also researched a game designer's life and their influences.

Maybe compared games with similar genres.

And maybe taken ideas from their work.

Izzy says, "I really like the way that this games designer use bright, vibrant graphics with lots of detail.

Each track has its own unique style, from underwater levels to racecourse in the sky.

I think the characters are well designed and look just like they do across other games." So well done for exploring a games designer of your choice.

This now brings us to the second part of our lesson.

We're going to look at designing a festival themed game.

When designing your game, you might think about how to include your festival theme.

This can be done through the games aesthetic or style.

Game designers use an aesthetic to make the game look and sound a certain way.

This helps create the right mood to make the game more fun to play and help players understand what to do.

Game designers will try to make their aesthetic consistent throughout their game.

This is so everything in the game fits together and feels like part of the same world.

A consistent aesthetic helps players stay focused and understand the game better.

A games aesthetic might include ideas about what the graphics in the game look like, what the music and sound effects are going to be, the atmosphere you want to create through colour, and the mood or feeling of the game.

Is it fun, scary, exciting, or calm? Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

A games aesthetic does not need to be consistent throughout the game.

Is this statement true or false? Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think, and press play when you are ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said that's false, you are absolutely right.

Can you explain why that statement is false? Pause a video here and have a discussion with your partner, and press play when you are ready to continue.

What did you discuss? Well, if you said something like keeping the graphics, sounds, colours, and feelings the same throughout the game, help players stay focused and understand the game better, then you are right.

Well done.

Game designers might start by thinking about the name of their game.

Izzy says, "My game will be called 'Rhythm and Lights'.

I like the way it sounds full of colour and beats".

A games designer can then think about the genre and target audience for their game.

Izzy says, "I have used bright, colourful visuals and upbeat, energetic graphics to make my game appeal to 9 to 12 year olds." Now, they might wanna spend some time considering the aesthetic of their game by thinking about what the graphics in the game look like.

So Izzy says, "I'm using bright, pixelated graphics." We can see those there with the stars.

That's quite an impressive effect.

Also, the atmosphere you aim to create through colour.

"My colour palette includes strong contrast." And then we've got the mood or feeling of the game.

Is it fun, scary, exciting, or calm? Izzy is aiming for an exciting and fun game.

She says, "I need to use graphics that reflect that mood." So you can see from her colour palette that she's got some really bright colours against some dark colours there, and the pixelated graphics are giving that fun and exciting mood.

Games designers can then write a brief description of the storyline or premise of their game.

So here is Izzy's.

"Welcome to Rhythm City, where music powers everything - from lights and buildings to the mood of its people.

But the city is losing its rhythm and the once bright festival of lights is fading.

You play as a young music talent chosen to restore the city's energy by completing rhythm-based challenges, unlocking dance battles and helping citizens regain their groove." Now, Izzy says, "The challenge is for players to bring the music back and light up the night." So you can see from this brief description what the game is all about.

Now, a games designer might describe the main characters.

So for Izzy, who've got Luma Beats whose age 14.

They are the main hero, the music restorer.

Their style is urban neon streetwear.

Their hair is bright-colored with streaks that change colour based on the rhythm level.

And accessories include LED headphones, light up sneakers, and holographic wrist tuner.

Izzy says, "My character is creative and confident and she loves music and dance." And we can see that there from that description of Luma Beats.

Now, a games designer might create a visual character from their description.

Your character might have a friend or companion to complete challenges with.

Izzy says, "This is Jax Pulse, Luma's best friend.

He is smart, calm, and always thinking one step ahead.

He likes remixing beats and creating custom soundtracks." Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

A games designer might consider.

when designing their game.

So what is missing from the gap here? Is it graphics, texture, and pattern? Graphics, colour, and mood? Colour, mood, and timing? So pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think about what's missing from this sentence here, and press play when you are ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said that a games designer might consider graphics, colour, and mood when designing their game, you are absolutely right.

Considering these three things when game designing helps to keep the aesthetic of the game consistent.

This now brings us to our final learning task.

I'd like you to design your game.

You might include the title of your game, the use of graphics, colour, and mood, a description of the storyline or the premise, and a description or drawing of the main character or characters or even the setting.

So pause the video here and give yourself enough time to design your game going through each of these steps, and press play when you are ready to continue.

How did you get on? Did you enjoy designing your own game? Well, let's have a look at this example here.

Hopefully, you've considered the title of your game, and come up with something that captures your festival.

Hopefully, you've used graphics, colour, and mood to keep the aesthetic consistent.

You've been able to describe your game's storyline, and either described or drew your main character or characters like Luma Beats here and Jax Pulse.

So well done for having a go at designing your own festival themed game.

Before we finish this lesson, let's summarise what we've learned about creative careers as a games designer.

A games designer is a person who creates ideas for video games.

A video game genre is a way to group games based on how they are played or what they are about.

And game designers use an aesthetic to make the game look and sound consistent.

Thank you for joining me in this lesson today.

I hope you enjoyed learning about creative careers.

I certainly did.

I hope to see you for another unit of learning soon.

See you then.