Chevron Left
Back to Introduction to Game Design

Learner Reviews & Feedback for Introduction to Game Design by California Institute of the Arts

4.7
stars
2,818 ratings

About the Course

Welcome! This course is an introduction to the primary concepts of gaming, and an exploration of how these basic concepts affect the way gamers interact with our games. In this course you will understand what defines a “game” and the mechanics and rules behind different types of games. Through four linked assignments you'll learn ways to create and describe a game concept, and specifically what makes a compelling game. This course focuses on the conceptual underpinnings of games, and all assignments can be completed with a pencil and paper – no previous programming knowledge is required....

Top reviews

TN

Apr 12, 2020

I really loved doing this course. Learnt how to make a simple game and make it really interesting! I loved how the easily the instructor was able to teach us and make us curious throughout the course.

DG

Feb 12, 2020

The lecture videos from Professor Fran and his old friend were surprisingly entertaining. Kudos to the team because they were able to make it fun, informative, and engaging throughout the four weeks.

Filter by:

676 - 700 of 831 Reviews for Introduction to Game Design

By Ritankar S

Aug 18, 2020

A quite fun and interactive course designed for the beginners out there who have a great passion for games but don't know how these are made. The video content is not something that is not already available on youtube but I think the peer reviews and helping my classmates with their games made me learn so much more than those videos.

By Benjamin B

Jan 4, 2016

Very good course, though it is an introduction, I feel as though I already knew most of the subjects that were explained, however I did not know the impact that those could have on a game's value and how it helps the player engage in the game. The course was simple to follow and helped me know what to focus on when starting a game.

By Emmanuel L

Sep 11, 2021

nobody actually grades each other, everyone just does what they want and gives each other the max score so that they all pass. It's a very easy course but it seems like nobody really tried very hard. The instruction from the lesson videos was clear and very approachable for beginners. Good course just don't expect any real critiques

By Joanna W

Jul 6, 2020

A good introduction to the basics of game design including mechanics, balance and character creation. It is VERY brief, so don't expect to cover too much ground. The course covers paper-based (board game) design, so it does NOT teach how to make video games, but it does impart the necessary foundation to do so in future.

By Magali R

Feb 14, 2017

Very good introduction. In a light and friendly manner, we're given basics of game, I particularly remember balance, that I now keep in mind and look for in many aspects. I appreciated that no computer knowledge is needed, it's really about thinking what makes a good game. Comments from the peer reviews are helpful.

By Angela H

Oct 16, 2017

The course was great! I really enjoyed the instructor and his puppet. Grading suffered a bit from the peer review system, so maybe not make 100% of the course grade depend on peer feedback. Overall, you get what you put into the course. I put a lot of work into designing my games, and learned a lot in the process.

By Shrubin S

Oct 12, 2015

Starting third week now, and I'm sold on learning by doing.

The classes are great, very easy to maintain focus because of how much variety Fran Krause brings to his lectures.

The best part, in my opinion, is going through the games of other people out there because of so many diverse ideas they bring to the table.

By Ansh W

Jan 4, 2018

Frank is a little too plain while explaining things which makes it a little difficult to understand. A bit more expression and gestures while speaking would have made it easier. Otherwise, it is a very good course carrying amazing content and learning potential. Thanks a lot for this CalArts and Coursera!

By Matías R

Aug 29, 2020

The professor is funny and explains the concepts in a simple manner. The examples are great and I learned a lot. I had trouble with the assignment because it kept asking to add stuff each week, but still limiting to one page and my project was a little complex, so I had to resort to make everything tiny.

By Юлия Ф

Sep 20, 2021

This course is rather informative for beginners, it teaches students some basics of the Game Design. You are able to get information from the course, or while working on your own game, or while reviewing the games of other people. Unfortunately, the feedback from other students is not always useful.

By Alexandria J

Feb 17, 2022

The course itself was fantastic! I feel like a learned a lot, and it's a good basis for getting into the world of game design. My only complaint was the peer reviews took quite a while, resulting in late grades, and having to push the deadline further because I didn't get the peer reviews I needed.

By Yauheni V

Jul 3, 2023

Very useful for those who want to understand how ideas are created in GD. Mild pace, wonderful style of lecturing, great usage of practical examples. Would be better to have like 1 lecture in every topic about common mistakes in documents. Anyway, solid basic skills and knowledge for beginners

By Michael I C

Aug 25, 2016

This course is a very good intro course. The instructor Fran is both informative and funny. Fran really offers some great advice on how to think in terms of ways to develop and test your game in different ways. I thought it was certainly worth it and I think you would think the same too!

By Mark B

Nov 28, 2017

Course is largely informative. However, the weekly assignments are peer graded. One other student plagiarized my work and tried to pass it as his own. I reported it, but Coursea has not responded. Not sure if they care. It seems like you can get away with anything.

By Rodrigo L

May 29, 2024

I liked the course, but I found it a little too simple, for the price of the course I would have expected something more, but in any case, the teaching is excellent and the content clear and informative. Perhaps together with the other courses it's enough.

By Sanne C

Apr 5, 2016

The course material is funny and easy to follow, it breaks down important aspects of game design into easy chunks and assignments. As for reviews I feel like you get back what put in, if you make the effort for someone else you will get in return.

By Davide

Feb 9, 2016

Even if it is a really simple course, I found it interesting and fun, even the homework were really funny to do. Much better than the second one.

I just say that pricing is too high for a course that actually put 1/2 basic concept for each video.

By Rajeev J

Aug 21, 2018

I think the classes were awesome and the assignments were very cool. However, the quality of feedbacks I received in the peer-reviewed assignments left much to be desired.

This is a good first course for someone who is stepping into game design.

By Stanisław P

Dec 22, 2015

Good course, I enjoyed the fact that there was a lot of hands-on work rather than just lectures, however, there could be more of the latter aswell. Quizes would be nice too.

The quality of the course is very high. Thank you for this course. :)

By jeanne c

Nov 2, 2020

I enjoyed the video lessons. Liked the instructor and the puppet.

At first I had a challenging time thinking digital yet creating paper games. But it didn't take long to make the adjustment.

Feedback from other students was not very helpful.

By Somesh N

Oct 30, 2015

I liked the fact that the course starts from and covers the very basics. The videos were fun to watch and the course taught a lot through the assignments. With very less time commitment , the course taught me to make my first board game.

By Viktoras B

Sep 20, 2015

The course was quite helpful. I've been trying to make games already, but never knew where to start designing the game. Unfortunately it's quite short which was disappointing. I would never pay 80$ for a couple hours of video with basics

By Cecilia L

Feb 7, 2022

Very basic course, so it is quick and easy to finish. Peer review system is luck of the draw with who you get to review your projects. I had to re-submit two assignments because of one person who didn't know how to click a PDF link.

By Tsur D

Sep 20, 2020

it was fun, but i feel that there wasn't enough content, it was a really basic intro.

The missions were fun.

It was a very easy intro course to game design.

Should be skipped if you have any previous experience in game design

By Amin R

Nov 8, 2022

Simple and fun method of education. short length videos, kind instructor and fun assignments.

I have learned some basics in game world. I like this course. thanks to coursera, calARTS, Fran and his cool puppet friend :)