Foundations of Game Planning and Design

Have you ever wondered how your favorite games are conceived, structured, and brought to life before a single line of code is written? Behind every great game is a meticulous plan that defines its rules, world, and player experience. This text-based course guides you through the foundational concepts of game planning and design, helping you transition from a passionate player to a structured thinker who can detail game mechanics, draft narrative arcs, and plan engaging levels. What you'll learn: - Understand the core terminology, game loops, and fundamental concepts of player psychology. - Design balanced game mechanics, rules, and progression systems that keep players engaged. - Draft compelling narrative structures, world-building elements, and character arcs. - Plan balanced levels using modern design principles, player flow techniques, and accessibility standards. - Create professional game design documents (GDD) and text-based gameplay prototypes. - Analyze modern live-operations (LiveOps) strategies and player feedback loops to guide post-launch design updates. The course starts with essential definitions and game theory, moving systematically through mechanics, narrative, level design, and modern production workflows. You will study written case studies and complete practical design exercises to build your first conceptual game portfolio. This course is designed specifically for absolute beginners with no prior programming or design experience. Start your journey into the game industry by mastering the art of game planning today.