Game Design in Mythology Class

(This post is copied from my Classroom Games and Tech blog.)

Melinda Newcombe teaches the Mythology class at our high school. We teamed up earlier in the month as part of the Go Beyond Challenge I raised to myself and several teachers this school year.

In this overview, I'll link to a couple games that students made in this Mythology game design project. I'll also explain what we learned and give links to resources. 

Key Challenge to Remember:  The course content has to be the goal. If the students are thinking and talking about the content, it's a win no matter how the games turn out. 

We considered this project a big success in a lot of ways. It is a unique blend of content, game creation, collaboration and technology. Students and the teachers really enjoyed it throughout. I know from experience, though, that it can be overwhelming to take on the first time. This is not just a PDF download that you print and hand out. I'll list some tips at the end for anyone considering it.

My key takeaway: Working with this class convinced me this is a great project for a group of students who are interested in making a game. While it worked very well for us with a whole class, that brings a lot of obstacles you won't want to tackle until you've gone through the process a few times.

Overview

I put a lot of information about the game design project in general on my Game Design Project Packs site. Keep that link handy in case you want to use this someday. It provides a number of simple game options that the students can redesign based on the lesson content.  

We worked on the project for six class periods.

The overall process is:

• Learn to play what I call the "base games". These are games that will be new to almost all the students. They are easy to learn and they don't require a ton of printed materials. Don't underestimate how important those things are. It took a lot of work to find good games that fit that criteria. Since the games are not about the course content, I try to make sure the students learn them and play them in just one class period.
• Students then complete some planning sheets that help them think about how they will add a theme to the base games. This is vitally important, since it's when students apply the lesson content to the game. For example, if the base game uses chips as points, the planning sheet will ask them to think about what the chips represent from the lesson content. Here's the planning sheet we used for groups that redesigned Love Letter. 
• Next, students edit the templates I provide for the cards in the various games. All templates are in Google Slides, so the tech is not a huge obstacle. Students can easily do a superficial change, by just making the cards be about their lesson content. If time allows, though, you can dig deeper into game design here, asking them to make changes to the effects of cards and the rules of the game. (Templates are found on my Project Pack site. I'll add more soon.)
• When the templates are finished, it's time to print them, cut them out and see how well they work. Through playing them with other groups, students get a good review of the lesson material. It also lets them see the importance of testing and revision in game design (or any design for that matter). If there's time, you can repeat the previous step and this one, allowing them to improve the games.
• At the end, I have students do a reflection sheet that seals the learning. I ask about what they learned from the content, how they tied it into their games, and what they learned about game design. I also get feedback from them about the project itself, so I can do better next time.

Example Games Created by Students

Here are two different games students created as part of this project. They are two of the five different styles of games we offered. I made a few edits to clean up these files, but the majority of work was from students.

• Mythology Love Letter Retheme - A light strategy game based on Love Letter. This video shows how to play the original game. (Thanks for AEG for permission to use their Love Letter game in this project.)
• Take Your Pick Mythology Version - This is a party game I designed. It's published by SimplyFun. This video from the publisher shows how to play the original game. You'd need more cards to play for very long.

What We Did Differently This Time and What I Learned

As I said, this is the first time I worked with a large class and gave them the option of choosing from several games. I presented many options for them for the first day, as they learned the base games. Among all the groups, they chose to learn four different ones. 

Teaching that many new games to six or seven groups in 40 minutes (and giving them time to play) is a huge task. I've used games in class for 25 years, so I know how to teach them quickly and effectively. You'll make your life easier if you pick one game everyone has to redesign. 

Two of the base games I taught that day--including one that got the most repeated play--are not posted online yet. I will add them to the list on my Project Packs site soon. 

I will also add a section to my site for Mythology class projects specifically. There I'll post all the planning sheets, templates and reflection sheets we used. (The ones there now are generic, so teachers can adapt them to any subject or lesson.)

Two groups decided to branch out and make a game completely different from those I presented. What they proposed fit my criteria (not much to print, easy to learn, etc.), so I encouraged it. Remember that only had about 2.5 class periods to actually make the game content. You can probably guess what happened with both of these groups' game ideas. They had fun working on them, but they didn't get far in that little time. 

In fact, feedback from many students was that they needed more time. Students could stretch a project like this out for weeks, and if you're teaching game design you would need that long. All things considered, though, the teacher and I decided the goal was met and it was time to move on.

One big change I'd make was to focus more on learning standards as I met and planned this with the teacher. It was not a loss, but I could have done better in that area. The teacher told me she was really glad to hear the review taking place as students tested their games. There was conversation throughout about various myths and personalities. Once I read over everyone's reflections, though, I realized review was the most they got from it. With more planning, we could have achieved deeper learning goals.

Summary of Tips for Success:

• Keep content the goal. Remind students of that. Games might not work as intended. Art and fonts might look terrible. Many groups won't completely finish their game. If students were talking about and thinking about the content in new ways, your goal was achieved. 
• If students feel they don't have enough time or their game isn't going as planned, remind them they can always work on it as a personal project. Here are some posts that include a lot of tips for students who are interested in making games.
• These game design projects could fit in any subject, but they work best if you just finished a story or you've studied a historical period. Language Arts and Social Studies classes are easiest to start with.
• If you care about proper use of digital resources, provide a list of sites students can use for free images. I include that on their planning sheets. (See my Love Letter Planning Sheet as an example of sites I listed.)
• Let a motivated small group go through a Project Pack first, then decide if you want to try it with more groups or a whole class.
• Choose the game they will redesign, rather than just throwing several options at them.
• Contact me if you have questions. I can provide a lot more examples and resources than what I have here or on my other site.

1000 Stories - A Simple Role-Playing Game for the Classroom

Clark Rodeffer and I created 1000 Stories in 2017, when we made the rest of the Project Packs on this site. It's a very simple role-playing system that could be played by students who are not familiar with other such games. 

There are not many rules in 1000 Stories. They fit on a small player aid sheet. If one player understands those rules, they can get others playing within minutes.

Recently I fleshed the game out into a complete booklet. Clark helped with editing and suggestions. Then over the past few months, we added two supplements. You can get all three booklets in one convenient bundle from DriveThruRPG at this link. The usual price is only $1.25. (That page also lists the individual booklets, if you just need the supplements. You can download each of those supplements for free.)

The booklets are:

• The core rules for how to make characters and use dice to determine results of actions.
• Supplement #1 has optional rules for conflicts and competition. It also has tips for handling scenes with physical conflicts appropriately in the classroom.
• Supplement #2 is an introductory Story that a Guide could use to quickly teach new players how to role-play with 1000 Stories.

As with all the Project Packs, 1000 Stories allows students to adapt a simple basic game to the material they are studying in class. Because of the narrative nature of RPGs, this works best in Language Arts or Social Studies classes. For example, if they are in a History class studying the U.S. Civil War, their project could be creating and playing through a few scenes of an adventure (called a Story) they set in the time period. 

Here are some suggestions and tips for assigning this as a project.

Planning

If you’re unfamiliar with role-playing games, be aware that this is a very different type of classroom project and a different type of game. It’s not a PDF worksheet that you print, hand out and keep kids busy for 20 minutes on a Friday afternoon. It is important enough that it’s worth doing right. Read information below and be sure you understand the overall flow of the project. It will take some planning to make it fit your class and your subject matter. Students will need some structure before they set off to to explore. 

Because of this, plan on starting small and choose the right group. At least some of the members need to be self-motivated enough to learn the few rules. Someone needs to be mature enough to lead the game as a Guide. 

Here are some specific thoughts about how the game fits in the lesson:

• Click this link to get a copy of the Planning Sheet. Edit as needed to fit your lesson. In completing this and writing their Story, the students will delve deeply into the lesson topic. What the sheet calls a "lesson topic" is your course content and learning target. You can add that information right to the document yourself and remove the first question if it will help the students keep the correct focus.
• Playing an RPG requires one person (or group) to make a Story, then lead other players through it. The players going through the Story probably shouldn't know everything that's going to happen. How can you handle this in class, when everyone needs to work on the project? Here are two ways to consider.
• Working with multiple groups - Have each group make their own complete Story. Then when it comes time to play through them, pair up the groups. Group A could lead Group B through their Story first (taking on the role of Guide). After they play for a class period or two, switch roles. Group B then leads Group A through the Story they made. The group that's leading can share the responsibility of running NPCs and filling in everyone with the action.
• Working with a single group - Have the group create a rough outline of an overall Story with multiple scenes. Then have each group member be responsible for planning the details of one or two of those scenes. When it's time to play, each group member would be the Guide through their individual scene(s). Since every group member will be a Guide and a Player at different times, they can still control their character whether they are playing or leading the scene. Player choices will certainly take the scenes in unexpected directions, so this requires everyone to be flexible when it's their turn to lead a scene they made.

Playing

• Depending on time constraints, students probably will not play through a complete Story. Encourage the Guide to choose the key scenes that will most help students get the most out of the setting or theme of the lesson.
• If students won't be playing in class, you can have them record video or just audio of their game. Decide if they should record the whole play session or just some of it. Editing could be required too. Watching or listening to that will give you a good idea of what was learned.
• Obviously it takes skill to lead a group in an RPG. If any student has experience doing that, be sure the group gives them that role first, so the others can learn how it's done. If you and the students do not have experience with this, the 1000 Stories books have lots of tips and examples. Search for role-playing games online if you need to see more. Watch anything you show to use in class ahead of time, to be sure it's appropriate.

Reflection

Reflection seals the learning and it's a vital part of every Project Pack. Students can report out, possibly as a group, about what they learned. You can assign this as a presentation they make to the whole class, a written assignment, or an audio or video recording. If creative writing is a significant part of the course content, having the students write out an entire scene or two can be an excellent end to the project. Here are some reflection questions you can also use.

• Why did you choose the scenes you did for your Story?
• If you didn't have time to run all the scenes, why did you pick the ones you did?
• What did you learn about the lesson topic from making the Story or scene?
• What did you learn about the lesson topic from running the Story as a Guide?
• What did you learn about the lesson topic from playing the Story as a Player?
• If you were going to create another Story in the same setting, what would you do differently?
• What do you remember most about this project?
• Would you recommend other teachers use a game like this for the lesson topic? Why or why not?

Holiday Game Design Activities

After recently seeing some groups enjoy these Projects Packs, I decided to revise some of the planning sheets to focus on holiday themed games. This is still a very broad topic! For example, students might make their game about exchanging gifts, running a store, the frantic aspects of the holiday season or maybe the history or traditions of a holiday or a culture. The possibilities are endless.

Remember that if you are using these new planning sheets in class, these are used in Stage 2 (the Make stage). The students will still need play the related Base Game before they start planning. If you're new to the Project Packs, you can find everything you need to know about the flow of the overall project on this page.

Here are the new Holiday Planning Sheets that would replace the ones you'd find in the usual Project Packs. The games are listed here in order of complexity, both for playing and redesigning. See this page if you want more information to decide which will be best for your students.

• Zapped  
• Roll-n-Flip 
• Love Letter

Revisiting the Game Design Project Packs in STEM

It's been three years since I started making the Project Packs. A lot of changes on my job have moved me in other directions, but I recently had a chance to get back to them. I took a couple groups through the Love Letter Project in middle school STEM and they couldn't get enough of it!

It reminded me how much potential these activities have for learning and engagement.

On the other hand, I've also learned a lot about creating classroom resources for other teachers in the past three years. I see now the Project Packs are not as "ready to go" as many teachers would like. While a teacher could possibly just hand out the resources (physically or digitally) and set the class loose, it would take a special group of students to sort it out on their own.

Instead it would be better for the teacher to play the base game ahead of time and create their own sample project. And it might one of many projects going on in the class. (Game design probably won't appeal to every student.)

When many teachers google "class game design activity", they probably are looking for something a little more structured and conventional.

Clark and I were going for something deeper when we started working on these. 

In my experience, quick, easy engagement in the classroom usually results in superficial learning that fades soon after the test. I envisioned the projects on this site as something a lot more epic. From what I've seen, I still think it's possible.

If you've looked at any of the Packs and they seem overwhelming, make sure you've read and understand the four stages below. Only then should you try to choose one of the individual projects.

Click any one of the stages below to see what that part of the activity entails. This page includes this important information, but elaborates on some of it too.

 Learn the Base Game - Students get a chance to learn the rules and play the base game that they'll be modifying.

Redesign the Base Game - Using a Game Design Planning Sheet, students will make connections between key aspects of the class content and their version of the base game.

Playtest the Games - Students play their own games and the games of others. They can exchange feedback and, if time allows, further develop their designs.

Reflection - A reflection sheet requires students to think back over the project. It asks their opinions and for justification of their design decisions with respect to the class content.

How to Adjust the Project Packs

Most teachers won't use a game design activity because they fear it will take too much time. That's why one of my main goals for the Game Design Project Packs has been to provide flexible stages that teachers can adjust or skip altogether.

Here four levels teachers could choose from, in order from least to greatest investment of class time.

Just for Fun - This would be a quick entry into game design. Students could complete it in two class periods.

• Learn and play the Base Game.
• Complete the Planning Sheet, including redesigning the cards.
• The teacher could have students actually print the cards and play the game outside of class, or just leave that to the students to pursue if they want to.

Introductory Level - This is the best way to let students see the whole process without taking too much time for game design. This will probably take three or four class periods.

• Learn and play the Base Game.
• Complete the Planning Sheet, including redesigning the cards.
• Create the cards and any other components.
• Test the game they created by playing it.
• Complete the Reflection sheet.

Standard Level - This lets students explore game design more fully, but stops short of making a polished production. This would take five or six class periods.

• Learn and play the Base Game.
• Complete the Planning Sheet, including redesigning the cards.
• Make additional changes to the rules too. (The Planning Sheets have suggestions for this.)
• Create the cards and any other components.
• Test the game they created.
• Exchange games between groups and have students try each other's games.
• Revise games based on feedback.
• Complete the Reflection sheet.

Advanced Level - This would work well for an elective class that can focus extensively on the game design process. It could be drawing out to two or three weeks, depending on the quality of the final product. Include all the steps from the Standard Level, but also add these:

• Written rules are required, including introductory paragraphs that draw players into the theme.
• Require repeated cycles of testing and revision, including some groups who have to learn the games only from the rules.
• Card design must include color layouts and artwork. You might even require a quality printed version.
• Instead of or in addition to the Reflection Sheet, students would be required to write a reflection of the design process for their game and what they learned from it.

Here's the slide I used in a recent presentation. It only includes the Introductory through Advanced levels.

Game Design Project Packs Quick Overview

I created a short overview video (just over 1.5 minutes long) to sum up the Game Design Project Packs. You can also find it on the What's a Game Design Project Pack? page.

Non-Digital Game Design for Deep Learning - MACUL 2017 Presentation

Clark Rodeffer and I shared the Game Design Project Packs with educators at the MACUL conference in Michigan this week. Here are three resources related to this.

First, we created a trimmed down version of the Project Packs site so teachers could see the project more or less as students would. That site is here. It is a great introduction to the resources, but remember that you can find those plus all the additional information for running the projects by accessing the different items in the menu above.

After the conference, I recorded myself talking through the intro, much like we did at the conference. In less than nine minutes it sums up the purpose of the Packs and how they solve the problems I've seen in other game design projects.

And here are all the presentation slides.