BTEC Level 3 ICT
Unit 8 Game Development
Assignment 2
You must produce the design documentation for a computer game. You have been asked to write a computer game that
will appeal to children aged around 8-12.The game involves navigating a character around an area collecting items and
avoiding hazards. Collecting items adds to your score, colliding with hazards uses up lives, of which each game character
only has a limited number. For example the player could direct a mouse around a house collecting pieces of cheese, but the
mouse needs to avoid cats (hazards) which occupy the house. The game should be timed, with player performance based
on the score achieved over a certain time. It should also have levels of difficulty with more difficult levels having more
hazards, fewer lives or a shorter time. The game should be exciting and fun to play, as well as visually appealing.
It would be a good idea to have the following:
- An introduction to the assignment.
(What have you been asked to do? I have been asked to …..)
PASS:
B.P3 – Produce Designs for a computer game that meets client’s needs.
The following should be included:
Description
Game Overview- you should include a narrative explaining leveling, reward, tension within your game.
Done?
Mood board- this should show a how you have generated ideas and what games you are using as inspiration
Storyboards - You should include a storyboard that describes key aspects of the game. There are some
good notes on the Dummies Guide to Game Design where this example comes from. In some ways this
might be considered your screen design(s) where you should design the screen for each stage of the game
including levels, game start and game over. Don’t forget to leave space around the sides for annotation.
Target Audience – Talk about the target audience of the game, making sure that you include gender and age
range.
Sprite Design(s)- This will be the character(s) and object(s) that will appear in your game. Your sprite design
will look something like these examples. It might be worth looking at http://www.spriteland.com,
http://open.commonly.cc or http://opengameart.org for ideas.
Object Design For each object, a list of events (e.g. collisions or hitting a screen boundary) and actions (e.g.
increasing score and game over). It is important that you include Pseudo Code for key events for each object
such as jump, destroy or score.
Data Dictionary- (text book page 443)
Test plan
You will need to create a test plan and also agree on a test buddy to test your work.
A test plan should show that you plan to test your game has no problems, and if it does how will you fix this?
B.P4 – Review the design with others to identify and inform improvements
Description
Done?
Review – You will need to review your plans and get feedback from your peers
Improvements – You should make improvements to your plan based on the feedback you have received
You should write this up in a peer feedback form, or alternatively as an email.
For example, if you have been told that your plans need improving, you should keep your original plans and then
produce a new one with the improvements.
MERIT:
B.M2 – Justify decisions made, showing how design will fulfil its purpose and client requirements
Description
Justify Decisions – You should justify every decision that you have made during the creation of the plan.
Explain why you have decided to do certain things. Why have you chose or not chosen certain
sprites/characters? Why have you chosen backgrounds/levels? Why have you used images ?
Legal and Ethical considerations for your game (page 444 text book)
Chosen Software (Game Maker)
Hardware and software requirements
Constraints
Copyright
Game Requirements – For each of the decisions that you have made during the plan, you should explain
how each of these will help meet the aim of the game
Done?
C.P5 Produce a computer game to meet client requirements.
Description
Produce a Game- take screenshots of your progress explaining the steps as you make your game.
Done?
C.P6 Test a computer game for functionality, usability, stability and performance.
Description
You will need to refer back to your test plan and test the elements of your game and make sure that things
are working. You will need to take print screens to show you have tested your game
You will also need to show evidence if you corrected any errors in your game
Done?
C.P7 Review the extent to which the computer game meets client requirements.
Description
Review- what did you client want? Have you created a game that met your client needs, and if so how?
Include print screen evidence that shows how you met the criteria of the game. Did you have any difficulty?
How did you overcome this difficulty?
Done?
MERIT:
B.M2 – Justify decisions made, showing how design will fulfil its purpose and client requirements
Description
Justify Decisions – You should justify every decision that you have made during the creation of the plan.
Explain why you have decided to do certain things. Why have you chose or not chosen certain
sprites/characters? Why have you chosen backgrounds/levels? Why have you used images ?
Game Requirements – For each of the decisions that you have made during the plan, you should explain
how each of these will help meet the aim of the game
Done?
C.M3 Optimise a computer game to meet client requirements.
Description
Optimise Content – If you have made character or sprite then you can optimise these to
meet the size requirements of the game.
You could optimise the images that you have used so that they also fit the different size
requirements (individual research on size requirements needed).
Explain – For each piece of optimised content you should explain your reasons behind
optimising it. Why did you need the content to be of a certain size? Why did you optimise?
How will this help with interaction and engagement.
Done?
DISTINCTION:
BC.D2 Evaluate the design and optimised computer game against client requirements.
Description
Evaluate your Plan – Evaluate your plan and designs in general. What is good about your plan and what
would your improve if you had more time and resources? Evaluate the plan against each of the game
requirements– have these been met?
Evaluate Game Maker- how useful has this been?
Done?
BC.D3 Demonstrate individual responsibility, creativity and effective self-management in the design, development and
review of a computer game.
Description
Individual Responsibility – Evaluate how you have shown individual responsibility during the assignment.
Have you done your own research? Have you made sure you have back-ups of all your files?
Creativity – Explain and evaluate how you have been creative while producing the assignment. Have you
made all of the images yourself?
Effective Self-Management – Evaluate how you have managed your time while producing the assignment.
Observation Record – Ask your teacher to complete a ‘Record of Practical Activity’ document where they
can explain how they think you have work during the assignment. (This will contribute to D3).
Done?