CSCE 443/VIST 487: Game Development

Fall 2013


Game Project #1

The purpose of this project is to get you used to working in groups and with the game development process. You will develop a short 2D game for this project. However, this game should have many of the same aspects as larger games have.

Your game must have some user interface that allows the user to interact with your game as well as provides feedback to the user. This interaction could take the form of a keyboard, mouse or even a gamepad. To provide feedback to the user, we suggest that your game display some status on the screen of the current state of the game (maybe time left, lives, health, etc...).

Your game must also use graphics in some way. This will involve creating a window and drawing onto the screen. You game may use 2D graphics (images) and should have at most some 2D-type of gameplay... no 3D first-person shooters for this project. Your game should also have some sort of animation and you must import some art asset from a file to create a content pipeline into your game.

In terms of gameplay, your game may be a single-player game although you may build a multiplayer game. You may not use networking for this project, so any multiplayer game must be done through a single computer if you choose to take this route. Finally, your game must have win/lose conditions.

There will be three group project presentations for this game where you must present to the class your progress during the last week and the current status of your game. You must also develop a website for your game as well. The website should be your showcase for your probject. At a minimum, it should contain screen shots, status updates and a link to download the executable of your game when you're finished.

You may develop your game with whatever tools you have available and whatever language you wish though we suggest looking at using XNA. You may use freely available external libraries as well to develop your game.

Email Requirement
You must send me an email by 9/19/2013 giving me the list of all of the people in your group except you. For each person, tell me what they did or did not do for the project. Give each person a score (0-10... 0 is bad). Also, tell me if you would like your comments shared with your group members. Finally, tell me if you would like to stay in your same group for the next project or switch groups or if you have any preferences. Unless you send me this email, your Peer Evaluation portion of your grade will be zero!

Grading
  • Project Presentations: 3 X 10% each
  • Game Website: 10%
  • Peer Evaluation: 10%
  • Game satisfying above requirements: 50%