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Game Design Challenge

Written by: Akram Taghavi-Burris | © Copyright 2025

Status: In Development

Game Design Challenge: Unity Fundamentals​

Throughout this book, you will encounter a series of Game Design Challenges (GDC) at the end of each chapter or section. Think of these challenges like Game Jams, where a theme and restrictions are provided, but the creative possibilities for your game are endless. Each GDC is designed to help you apply the skills covered in the section or chapter through a step-by-step tutorial, followed by a challenge to enhance the game further.

Game Jams

A Game Jam is a timed event where developers, designers, and creators come together to build a game from scratch based on a specific theme or challenge. These events typically last anywhere from a few hours to several days, and the goal is to create a playable game within that time frame. Game jams encourage creativity, collaboration, and rapid prototyping, with participants often working under tight deadlines. The focus is on experimentation and innovation, rather than perfection, allowing for fun and unexpected results.

Rules and Requirements​

For every Game Design Challenge, there are some essential guidelines to follow:

1. Use of Commercial Materials​

  • No copyrighted content: You are prohibited from using any copyrighted graphics, audio, characters, proprietary code, or logos in your game.
  • Free assets and open-source tools are welcome: You may use free assets, tools, and libraries, but make sure to cite them properly in your project documentation.
  • Original work is essential: At least 80% of your project must be your own work, created during the assignment.
    • This means that if you are focusing on programming, 80% of the code must be your own, but the assets (such as models or artwork) do not need to be created by you. If the assignment emphasizes basic interactions and game mechanics, the focus should be on ensuring those elements are original, while assets can be sourced from free or open-source libraries.

2. All Viewing Audiences​

  • Family-friendly content: All materials produced for this course must be appropriate for all ages.
  • No offensive content: Do not include offensive language, graphic violence, suggestive themes (e.g., sex, drugs, alcohol), or other inappropriate content.
  • Instructor approval: If you're uncertain whether something in your game may be inappropriate, always seek instructor approval. Assignments that do not follow these guidelines will not be graded.

Park Clean-Up Game: First Game Design Challenge​

The first Game Design Challenge covering 02 Unity Fundamentals will be to build the Park Clean-Up Game. This game challenge will be divided into multiple parts, each focusing on different Unity fundamentals such as:

  • Scene Building

  • Animation & Audio

  • Physics and Interaction

  • UI and Publishing

  • At the end of each tutorial, you will have the opportunity to enhance and expand your game using the skills you've just learned.

See the Park Clean-Up Game Concept Document for the outline of the core concept, theme, and basic mechanics of the game.