RT Conference Proceedings
T1 A Longitudinal Look Into University Student Video Game Designs
A1 Tapscott, Alan
A1 Pérez, Óliver
A1 León Aznar, Carlos
A1 Joaquím Colás, 
AB Teaching video game design is challenging due to its plural and interdisciplinary nature, lack of theoretical and methodological consensus, and idiosyncratic dependence in its iterative process and practice. We analyze the game design documents (GDDs) generated over several years by teams of students in university video game design and development subjects. Observations and samples suggest game implementations are guided by informal discussions and not by design practices discussed in class and included in the materials. The delivered GDDs have content patterns (favoring flowcharts, lists and tables) but not structural patterns in the schema, and they are not iterated with the same frequency as game prototypes. We conclude that students are tasked with a practical, iterative process requiring knowledge and experience they lack. They use GDDs for documentation, not design, leading to costly and redundant teacher monitoring. Teaching video game design should include flexible guidelines for structure, methodology, and content through practice.
YR 2025
FD 2025-06-16
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/133538
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/133538
LA eng
NO Alan Tapscott; Óliver Pérez; Carlos León; Joaquím Colás. A Longitudinal Look Into University Student Video Game Designs. Conference Proceedings of DiGRA 2025: Games at the Crossroads. (Malta)
NO Agencia Estatal de Investigación
NO Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear
NO Comisión Europea
DS Docta Complutense
RD 19 mar 2026