MMST12017 - Game Design

Showing: 2026 HE Term 1
General Information

Unit Synopsis

Digital games, also referred to as video games, computer games, console games, online games or mobile games, exist in a variety of formats, platforms and genres. This unit provides an introduction to the theories, principles and methods of game design. It analyses the essential elements of games that designers work with to create the all-important player experience. Activities such as conceptualising, designing, prototyping and evaluating games are explored.

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 2
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 2
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Prerequisite DGTL11006 Coding Fundamentals or MMST11002 Web Design

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2026

Term 1 - 2026 Profile
Brisbane Bundaberg Cairns Mackay Online Rockhampton

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Practical Assessment 30%
2. Practical Assessment 25%
3. Practical Assessment 45%

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).

Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades

Past Exams

Previous Feedback

Term 1 - 2025 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 90.00% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 50% response rate.

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Source: Student evaluation data
Feedback:
 The unit evaluations indicated high student satisfaction with no specific suggestions for improvement.

Recommendation:
 Review feedback, curriculum, learning resources and assessment tasks with a view to maintaining the positive student experience.

Action Taken:
 The unit, its associated resources and assessment structure were reviewed and updated (as required) to maintain high student satisfaction levels.
Source: SUTE Dashboard
Feedback:
 Unit curriculum, assessment tasks and learning resources will be reviewed as part of the unit coordinator's annual reflective practice and updated to maintain excellent student satisfaction levels. This includes reviewing any 'non-assessable' tasks to streamline the student learning journey.

Recommendation:
 In addition to personal reflection, the unit coordinator will benchmark MMST12017 against similar offerings at other institutions to ensure it meets or exceeds sector standards, while also maintaining careful consideration of students’ cognitive load.

Action Taken:
 In Progress
Source: SUTE Dashboard
Feedback:
 There is interest in in expanding the analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of additional indie and commercial game titles, with emphasis on formal game elements and the user interface (UI) design.

Recommendation:
 Additional game examples will be sought and actively discussed within the weekly Zoom sessions.

Action Taken:
 In Progress
Unit Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Explain theories, principles and methods of game design
  2. Conceptualise a game and communicate ideas through design documentation
  3. Competently use software tools for creating games and game assets
  4. Create a prototype for a game, applying theories, principles and methods of game design
  5. Evaluate a game in terms of theories and principles of game design
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Practical Assessment • • •
2 - Practical Assessment • • •
3 - Practical Assessment • • • • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Communication • • • • •
2 - Problem Solving • • • • •
3 - Critical Thinking • • • • •
4 - Information Literacy • • • • •
5 - Team Work • • •
6 - Information Technology Competence • • • • •
7 - Cross Cultural Competence • • • •
8 - Ethical practice • • • •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10
1 - Practical Assessment • • • • • • • •
2 - Practical Assessment • • • • • • • •
3 - Practical Assessment • • • • • • • •