Learning Game Design: as a job or a hobby

The process of specifying and modifying the way the game plays: not programming, art, marketing, licensing, sound, etc.

[Note: I opted out of Udemy's deep discount marketing, so this class will never be offered for 75% off or a flat $10, let alone free. On the other hand, this course is priced as a book might be - there's certainly more words, counting bonus material, than in the average book. If I priced it as a typical Udemy course and used their marketing, it would be about $150. So you're already getting more than 67% off . . .]

This course is designed for people who want to design games - video or tabletop - but lack information about what is really involved and how to go about it. It's not rocket science, but commercial design is a JOB - one that cannot be done by rote, there is no "Easy Button". I'm not here to encourage you, or entice you to read, I'm here to inform you. I assume you have the motivation to learn how to design games, you just need to know how. And that means you need to do it from start to finish, to complete games rather than merely start them.

We'll discuss the process of game design, the possible structures in games, the best way to start learning game design, what makes a game good (there's a great variety of opinion about this), ways to provide a framework for your design efforts, ways to keep records of your work, software to help you learn. Many aspiring game designers have crippling misconceptions (such as the notion that it's all about a great idea, or that everyone who counts likes the same games they do), and I'll try to clear those out of your way.

This is not a comprehensive class about game design as a whole, it is a class about learning game design. That's a process that goes on throughout a game designer's career, but it starts here.

This class will never be offered for free or at very deep discounts. That is disrespectful to me and to the students who pay full price or near it.

Great course! Good for the starter like myself :)

Currently I follow this course (at 75% so far) and its a great course for beginner game designers like myself. The course is not a 1 click button and after your a game designer no (please send message if you found that course btw) but it gives a good frame work, hand outs, ideas and background about both video games and tabletop games.

So if you wanted to start with game design this is a great first step.

The teacher is clear and good to follow ( I am a student from The Netherlands and got no problem following this course). Also the course got some assignment I strongly recommend doing them I finaly found out why I Hate Monopoly :)