In recent years, serious games have become both a booming industry and a powerful tool for education, helping to illuminate complex social and ecological challenges and inspiring meaningful engagement with their solutions. This project-based course introduces core principles of game design, with a focus on creating games that teach. Run as a hands-on studio, students will design and and prototype games aimed at social change and civic engagement. Through lectures and extensive readings, we will explore the fundamentals of game design in order to develop effective games that address pressing societal issues.
3-4 units · Letter or Credit/No Credit
In recent years, serious games have become both a booming industry and a powerful tool for education, helping to illuminate complex social and ecological challenges and inspiring meaningful engagement with their solutions. This project-based course introduces core principles of game design, with a focus on creating games that teach. Run as a hands-on studio, students will design and and prototype games aimed at social change and civic engagement. Through lectures and extensive readings, we will explore the fundamentals of game design in order to develop effective games that address pressing societal issues.
Offered in Autumn 2025 at Stanford University.