GSND 5110 — Game Design and Analysis
4 semester hoursGraduateLectureusually offered: falltypical days: TBostonOakland, CATraditional
Provides theoretical background and foundation for analyzing and designing games. Examines fundamental domains that are necessary to understand what games are and how they affect players, including but not limited to interface design, level design, narrative, learning, and culture. Presents relevant concepts and frameworks from a wide variety of disciplines—psychology, phenomenology, sociology, anthropology, media studies, affect theories, learning theories, and theories of motivation—for each domain. Explains the core elements of game design, introduces students to formal abstract design tools, explores several models of design process and iteration, and offers students an opportunity to practice game design in groups.
Corequisites (same term)
Offering history
| Term | Sections | Enrolled | Capacity | Full | Open seats/section |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2023 | 3 | 49 | 63 | 78% | 4.7 |
| Fall 2024 | 3 | 45 | 63 | 71% | 6.0 |
| Fall 2025 | 4 | 66 | 90 | 73% | 6.0 |
Snapshots from scheduled scrapes — not live seat availability. "Full" can exceed 100% when sections over-enroll.
Meeting times
Share of recent sections by weekday: M 23% · T 62% · W 15% · Th 0% · F 0%
Common patterns: T (62% of sections), M (23% of sections), W (15% of sections) — in patterns, R means Thursday
Professors
Fall
- Bob De Schutter (46% of students) · reviews
- Michael Swartz (26% of students) · reviews
- Wallace Lages (11% of students) · reviews
- Clifford Lee (10% of students) · reviews
Percentages are each professor's average share of the season's enrolled students in recent terms.
Unlocks
Courses that list GSND 5110 in their prerequisites.
Links
Official catalog (GSND course descriptions) · Student reviews on RateMyHusky · All GSND courses · Plan it at numap.app