How to make a game
Secondary Version

Below are a series of guides and planners to summarize some of our experiences and to help you and your students get started designing and making games for social sciences.

A few Pre-Game Creation Practical Considerations

First, let’s get some basic, practical considerations out of the way:

The game’s pieces, tools, and resources should be free and easily copied by teachers and students.
The technologies used to make the game should be free and accessible and not likely to be deprecated, to eventually require costs, or to be discontinued. (For example, we use Google Drive technologies, whereas there is a slight risk in using gaming tool sites like Kahoot.)
Ideally, the gaming idea and tools could be shared back for provincial use or as a model for local use in other communities. Before you start, you might want to check our Padlet, which lists some completed and incomplete ideas for games that are in the works. Looking for inspiration? We have a working Google document for that too!
Remember to visit our RECITUS partner sites. For example, guides to help students think of ways to design their own games are also available at CONCEPTION D’UN JEU SÉRIEUX AVEC LE LAB CRÉATIF [English version of their student booklet is here!]

Design Process for Projects: Let’s Make a Game!

Now let’s think about Design-Thinking for Game Creation in Social Sciences.
A collection of organizers is available as a printable PDF for group brainstorming.
Or, for online work, you can open the Google Slides version here.

The original impetus for the first games created on this site came from various Design Thinking workshops offered at LEARN. Then, an article on our blog (The Design Process: The Backbone of School Makerspaces) helped to explain the what, why, and how of design thinking in the classroom. Based on that article (and the student tool by Diana Rendina displayed there, and various other references, for example, Design Thinking 101, and 5 Stages in the Design Thinking Process) ... and keeping in mind the program competencies and the intellectual operations being evaluated, a game-creation strategy and planning tool was developed. Below are the basic steps in that document, with additional explanations and suggestions.

Empathize

A familiar concept, you should consider your audience! After all, you are making a game for someone to play. Think about who is involved: “Who are the players? What kind of things would the players like? What kind of games will interest them?” And, try to make a game to which players can relate.

Likewise, you already know what kinds of games are fun to play, how games work, and what makes a game fun. Use your own experience to answer questions like, “What makes a game fun? What makes a good game? What are some examples of games you liked the best?”

Why are you making it?

What’s the problem this game will solve? What’s the reason you are building it? What question or challenge will be solved by creating and/or playing this game?

We can justify our game-building project in several ways: First, we are saying why it will be fun, motivating, and different. Second, we often create a game to build bridges between its creators and the players: what each group will “take away” from the game needs to be considered. (For example, your school or community members could come and play and learn from your game!). Third, in social science classes, we are building it to fulfill a pedagogical goal, that is to learn about societies and historical events, to practice historical thinking and methods (i.e., competencies), and to check and be evaluated on how we can “use knowledge” (i.e., the Intellectual Operations!)

Ideate: Brainstorm initial game ideas that might work

Here is where you throw out a few ideas of games you liked or games that came to mind when you working on a particular society or period, a particular learning intention, or on using specific intellectual operations. Briefly, what kind of game might work? Note down any games you know that you want to imitate!”

There are no rules for how you come up with gaming ideas for the social sciences. The games we have produced were usually directly inspired by earlier games, and, since the materials (the cards, etc.) from those games are quickly copiable, the next game idea often resembled and only slightly varied from the one before it: a different society, a different I.O., and then a different idea naturally came out of that. At other times, another game or a fun activity inspired a game idea that could be done with historical events, key figures, or even locations instead of what the original game suggested. Again, browse a of our past efforts at “ideating” here on this Padlet.

Prototype it

Here is where you build your game's first version(s). Your game will need a catchy title. You already know where your game is going, so get it part way there by giving it a draft name. Keep in mind the time period or social phenomenon you are considering and the intellectual operation (i.e., the action of the game) you want to practice. Include references to those in your title or sub-title. Your game will be played with materials: pieces and parts such as cards, a game board, maps, and playing pieces, and it may use electronic devices as some of ours did for research or verification purposes. And, of course, How might your game be played? In point form, write up draft instructions to imagine the flow of the game, who does what, and how points are won. You could even sketch a playing area or include any existing photos or screenshots demoing your game.

What does prototyping mean? Well, now you can start to build those materials, set up your game, try it yourself, and show it to your peers. You may want to use some of the Testing & Redesigning templates during this phase, too, to note down what needs to be adjusted as you are working it out.

Remember, the vast resources here on LEARN's Secondary History site make it easy to grab texts and images you can use to create learning, review, and evaluation games. If you focus on a specific social phenomenon or a few topics in a time period, it will make your game-building easier. Remember your goal, the Why of making this game in the first place, though you can always simplify or change ideas during the building process. Once a playable version is ready, you can really try it out with a target audience to see if it makes sense, if it promotes learning, and if it is truly fun. But first, make sure your instructions are clear:

Instructions and game materials:
Writing up your (first) ready-to-go version:

What’s in the box? How is it played? What are the rules? And since this game is about learning, what do you hope your audience learns from this game? It’s time to write up your game instructions.

We suggest using an easily editable tool like a Google Document first because you will make changes! It also allows you to drag or paste images of your materials easily and to link to other documents you will need. Google Draw can make cards, game boards, and other materials. And remember, use the spell checker! Print out all your instructions and materials, too, to check for quality, colors, etc.

Test Runs: Evaluate your game

Take notes while people are playing your game. Observe which elements worked well, which elements didn’t, whether it was fun and whether the expected learning took place. Ask the players to tell you what they thought was fun and how they would like it improved. Is there a variation of your game that might work better (or that could be an inspiration for a second game you could create with the same materials!)

Redesign it: What needs to be changed?

Yes, you have already prototyped a few versions by now, but it’s only after a real-world test (or two or three) that you will be able to know if your new game is playable or not. Now it’s time to improve it, make it better, refine your original design based on feedback and your own experience of watching people play it. Other elements of your game may also require re-designing, including the materials you created, and even the “way” you created those materials. Remember, the game needs to be easily and quickly copyable, editable by teacher or students, using free technologies others can access… Your redesign might also re-consider all these aspects, and more that come into question the more the game is accessed and used!

Announce your game, spread the word, share it out a well-tested versio, celebrate!

Your game is now ready to be shared with other students, teachers, and even community members. Since your game is based on History (or Geography!) and the Quebec provincial programs, consider sharing it on the Secondary HIstory site (or on Cartograf if location is involved) site itself in our growing game collection area. If your game is about local history or experiences, consider sharing it in your town or village, but also posting it online so that other communities can use it as a model. Announce it through the greater LEARN network and via our partners. Contact Paul R. or Stacy A. at LEARN.