Integrating industry into curriculum

The hackathon's success stemmed from thoughtful curriculum design that authentically integrated industry practices:

Each student team received a unique prompt co-created by industry experts and I (faculty), carefully calibrated to balance playability with purpose. These weren't academic exercises; they were challenges designed to mirror the constraints and opportunities of real game development.

The four-week structure alternated between collaborative sessions with industry mentors and focused lectures covering game theory, analytical frameworks, and case studies. Industry professionals served dual roles: mentors for creative direction and facilitators helping teams adopt professional production methodologies.

By the final presentations, each student group acted as a functioning indie game studio, complete with pitches that could stand up in professional settings.

Learning objectives

We evaluated each team against industry-relevant criteria:

1. Game UX Application: Adapt user experience methodologies to specific project briefs

2. Project Management: Define scope, timelines, requirements, and communication strategies

3. Team Dynamics: Understand specialized production roles (Visual Artist, Narrative Designer, Level Designer, etc.)

4. Game Frameworks: Apply psychological frameworks to both design and development processes

5. Pre-Production: Develop, pitch, and refine game concepts before full development
   
   

Tools & Methods

The teams leveraged professional-grade tools including:

1. Unity: From VR toolkit implementation to comprehensive level design and 2D platformer development

2. 3D Printing: Physical game components fabricated through 3D printing and laser cutting

3. Large Format Printing: Custom prints bringing illustrated game themes to life in card/board games

4. Frameworks: A few notable models were explored amongst many others to evaluate and situate their projects
   
   

   Yu-kai Chou's Octalysis	Provides 8 core drives of gamification. Can help students ensure their prototypes are engaging multiple motivational factors.
   Mihaly's Flow Theory	Describes the state of optimal experience. While not a framework per se, understanding flow can be crucial for students designing experiences that balance challenge and skill.
   Bj Fogg's Behavior Model	Helps in designing for behavior change. Useful for students to evaluate if their prototype effectively motivates desired actions.
   Jane Mcgonigal's Superbetter	Utilizes a "Live Gamefully" approach, framing challenges as quests with power-ups and villains, and leverages hero narratives to motivate users to achieve their goals. Helped students understand real-world gamification.
   MDA Framework	Helps students break down their gameful design into core components. Useful for analyzing how game mechanics lead to dynamic behaviors and aesthetic experiences.

   
   
   

Teams & Prompts

Each team functioned as an emerging indie studio, tackling these prompts:

1. Twilight Zone: How can immersive spaces help induce flow states and reduce anxiety through non-verbal interactions?

2. SnowCone Studios: How can a multiplayer educational tool help us nurture environmental conservation strategies?

3. O2: How can two distinctly different genres come together to generate innovative hybrid experiences?

4. 404: How can tangible products act as a medium for collaborative storytelling and build interpersonal bonds?