COGT 2422 Intro to Video Game Design Syllabus H01 Fall 2026

Week 1 – Introduction to Video Game Design & Unity 6, Thursday 8/20/2026

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the role of a game engine in video game development.
• Identify the major components involved in creating a video game.
• Understand the relationship between game design, programming, art, audio, and technology.
• Become familiar with the Unity 6 Editor and Unity Hub.
• Understand the purpose of the Universal Render Pipeline (URP).
• Create and save a basic Unity project.
• Navigate the Unity Editor and Scene view.

Before Class Activities:

• Review course syllabus.
• Unity Learn Video - Essentials

In-Class Activities:

• Review Syllabus
• Review Canvas
• Review Study Questions
• Review Felicia, Unity 6 From Zero to Proficiency (Foundations) The Benefits of Using Unity- Chapter 1
• Week 1 Study Questions Due Week 1 – 9:00 PM

Week 2 – Game Design Fundamentals, Thursday 8/27/2026

Learning Objectives:

• Define game design and distinguish it from game development.
• Identify goals, rules, mechanics, challenge, feedback, and player choice.
• Explain the concept of a core gameplay loop.
• Identify how story, strategy, immersion, and player experience influence game design.
• Develop an initial concept for a simple playable game.
• Become familiar with the Unity interface.

Before Class Activities:

• Reading Assignment: Chapter 2 Felicia: Installing and Becoming Familiar with the Interface
• Study Questions – Chapter 2, Due Week 2 – Wednesday 9:00 PM
• Unity Learn Videos: Game Development – Planning a Game and Game Design

In-Class Activities:

• Lab: Unity Installation and Interface Familiarity, Due Week 3 - Monday 9:00 PM
• One-Page Game Concept Creation, Due Week 3 – Monday 9:00 PM

Week 3 – Unity Builds: Scenes, Game Objects, & Components, Thursday 9/3/2026

Learning Objectives:

• Create and organize Unity scenes.
  • Explain the relationship between GameObjects and Components.
  • Create and manipulate GameObjects.
  • Use Transform tools to move, rotate, and scale objects.
  • Navigate the Scene and Game views.
  • Organize objects within a Unity project.

Before Class Activities:

• Reading Assignment:
  • Chapter 3 Felicia: Creating and Exporting your First Scene, Part 1: Pages 23-42
  • Study Questions: Chapter 3-Part 1, Due Week 3 – Wednesday 9:00 PM
  • Unity Learn Videos: Editor Essentials & Get Started in Unity

In-Class Activities:

• In-Class Quiz: Chapters 1 & 2
  • Lab: Creating, Exploring and Exporting the Scene - Part 1 Due Week 4 - Monday 9:00 PM

Week 4 – Assets, Materials, Prefabs, Lighting & URP, Thursday 9/10/2026

Learning Objectives:

• Import and organize digital assets.
• Apply materials and textures to GameObjects.
• Explain the purpose of prefabs.
• Create and use reusable GameObjects.
• Understand the relationship between materials, lighting, and visual appearance.
• Identify basic URP features used to improve game visuals.
• Use lighting and cameras to influence player experience.

Before Class Activities:

• Reading Assignment:
  • Chapter 3 Felicia: Creating and Exporting your First Scene, Part 2 Pages 43-66
• Study Questions: Chapter 3, Part 2, Due Week 4 – Wednesday 9:00 PM
• Unity Learn Videos: 3D Essentials, Shaders and Materials, & Lighting

In-Class Activities:

• Environment Prototype – Due Week 4 – Thursday 9:00 PM
  • Lab: Creating, Exploring and Exporting the Scene - Part 2, Due Week 5 - Monday 9:00 PM

Week 5 – Transforming Built-In Objects to Create an Indoor Scene, Thursday 9/17/2026

Learning Objectives:

• Create an indoor game environment using Unity GameObjects.
• Apply transformations to construct playable spaces.
• Import and organize appropriate assets.
• Construct walls, ceilings, and other environmental elements.
• Implement a player controller for navigating an environment.
• Use lighting to influence the appearance and atmosphere of a scene.
• Consider how environmental structure influences player navigation and experience.

Before Class Activities:

• Reading Assignment:
  • Chapter 4 Felicia: Transforming Built-In Objects to Create an Indoor Scene
• Study Questions: Chapter 4, Due Week 5 – Wednesday 9:00 PM
• Unity Learn Videos: Environments, GameObjects, Materials and Navigation.

In-Class Activities:

• Indoor Level Prototype – Due Week 5 – Thursday 9:00 PM
  • Lab: Transforming Built-In Objects, Due Week 6 - Monday 9:00 PM

Week 6 – Creating an Outdoor Scene with Unity Terrain, Thursday 9/24/2026

Learning Objectives:

• Create an outdoor environment using Unity's Terrain system.
• Construct a basic landscape.
• Add water, vegetation, and environmental features.
• Apply terrain textures.
• Use environmental features to influence navigation.
• Understand how landscape contributes to immersion and environmental storytelling.

Before Class Activities:

• Reading Assignment:
  • Chapter 5 Felicia: Creating an Outdoor Scene with Unity Terrain
• Study Questions: Chapter 5, Due Week 6 – Wednesday 9:00 PM
• Unity Learn Videos: Terrain/Environment resources

In-Class Activities:

• In-Class Quiz: Chapter 4
  • Lab: Outdoor Scene Creation with Unity Terrain, Due Week 7 - Monday 9:00 PM

Week 7, Creating an Outdoor Scene with ProBuilder, Thursday 10/1/2026

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the purpose of ProBuilder in Unity development.
• Install and use ProBuilder.
• Construct basic 3D structures.
• Create architectural spaces using ProBuilder.
• Create a house and village environment.
• Consider scale, spatial relationships, and player navigation.
• Compare terrain-based environment construction with modeled/constructed environments.

Before Class Activities:

• Reading & Video Assignment:
  • Chapter 6, Creating an Outdoor Scene with ProBuilder
• Study Questions: Chapter 6, Due Week 7 – Wednesday 9:00 PM
• Unity Learn Videos: ProBuilder /Level-design resources

In-Class Activities:

• In-Class Quiz: Chapter 5
  • Lab: Outdoor Scene Creation with ProBuilder, Due Week 8 - Monday 9:00 PM

Week 8, Programming Through Visual Scripting: Part 1, Thursday 10/8/2026

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the role of programming in video game development.
• Describe how Visual Scripting represents programming logic without traditional text-based code.
• Identify events, nodes, connections, variables, and actions in a visual script.
• Create and edit a Visual Scripting graph.

Before Class Activities:

• Reading
  • Chapter 7 Felicia, Introduction to Visual Scripting in Unity Part 1: Pgs. 158-169
• Study Questions: Chapter 7, Part 1, Due Week 8 – Wednesday 9:00 PM

In-Class Activities:

• In-Class Quiz: Chapter 6
  • Lab: Visual Scripting, Due Week 10 - Monday 9:00 PM

Week 9 – Visual Scripting: Part 2, Thursday 10/15/2026

Learning Objectives:

• Use a visual script to control the behavior of a GameObject.
• Create a simple interactive behavior based on a player action or game event.
• Explain the relationship between an event, a logical decision, and a resulting action.

Before Class Activities:

• Reading Assignment:
  • Chapter 7 Felicia, Introduction to Visual Scripting in Unity Part 2: Pgs. 171-183
• Study Questions: Chapter 7, Part 2, Due Week 9 – Wednesday 9:00 PM

In-Class Activities:

• In-Class Quiz: Chapter 7, Part 1
• Lab: Visual Scripting, Due Week 10 - Monday 9:00 PM

Week 10, Creating a Simple Adventure Game with Visual Scripting, Thursday 10/22/2026

Learning Objectives:

• Apply Visual Scripting concepts to create a simple playable game.
• Create and implement a collectible game object.
• Use Visual Scripting to detect player interaction and collision.
• Create a game response to player interaction.
• Combine the Unity environment, player controller, and Visual Scripting into a playable prototype.
• Identify the basic components of a game: player, environment, objective, interaction, and response.

Before Class Activities:

• Reading Assignment:
  • Chapter 8 Felicia: Creating A Simple Adventure Game
• Study Questions: Chapter 8, Due Week 10 – Wednesday 9:00 PM

In-Class Activities:

• In-Class Quiz: Chapter 7, Part 2
• Lab: Creating Your First Game, Due Week 12 - Monday 9:00 PM
• Begin adapting the Chapter 8 project into a student-created game concept

Week 11, Expanding the Game Prototype, Thursday 10/29/2026

Learning Objectives:

• Apply Unity and Visual Scripting skills to an original game concept.
• Modify an existing prototype to reflect an original design.
• Identify the core gameplay loop of a game.
• Develop a clear player goal and basic challenge.
• Use the game-design process to make intentional decisions about player experience.
• Plan the next stage of development for a playable game.

Before Class Activities:

• Unity Learn: Game Development – Planning a Game / Game Design resources
• Review previous Visual Scripting concepts from Chapters 7–8
• Study Questions: Unity Learn Game Design/Planning material, Due Week 11 – Wednesday 9:00 PM

In-Class Activities:

• In-Class Quiz: Unity Demonstration
• Lab: Game Design Document and Expanded Prototype, Due Week 12 - Monday 9:00 PM

Week 12, Art, Animation, Audio & Immersion, Thursday 11/5/2026

LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW FROM CLASS

Learning Objectives:

• Explain how visual and audio elements contribute to game immersion.
• Apply appropriate materials, lighting, animation, and audio to a game environment.
• Use Unity assets to enhance the visual quality of a game.
• Implement basic animation into a game project.
• Add sound effects and/or music to support gameplay.
• Make intentional artistic choices that support the game's theme and player experience.

Before Class Activities:

• Unity Learn: Resources Covering: Animation, Audio, Lighting, Material, and Visual Effects
• Study Questions: Unity Learn Art/Animation/Audio, Due Week 12 – Wednesday 9:00 PM

In-Class Activities:

• In-Class Quiz: Game Development
• Lab: Improve the visual and auditory experience in a game, Due Week 13 – Monday 9:00 PM
• Discuss final project and lab time.

Week 13, Final Project: Environment & Level Design, Thursday 11/12/2026

Learning Objectives:

• Apply Unity environment-building skills to an original game project.
• Create a playable environment appropriate to the game's concept.
• Apply level-design principles to support player navigation and gameplay.
• Use appropriate assets, materials, lighting, terrain, or ProBuilder elements.
• Organize the Unity project using appropriate scene and asset-management practices.

Before Class Activities:

• Unity Learn: Selected resources covering: Environments and Level design.
• Study Questions: Review of Chapters 3-6 techniques, Due Week 13 – Wednesday 9:00 PM

In-Class Activities:

• In-Class Quiz: Art/Animation/Audio
• Final Project Work Session: Environment/Level Design, Due Week 14 – Monday 9:00 PM

Week 14, Final Project: Gameplay, Visual Scripting & Game Systems, Thursday 11/19/2026

Learning Objectives:

• Apply Visual Scripting to an original game project.
• Create interactive game mechanics.
• Implement player interactions and game responses.
• Create game objectives and/or challenges.
• Implement appropriate win/lose conditions.
• Use variables, events, conditions, and branches to control game behavior.

Before Class Activities:

• Review Chapter 7-8 Visual Scripting Concepts
• Identify the Visual Scripting systems required for the final project. – Wednesday 9:00 PM

In-Class Activities:

• Demonstration: Building gameplay systems
• Final Project Work Session: Gameplay & Visual Scripting, Due Week 15 - Monday 9:00 PM

Week 15, Final Project: Art, Animation, Audio & UI, Thursday 11/26/2026 – (ONLINE – Thanksgiving Break)

Learning Objectives:

• Apply artistic elements that support the game's concept and atmosphere.
• Add appropriate animation and audio to enhance the player experience.
• Create UI elements that communicate important game information.
• Use visual and audio feedback to support gameplay.
• Refine the game's visual identity and immersion

Before Class Activities:

• Review final project checklist.
• Final Project Work Session: Art, Animation, Audio & UI
• Instructor Feedback as needed.

Week 16, Final 3D Game Creation Presentation, Thursday 12/3/2026

In-Class Activities:

• Final project lab time and presentations.

Finals Week, Written Final Exam, Thursday 12/10/2026

• December 10^th, 5:00-7:00 PM