Instructional Design Courses

GDC

Board Game Design Day - Why Indirect or Zero Player Interaction Can Be Great

Explore the benefits and challenges of designing board games with minimal player interaction, focusing on creating satisfying experiences and avoiding common pitfalls.

• YouTube
• 30 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

GDC

Level Design Workshop - The Illusion of Choice

Explore psychological aspects of player choice in game design, featuring insights from Epic Games' Jim Brown and real-world examples from shipped titles.

• YouTube
• 28 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

GDC

Applying Level Design to Dialogue in Subsurface Circular

Explore how conversation trees in Subsurface Circular mirror conventional level design, offering insights into innovative game dialogue creation techniques.

• YouTube
• 31 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

GDC

Integrating Narrative into Game Design - A Portal Post-Mortem

Valve developers explore Portal's innovative approach to blending storytelling with gameplay mechanics, offering insights into narrative integration in game design.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 19 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

GDC

Writing and Narrative Design - A Relationship

Explore the interplay between writing and design in video game storytelling, uncovering techniques for creating compelling narratives that enhance gameplay experiences.

• YouTube
• 29 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

GDC

Assassin's Creed Origins - Monitoring and Validation of World Design Data

Explore Ubisoft's innovative approach to world design data management in Assassin's Creed: Origins, featuring automated tests and visual reports for efficient team communication and quality assurance.

• YouTube
• 56 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

GDC

Cursed Problems in Game Design

Explore four design paradigms to tackle challenging game design issues, presented by Riot Games' Alex Jaffe in this insightful session on overcoming development obstacles.

• YouTube
• 52 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

GDC

Crashlands - Design by Chaos

Explore Butterscotch Shenanigans' bottom-up design approach and its impact on project management, as demonstrated in the development of Crashlands.

• YouTube
• 29 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

GDC

Beyond Game Design

Explore how game designers can tackle broader challenges in the industry, expanding their skills and impact beyond traditional design roles.

• YouTube
• 24 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

GDC

The Level Design of God of War

Explore Sony Santa Monica's innovative approach to level design in God of War, featuring six new rules and best practices for transforming concepts into immersive gaming experiences.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 6 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

GDC

Lessons for Narrative Design from Modern Tabletop RPGs

Explore innovative narrative design techniques from indie tabletop RPGs, offering fresh perspectives for storytellers across various media to enhance player engagement and creative storytelling.

• YouTube
• 31 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

GDC

Plunge into Storytelling - Transitioning into Narrative Design from Other Disciplines

Concrete tips for tailoring applications, portfolios, and interviews for narrative design roles, helping professionals transition from other disciplines into game storytelling.

• YouTube
• 30 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

GDC

Building New York in Marvel's Spider-Man - It's Still Just Level Design

Explore level design principles used to create New York City in Marvel's Spider-Man, and learn how these techniques can be applied to game environments of any scale.

• YouTube
• 48 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

GDC

World Design for Different Player Types

Practical strategies for crafting immersive game worlds tailored to diverse player preferences, enhancing engagement and enjoyment across various gaming styles.

• YouTube
• 30 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

GDC

Interactive Story Without Challenge Mechanics - The Design of Firewatch

Explore the narrative design of Firewatch, examining Campo Santo's successes and shortcomings in creating an engaging interactive story without traditional gameplay challenges.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 1 minute
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk