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FIT2073 – Game Design Studio 1
Assignment 2: Mechanics and Level Design


Assignment 2: Mechanics and Level Design
Due Date: Friday Week 7 (13th September, 5 PM) - Weight: 15%
Late Penalty: 5% Per day including weekends


Purpose:
The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate an understanding of Game Mechanics
and Level Design theory as discussed in class and via independent research.

Completion of this assignment demonstrates understanding of the following learning
outcomes:

- Design environments with clearly indicated game challenges (time and intrinsic
stress involved) and game balancing
- Formulate a theoretical game design to a specific brief, implementing effective game
narrative and balancing

Brief:
In this assignment you are to design game mechanics and level designs for a new game.
This will involve building the game world, outlining the core mechanics of the game and two
levels that demonstrate the mechanics in play.

You will have freedom to choose the game style and genre of your preference. However,
your game mechanics and level designs must conform to the principles of good game
design, including those related to mechanic design, flow, and level layout. You must also
demonstrate appropriate consideration of video game conventions related to genre and the
like. It is up to you to ensure that your chosen game design meets the requirements
outlined in the assessment criteria

You may use the same game idea that you previously used for Assignment 1, or you may
come up with a completely new idea. You will not be required to submit any character or
narrative designs as part of this assessment.

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FIT2073 – Game Design Studio 1
Assignment 2: Mechanics and Level Design


Task:
As part of your mechanics and level design document you are required to complete the
following tasks:

1) You must design a complete set of engaging game mechanics containing:
• A brief description of the gameplay genre.
• A brief description of the game’s goals.
• A detailed description of each of the game’s mechanics including:
o Space
o Time
o Objects, Attributes & States
o Actions
o Rules
o Skill
o Chance
• All necessary information and calculations needed in order to be able to play the
game.

2) You must design two well-constructed levels each containing:
• A brief description of the level’s goals.
• A drawing of the level layout including:
o Clearly labelled start and end locations.
o Clear indicators of how the player can move through the level.
o Clearly labelled challenge locations.
o Clearly labelled landmark locations.


Note: You will not be assessed on your artistic ability, but rather your ability to
visually represent your level. This can either be hand drawn or produced using
computer software (e.g. GIMP, Photoshop etc.).

• Each of the game’s mechanics as outlined above.
• A detailed description of the level including its micro goals, challenges,
landmarks, and the use of the ‘show, don’t tell’ rule.

3) You must write a critical analysis of the core game design concepts used in your
game mechanic and level designs as outlined above including:
• A detailed discussion of how challenge and player skill were managed to achieve
‘flow’.
• A detailed discussion of how balancing was applied, including if any dominant
strategies are still present.
• A detailed discussion of the level layouts chosen.
• A detailed discussion of how difficulty was managed to achieve ‘flow’.
• A detailed discussion of the genre conventions used.
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FIT2073 – Game Design Studio 1
Assignment 2: Mechanics and Level Design


Word Limit:
The minimum word limit for this assignment is 3000 words. Failing to meet the minimum
word limit may result in a grade of 0 for this assessment.

The maximum word limit for this assignment is 6000 words. Any words exceeding the
maximum word limit may not be assessed.

Marking Criteria:
Your assignment will be marked on the following criteria:
______________________________________________________________________________

Game Mechanic Design 5 Marks
Is an appropriate gameplay genre clearly specified?
Is there an appropriate description of the game’s goals?
Is there an appropriate description of each of the game’s mechanics?
Are the game mechanics well balanced?
Do the game mechanics appropriately portray genre conventions?
______________________________________________________________________________

Level Design 5 Marks
Does each level include each of the game mechanics?
Is there an appropriate drawing of each level’s layout and it’s key locations?
Does each level include an appropriate description of it’s goals and challenges?
Is the difficulty of the level well managed?
Does each level appropriately portray genre conventions?
______________________________________________________________________________

Critical Analysis 5 Marks
Is there an appropriate discussion about challenge and player skill?
Is there an appropriate discussion about balance and dominant strategies?
Is there an appropriate discussion about level layouts?
Is there an appropriate discussion about difficulty and ‘flow’?
Is there an appropriate discussion about the genre conventions used?
______________________________________________________________________________

Penalty Up to -5 Marks
Were any of the game’s mechanics vague, incomplete, or otherwise unclear?
Were any dominant strategies present that were not discussed in the critical analysis?
______________________________________________________________________________

Total 15 Marks


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FIT2073 – Game Design Studio 1
Assignment 2: Mechanics and Level Design


Submission Requirements:
You must upload your completed assignment in PDF format via the Moodle by no later than
5pm on Friday of Week 7

You may receive a late penalty of 5% per day that the assignment is late, up to a maximum
of 7 days at which point you may receive a grade of 0 for this assessment.
Failure to submit in the correct file format, or submitting a corrupt or otherwise illegible file,
may result in a grade of 0 for this assessment.

Special Consideration:
You may be eligible to apply for special consideration if you are unable to complete this
assessment due to circumstances beyond your control including illness, hardship/trauma,
or obligatory service.

You can find more information about Monash University’s Special Consideration Policy and
download the application form via the following link:

https://www.monash.edu/exams/changes/special-consideration

You must apply for special consideration no later than two days after the assessment due
date to be eligible.

English Language and Writing Assistance:
If you require assistance with your English language and writing skills, you can find more
information about Monash University’s English Connect program via the following link:

https://www.monash.edu/english-connect