Game Design
MIT's Comparative Media Studies program offers this course on designing and analyzing non-digital games, covering sports, game shows, games of chance, card games, schoolyard games, board games, and role-playing games. Students study texts, tools, and historical references to compare designs across these genres, then work in teams to design, build, and playtest an original game, refining its rules through repeated iteration. The course materials include readings, assignments, and project guidelines available through MIT OpenCourseWare, with a separate track of additional work for graduate students. The focus stays practical throughout: understanding how rule systems create player behavior and how small changes in structure ripple through gameplay. No enrollment fee applies since this is an OpenCourseWare offering, and there is no certificate, paid or otherwise, attached to it.