Design games that inspire change

Video Game Design will focus on the art of game design, including critical elements such as storytelling, character development, plot construction, and the creation of engaging gameplay.  Students will engage with lectures, in-class exercises, discussions, and hands-on projects focused on video game development fundamentals. 

The course emphasizes problem-solving, teamwork, brainstorming, and storytelling. To build a practical understanding of game development, students will create small games throughout the course. Working in teams, they'll participate in all aspects of building a serious game. They will learn how to generate ideas, develop a narrative, and transform their story into a playable experience. Additionally, students will create small-scale games related to different topics to explore how video games can help us understand and address challenges such as mental health.

Program details 

Course Code: PREC.602
Prerequisites: None
Instructor: Reza Habibi, Lecturer/ Ph.D Candidate, UC Santa Cruz
Method: Commuter (Silicon Valley)
Dates: July 6 – 17, 2026 
Times: 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday
Cost: $2,500

Topics

  • Principles of game development
  • Collaborative tools for team design projects
  • Storytelling, character development & plot construction
 
Sample Schedule Activities
Day 1 Games for Real Life: What Makes a Game Meaningful?
Icebreaker: favorite games & why
Brainstorm: topics that matter to you (e.g., dealing with anxiety, eating habits, too much screen time)
Day 2 Game Design Basics: Player, Challenge, Feedback, Loop
Show examples of simple 2D games about emotions or focus
Paper prototype your idea
Day 3 Tell a Story with Twine: Choose-Your-Own Adventure: Feelings, Focus & Choices
Build an interactive story about your topic
Day 4 Design Your World: Use Figma or paper to plan levels, obstacles, or goals.
Day 5 Intro to Unity Game Engine: Start Building Your Game
Day 6 Make It Work!: Interaction in Unity
Day 7 Game Design Basics in Unity
Day 8 Playtest & Improve: Play Each Other’s Games & Give Feedback
Add effects, fix bugs, and improve clarity
Day 9 Make it Shine: Levels, Music & Mood
Add more levels or different scenarios
Add mood effects, music, and transitions
Day 10 Showcase Day!
Present your game’s theme

Course Instructor

Reza Habibi, Instructor, Video Game Design, UCSC Pre-College

Reza Habibi
Researcher/Instructor, UC Santa Cruz and Stanford University

Reza Habibi is a researcher and instructor at UC Santa Cruz and Stanford University. He is currently finishing his Ph.D. exploring how AI models can understand and learn from human-to-human collaboration and co-creation through the lenses of mechanistic interpretability, symbolic interaction, and reasoning. He also teaches several courses, including Human-Centered AI and Video Game Design.