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Full-Text Articles in Game Design

Investigating The Viability Of A Shared Skill System Between Enemies And Players, Andrea Ng Mar 2026

Investigating The Viability Of A Shared Skill System Between Enemies And Players, Andrea Ng

Computer Science and Software Engineering

Over time, Japanese light novels and media inspired by it have been heavily influenced by RPGs in implementing skill systems, with one common trope arising from this being the ability to copy or steal others’ skills. However, there aren’t many games that implement this familiar trope despite how it takes advantage of an integral system to RPGs. Rather than treating enemies as simply obstacles, having to copy skills from enemies turns them into a resource. This project aims to implement the skill copy mechanic while also minimizing player-side specific handling so that skills are interchangeable between both players and enemies.


Mozgus, Damian Cerda, Madison Lopez Dec 2025

Mozgus, Damian Cerda, Madison Lopez

Computer Science and Software Engineering

The indie game market is flooded with genre experiments, yet few successfully combine fast-paced action with meaningful strategic decision-making. Our project aims to fill this gap by creating a game that fuses top-down action combat with resource-management tycoon mechanics. We found that in many games, the management phases lack mechanical stakes. Our goal was to intertwine these systems so that choices made in one phase meaningfully impact the other.


Project Blaze: Rhythmic Shape Creation Roguelike, Austin Edwin Tepe Mar 2025

Project Blaze: Rhythmic Shape Creation Roguelike, Austin Edwin Tepe

Computer Science and Software Engineering

Create circles with player movement to build a pivot meter, to then expend the pivot meter to enter slow mode. In slow mode, the player can make polygon shapes that destroy monsters.


Sam's Story, Anna Michelle Reid, Jennifer Vazquez Dec 2022

Sam's Story, Anna Michelle Reid, Jennifer Vazquez

Computer Science and Software Engineering

We are exploring presenting mental health topics in video games through the eyes of an axolotl named Sam. Sam goes about his day to day life facing many difficult challenges regarding their mental health. This is an educational game to inform about different mental health symptoms and what they may look like.


Procedural Level Generation For A 2d Platformer, Brian Michael Egana Jun 2018

Procedural Level Generation For A 2d Platformer, Brian Michael Egana

Computer Science and Software Engineering

Procedural Content Generation (PCG), as defined in the book “Procedural Content Generation in Games”, is “the algorithmic creation of game content with limited or indirect user input”. Whether it creates the levels by itself, or together with game designers, PCG is a method used to reduce the cost of designing games, and to produce an endless amount of game content. One of the main challenges that come with PCG is the desire to use PCG algorithms to create entire levels that are feasible, unique, and fun. This is especially challenging for games of progression within the 2D platformer genre; insufficient …


How Representation Of Game Information Affects Player Performance, Matthew Paul Bryan Jun 2018

How Representation Of Game Information Affects Player Performance, Matthew Paul Bryan

Computer Science and Software Engineering

The goal of this small experiment was to see if it could be determined whether or not user interface design and the way information is portrayed in a game can affect a player’s performance in that game. During this study, 26 anonymous participants selected one design of a timer from three different categories to be used in a simple, objective-based game. 10 different participants were then run through three levels of that game, with each level corresponding to a different version of timer. The amount of objectives completed were recorded, as well as their thoughts on which version they preferred …