This course introduces high-level game programming concepts and practical game construction. By the end of the course, students will be able to design and implement simple 2D games. The course begins with a basic introduction to games and game genres for students unfamiliar with gaming, before exploring the game development process. Appropriate terminology, methods, and tools for computer game development are introduced. Fundamentals algorithms for 2D game development and implementation are covered, including pathfinding algorithms suited to tile-based games. Text-based games are also briefly explored using Inform7. This is a practical course where students design and implement games using GameMaker for simple prototyping, before

switching to a Java-based game engine which students can extend. The final deliverable is a fully functional 2D game which implements many of the techniques explored in lectures.