Learn CS1/2 by Playing and Building Commercial Grade Casual Games (Abstract Only)

Designed specifically for instructors of university or high school Introductory Java Programming Classes (CS1/2) with no background in videogames or computer graphics, and based on our original casual game designs, this workshop will: (1) lead participants through structured gameplay sessions; (2) analyze how game mechanics contribute to player engagement; (3) map core game logic and mechanics to programming constructs taught in CS1/2 classes (e.g., conditionals, loops); (4) guide participants to develop simplified versions of these games based on our custom APIs and using CS1/2 programming constructs; (5) present sample teaching materials based on the games that are being used in our own classrooms, including: lecture materials, hands-on worksheets, and programming assignments; and (6) discuss our experiences using the materials, including what worked and what to avoid. Our games are innovative twists on popular casual genres (e.g., a Breakout variant using the z-plane, and a Zuma variant with user-movable paths) and we're currently enhancing the educational versions for commercial release. We've developed custom APIs for our games that are readily accessible to new programmers based on the successful Game-Themed CS1/2 project. Participants of this workshop will gain the confidence to build similar games, examine approaches to developing teaching materials based on the games and APIs, and understand the challenges inherent to this approach. Students will have the unique opportunity to play with commercial-quality game demos while using CS1/2 concepts to build games that are fun and appropriate for all ages.