Hey DAE student, reviewer, or curious visitor 👋
Welcome to the Game Design 1 repository — a focused prototype called The Rotator, created as part of the Game Design 1 course at DAE.

The design theme — “Villain” — and the mechanical constraint — “Everything in the level rotates every 5–15 seconds” — were randomly assigned as part of the assignment brief. It was developed as an iterative design exercise, beginning with a board game prototype that was later translated into a digital game concept.

This upload serves as an archive of the prototype, design intent, and the packaged build for quick testing.

⚠️ Note: this project is a student prototype — expect experimental design, rough edges, and intentional constraints used to drive creativity. Consider this a snapshot of the design process, not a production release.

📚 Course: Game Design 1
🏫 University: Howest University of Applied Sciences - Digital Arts and Entertainment
📍 Location: Kortrijk, Belgium
🗓️ Academic year: 2022–23 | Second semester
🎓 Study load: 6 ECTS
⏱️ Total study time: 180 hours

Co-ordinator: Yosha Vandaele
Other teaching staff: Jorge Monterrubio Sañudo, Stijn Van Coillie, Milan Van Damme, Jill Vanparys

• Collaborates effectively in team-based, international, and multidisciplinary environments
• Communicates ideas clearly in both written and spoken form
• Reflects on personal performance and team contribution
• Collects and analyzes relevant source and reference materials
• Evaluates own work and integrates feedback iteratively
• Expands technical and professional competencies through self-reflection
• Gathers stakeholder feedback and validates game concepts through iteration
• Understands the historical, social, and cultural context of games

• Introduction to the fundamentals of game design theory
• Exploration of core gameplay mechanics and player experience
• Board game prototyping to understand design principles
• Participation in a game jam to practice rapid concept development
• Iterative design process: playtesting, feedback, and refinement
• Transition from board game to digital game project
• Focus on concept evaluation and design iteration quality

Packaged release available in the Releases tab:

game_design_1-the_rotator-1.0.0-windows-x64.zip

Game Design 1 was a great reminder that creativity grows from constraints — even when your entire level starts spinning every few seconds!
Working solo meant balancing design, mechanics, and iteration on my own, but it also made every improvement feel like a small victory.

If you’re going through DAE: experiment boldly, embrace feedback, and remember that even failed ideas move you forward 💡🌀

This repository is licensed under the MIT License — feel free to explore, learn, or fork anything you find useful.