Introduction to Tabletop Roleplaying Games: Theory, Narrative, and Design

An introductory game design workshop and seminar in which students will learn about, analyze, and build their own tabletop roleplaying games. We will study the theories and narratives behind games as cultural devices, tolls of social change, and as a collaborative storytelling devices. Alongside our readings, students will complete short game design exercises, ultimately culminating in designing their own complete draft of a tabletop roleplaying game for a final project. We will encounter materials such as McGonigal's Reality is Broken, Ken Eklund's World Without Oil, Hannah Shaffer's MUD: A Golem Memoir, and Sarah Malone's Bluebeard's Bride.