Core Skills Analysis
Technology & Digital Design
- Learnt the basics of game object creation by designing a staff character from Cookie Run Kingdom, understanding the role of visual elements and thematic consistency.
- Developed an understanding of interactive media through the process of translating a game item into video game elements, enhancing digital literacy.
- Explored character design principles by adapting a fictional staff into a playable game asset, considering aesthetics and functionality.
- Gained insight into the creative process behind game development, including how fantasy elements are integrated into gameplay mechanics.
Art & Creativity
- Practiced artistic skills by conceptualizing and visualizing a staff item, focusing on shape, color, and thematic relevance to Cookie Run Kingdom.
- Encouraged imaginative thinking by merging known game content with original design elements to produce a unique video game staff.
- Examined the relationship between storytelling and visual design in games, understanding how a staff’s design can reflect character traits or game lore.
- Enhanced attention to detail through iterative design and modification of the staff’s features to match the game’s style.
Tips
To deepen understanding, encourage the student to explore the entire process of game asset creation by sketching multiple versions of the staff before choosing a final design. Involve the student in simple coding or game-building platforms like Scratch or Unity to import their staff design and see it in action. Discuss the storytelling behind Cookie Run Kingdom’s characters and how items like staffs contribute to the game’s narrative. Additionally, organizing a mini-showcase where the student explains their design choices can develop verbal articulation and critical thinking about game design.
Book Recommendations
- How to Code a Sandcastle by Josh Funk: An engaging introduction to coding concepts through imaginative storytelling, inspiring young learners to create digitally.
- The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses by Jesse Schell: A comprehensive, accessible book about game design principles, suitable for older children and teens curious about how games are made.
- Draw Your Own Manga Fantasy Characters by Sam Hogg: A guide to creativity in character design, offering step-by-step instructions that relate closely to designing game characters and items.
Learning Standards
- Computing KS2: Design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals (National Curriculum code: 6.3)
- Art & Design KS2: Use a range of materials creatively to design and make products (National Curriculum code: ART-2)
- English KS2: Develop positive attitudes to reading and understanding of what they read (Relevant in storytelling and articulation around design choices) (National Curriculum code: E-3.1)
Try This Next
- Create a coloring worksheet featuring different staff designs to explore variations in shape and color.
- Develop a quiz that tests knowledge on game terminology related to items and character equipment in RPGs.
- Write a short story or script describing the magical powers and backstory of the custom staff.