15 courses with the subject GAM, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
GAM 1200Games and Play4
Offered: Every fall Humans love games. Ancient peoples found ways to build some play into their daily life. Why do humans spend time and money on games? What do we look for when playing video games? Students explore key features of video games, with some attention to tabletop games. Students explore evidence of animal play, virtual/embodied play, flow, win state, game rules, competitive vs. cooperative experiences, single and multiplayer games, and identifying “fun factors”. This is a hands-on course that requires active exploration and play as part of the learning process.
Offered: Periodically based on student need Students explore the world of competitive gaming, with a focus on past and current esports teams and tournaments, how successful esports players adapt strategies, methods of practice, coach/team dynamics, work/life balance, mental and physical fitness, research-based theories about optimizing performance, esports injuries, roles and the esports ecosystem, and global audiences. In a given semester, students may practice game casting, commentary, and social media promotion of esports. Greensboro College Undergraduate Academic Catalog 2026-2027 335
Offered: Periodically based on student need What elements do game designers consider when they create a video game? Students will tour the big picture of video game design: players, rules, gameplay, writing and narrative design, goals, and the underlying coding and game architecture that makes it all happen. Students sample games from the past and present to identify what makes an engaging digital game. No programming is required. An overview of the game development process and exploration of some indie tools such as Blender may be included in a given semester.
Offered: Periodically based on student need Students use a social lens to explore how games may promote or disrupt nuanced examinations of groups and identity. Do individuals behave differently when playing alone versus with others? How do players seem to change when they go online, such as in massively multiplayer games? How do games help us recognize and address social differences in race, class, gender, family, sexuality, nationality, or religion? How can we use games to build better and more inclusive communities, and what safeguards might be used in games to provide a healthy gaming environment?
Offered: Periodically based on student need Students explore present and past controversies that have influenced public discourse about digital gaming. How do children and adults process violence in video games? How common is gaming disorder, and does it affect some people more than others? What factors differentiate a healthy use of games from problem gaming? Class members read stories about gaming addiction and how people have successfully worked with licensed counselors to achieve greater well-being. The class typically draws on public debates about gaming such as effectiveness of rating systems, children’s access, excessive gore, unexamined stereotypes, glorification of criminal activities, morally ambiguous quests, cheating schemes and scams, harassment in online games, crunch in the gaming industry, microtransactions and monetization, and the algorithms of loot drops that may violate gambling laws.
Offered: Periodically based on student need Students sharpen their understanding of game narrative design and storytelling techniques as they analyze examples drawn from multiple genres and eras. Topics typically include techniques for character creation and development (NPC and player), building tension through conflicts and structure, generating a backstory, making decisions about sound and visual elements, and identifying emotional connection points for players. The game genres studied may vary by semester.
Offered: Periodically based on student need This course invites students to become part of the growing field of game journalism. Game journalism as a career field includes writing, editing, and publishing game reviews; producing video critiques of a franchise, genre, or controversy; producing a podcast about gaming or creative content; commentating as part of esports competitions; interviewing leaders in the game industry; researching and reporting on game company news; or providing a focused history of a game type or genre. Students read or consume models to understand professional conventions and produce their own game journalism using different media. May be repeated for a total of eight credit hours.
Subject
GAM
Credits (min)
4
Credits (max)
4
Type
course
Repeatable
May be repeated for a total of eight credit hours.
Offered: Periodically based on student need Have you ever wondered what makes games so “addicting”? Game designers understand their target audiences: Who will be attracted to a game, which players will keep coming back for more, and how will players behave. Students identify and analyze the different features and feedback loops that encourage people to play digital games. Drawing on insights from psychology as well as business, students explore the ethical and financial implications of living in a digital world in which attention and engagement are measured, valued, and commodified.
Offered: Periodically based on student need What can we learn by studying great game designers? Students immerse themselves in the biographies, contexts, and dazzling accomplishments of famous designs as they “re-live” transformative moments in the history of video gaming. While the chosen designers may vary by semester, a typical roster might feature Ken Levine, Shigeru Miyamoto, Roberta Williams, and Warren Spector. In many cases, “creatives” advance in the industry as they take on different roles, so the course examines how games are made. Students work with the historical, social, and industry contexts that have shaped the world of video games.
Offered: Periodically based on student need Games evolve in work environments that are complex. Different experts and roles are needed to turn a promising idea into a product; game trailers and other messaging are created and used to connect with consumers. Game content may expand when users contribute mods or DLC. Many games use in-game currency, loot drops, and communities to incentivize play. Esports has developed its own ecosystem that intersects with the larger field of digital games. Students analyze how digital games are designed, developed and distributed through multifaceted networks of different experts, with attention to fan culture.
Offered: Periodically based on student need Students begin the process of creating a small game through guided practice in linear level design. By playing and analyzing models from selected genres, such as dungeon crawlers, platformers, and RPGs, students expand their awareness of feature sets. The course will include paper prototyping and projects that hone problem-solving skills. Students should be aware that this course will involve learning some basic coding and demonstrating resilience as they work with software and interfaces.
Offered: Periodically based on student need Students learn key principles of narrative and analyze narrative design elements in text-based games with final output focused on crafting an interactive narrative game using Twine software. Concepts from literary study such as character development, plot, backstory, story arcs, dialogue, imagery, point of view, and world building are supplemented with introduction to some game-based mechanics, player agency considerations, and game constraints. Part of the course focuses on studying and playing models of interactive fiction to understand how non-linear narrative works. Students play games, evaluate and reflect on their features, and then apply their learning from these models as they work toward developing their own interactive game by the end of the semester. No prior programming knowledge is required.
completed at Greensboro College prior to enrolling in the internship; completion of internship contract with the Director of Career and Personal Development, including required signatures Offered: Every semester as needed This course offers students the opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge to practical experiences in the field and learn about vocational options in games and interactive media. For information on policies and procedures for enrolling in internships, see the section of this Catalog entitled Internships 3800. GREENSBORO COLLEGE SEMINAR (GCS)
