DISC229-25SU2 (D) Summer Nov 2025 start (Distance)

Writing for Games & Interactive Media

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 10 November 2025
End Date: Sunday, 14 December 2025
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 16 November 2025
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 30 November 2025

Description

In this course, we explore how interactivity opens up possibilities for storytelling by playing narrative-focused games and interactive stories, reading critical and technical literature about mechanics and story structure in published interactive fictions, and experimenting with our own writing. Students in this class can develop a sense of how different authors and authorship system use interactive mechanics to further traditional goals of storytelling such as communication, engagement, and empathy. The two primary goals of this course are, (1) to help you develop writing skills for interactive storytelling, and (2) to help you explore some of the theories behind narrative and storytelling.

Learning Outcomes

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:

Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award

Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.

Employable, innovative and enterprising

Students will develop key skills and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.

Biculturally competent and confident

Students will be aware of and understand the nature of biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand, and its relevance to their area of study and/or their degree.

Engaged with the community

Students will have observed and understood a culture within a community by reflecting on their own performance and experiences within that community.

Globally aware

Students will comprehend the influence of global conditions on their discipline and will be competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts.

Prerequisites

60 points at 100 level

Timetable 2025

Students must attend one activity from each section.

Lecture A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Monday 09:15 - 11:15 Zoom
10 Nov - 14 Dec
Lab A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Tuesday 09:15 - 10:30 Zoom
10 Nov - 14 Dec
Workshop A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Wednesday 09:15 - 11:15 Zoom
10 Nov - 14 Dec
Workshop B
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Thursday 09:15 - 10:45 Zoom
10 Nov - 14 Dec

Course Coordinator

Benjamin Miller

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage 
Game Journal 15%
Project Pitch 15%
Twine Project 35%
Peer Review 10%
Playtest Session 15%
Portfolio Reflection 10%

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $998.00

International fee $4,850.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Humanities .

All DISC229 Occurrences

  • DISC229-25SU2 (D) Summer Nov 2025 start (Distance)