Creating a digital game
Unit Creating a digital game
Year level: 5-6 Topic: Creating digital solutions Time: 20 hours
Developing an online game provides a useful context for students to apply and develop the problem-solving processes so they can create a digital solution, namely a digital game. This would involve defining the target audience for the game and their needs, designing the rules/actions and the appearance of the game (interface design). The ‘rules’ are written as an algorithm that include decisions, options and ways that the users input instructions. This addresses what data is needed for the game and what features the game must perform (functional requirements). Students use a programming language to create the digital solution (a game) and then judge if their solution meets the intended requirements. A potential extension when creating the digital solution is to connect an input device such as a Makey Makey board to create a game controller.
Flow of Activities
Analyse existing digital games
Identify common elements of a game to understand functional requirements.Design a digital solution
Plan and design their own digital game, consider purpose, functional requirements, features and types of data.Visual programming solution
Use a visual programming language to create their digital game.Evaluate your game
Evaluate the level to which the digital game met the needs of the target audience or its intended purpose.Activity Analyse existing digital games
What makes a good game?
Australian Curriculum Alignment
- Investigating and defining (ACTDIP017)
What's this about?
Game design provides an opportunity to analyse existing games and replicate or build on their functionality and game play to create a new digital game. It involves finding out exactly what the users want in a game – what the game should be achieving.
A key stage in this process is defining the problem and identifying the functional requirements and any data needed.
Game control is an important consideration in design. How the user interacts with the game can have a bearing on the overall enjoyment and game play. The use of arrow keys is often incorporated in game play; for example, arrow keys can be used to move an avatar or character within the game.
Learning tasks
- Students investigate a range of games. They identify common elements of a game that can be categorised based on user engagement/enjoyment.
- Students interact with a game and determine how effective and engaging the game is based on set criteria (eg interface, user interaction, feedback provided to the player during and after the game).
- This investigation helps inform the data and functional requirements for the student’s own digital solution. Provide an opportunity for students to clearly define their problem, the purpose of their game and the audience for the game. Students identify functional and data requirements.
- Extension: This activity has links with exploring input devices in digital systems. Provide a programming board that can be used as an input device; for example, with the aid of a simple circuit board such as Makey Makey students can design their own controller. The controller can be designed based on user needs and how they intend the user to interact with the game.
- For students who can handle more of a challenge the Arduino and ScratchX combination can enable students to design their own game controller.
Supporting Resources




Assessment
Define problems in terms of data and functional requirements and design solutions by developing algorithms to address the problems.
Suggested approaches may include
- List of the functional requirements of the game
- List of the data needed to create a game
Assessment Resources
Activity Design a digital solution
Can you design a game for a particular audience?
Australian Curriculum Alignment
- Generating and designing (ACTDIP019)
What's this about?
Generating and designing is about understanding the audience and then determining how the solution will work and what it will look like (appearance and functionality). It is important that the game meets the purpose identified and is suitable for the age and interest of the people most likely to play the game.
Generating is about considering alternative ways that the solution could be solved. This has close links to the Critical and Creative Thinking general capability, which requires students to engage in the process of ideation.
Learning tasks
- Students plan and design their own digital games, considering purpose, functional requirements, features and types of data needed (eg text, images, sound).
- Plans include rules and an algorithm to show branching and suggest how elements of repetition can be included.
- It also identifies user input. Designs can be in the form of storyboards or flow charts. Students can draw diagrams of the screen layout (eg how the user will interact with the game; what the user will see and do when they play the game).
- At this level the process could also involve students generating at least two or three alternative design ideas before they settle on one idea for further development. This could involve roughly sketching different home page layouts (user interfaces) showing alternative positioning and sizes of buttons or colours. Students could get feedback from the people most likely to play the game.
Supporting Resources




Assessment
Define problems in terms of data and functional requirements and design solutions by developing algorithms to address the problems.
Incorporate decision-making, repetition and user interface design into their designs and implement their digital solutions, including a visual program
Suggested approaches may include
- User interface
- Two parts of the algorithm showing one example of branching and one of repetition (students can submit their entire algorithm and highlight the relevant parts for assessment)
Assessment Resources
Activity Visual programming solution
How do I use visual programming language to create my game?
Australian Curriculum Alignment
- Producing and implementing (ACTDIP020)
What's this about?
A visual programming language enables students to sequence commands (displayed as blocks) to create a program. The students’ use of a programming language should allow users of the game to make choices/decisions (branching) and the instructions should include repetition until particular conditions are met such as guessing the correct number.
Learning tasks
- Use Scratch, Tynker, Snap or other similar visual programming language to create an online game. Alternatively use a specific game-making platform such as Sploder. Ensure that the design phase includes algorithm development and students’ tests (debugging) and evaluate their implemented design.
- There are many Scratch projects available via the Scratch community that are based on game development. Review YouTube tutorials to overcome challenges or alternatively modify existing Scratch projects to create your new game. (Discuss crediting the original developer.)
- Games can be created within the context of another learning area (eg History, Mathematics or Civics and Citizenship).
Supporting Resources







Assessment
Incorporate decision-making, repetition and user interface design into their designs and implement their digital solutions, including a visual program.
Suggested approaches may include
- Use a visual programming language to create an online game.
- Success criteria: see below
Assessment Resources


Activity Evaluate your game
How can I evaluate my game?
Australian Curriculum Alignment
- Evaluating (ACTDIP021)
What's this about?
An important stage of the problem-solving process is for students to evaluate their solution. A comparison can be made of the original design and the final solution. Did it meet the intended purpose? Did it meet the user’s needs? Evaluating at this level also includes considering the sustainability of the solution and of existing solutions, using criteria such as the cost and resource demands of the solutions.
Learning tasks
- Compare designs with the final digital solution. What changes might have been made during the implementation process and what were the reasons for these changes?
- How are students assessing whether the solution met the user’s needs? What feedback did they seek or receive?
- When students are evaluating if their solutions and those developed by others are sustainable they could ask questions such as whether the solution could operate on a range of platforms so users do not have to purchase specific hardware or software, or whether the solution could be upgraded with little or no cost.
Supporting Resources
Assessment
‘They explain how information systems and their solutions meet needs and consider sustainability.’
Suggested approaches may include
- Three evaluation criteria posed as questions and student responses to these questions
- For an information system used in the local community, such as a directory kiosk in a shopping centre or a supermarket check-out system, list three functions or pieces of information that it currently performs or shows. Then list three changes that would need to be made so that it can perform or show an element in one year’s time; for example, a new price for a product or the removal of a store.
Assessment Resources

