Students

COMP1151 – Introduction to Game Development

2026 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor / Lecturer
Malcolm Ryan
COMP1151@mq.edu.au
Contact via email
Lecturer
Kayson Whitehouse
COMP1151@mq.edu.au
Contact via email
Senior TA
Cody Liu
COMP1151@mq.edu.au
Contact via email
TBA (see iLearn)
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit provides a hands-on introduction to the design and development of video games. Throughout the unit, students will learn to design meaningful player experiences through the application of game design theory and practice. Students will also be introduced to the foundations of game development via the creation of a prototype game in a professional game engine.

Learning in this unit enhances student understanding of global challenges identified by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) Gender Equity; Reduced Inequality

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Demonstrate disciplinary knowledge of game design and development theories and practices.
  • ULO2: Communicate game design and development decisions in appropriate formats.
  • ULO3: Apply game design theory to analyse existing games.
  • ULO4: Apply game design principles and processes in the production of a simple game.
  • ULO5: Prototype a simple game within a game engine.
  • ULO6: Evaluate your work through self-reflection

General Assessment Information

Assessment Task Release Dates

  • Design Journal – 9am Monday, each week

  • Design Quiz – 9am Monday, March 31

  • Game Prototype  – 9am Monday, May 4

Requirements to Pass this Unit

To pass this unit you must:

  1. Achieve a total mark equal to or greater than 50%

Late Submission Policy

  • 5% penalty per day: If you submit your assessment late, 5% of the total possible marks will be deducted for each day (including weekends), up to 7 days.
    • Example 1 (out of 100): If you score 85/100 but submit 20 hours late, you will lose 5 marks and receive 80/100.
    • Example 2 (out of 30): If you score 27/30 but submit 1 day late, you will lose 1.5 marks and receive 25.5/30.
  • After 7 days: Submissions more than 7 days late will receive a mark of 0.
  • Extensions:
    • Automatic short extension: Some assessments are eligible for automatic short extension. You can only apply for an automatic short extension before the due date.
    • Special Consideration: If you need more time due to serious issues and for any assessments that are not eligible for Short Extension, you must apply for Special Consideration.

Need help? Review the Special Consideration page HERE

Assessments where Late Submissions will be accepted 

  • Design Journal – NO, Late submssions will not be accepted

  • Design Quiz – YES, Standard Late Penalty applies 

  • Game Prototype  – YES, Standard Late Penalty applies

Special Consideration

The Special Consideration Policy aims to support students who have been impacted by short-term circumstances or events that are serious, unavoidable and significantly disruptive, and which may affect their performance in assessment. If you experience circumstances or events that affect your ability to complete the assessments in this unit on time, please inform the convenor and submit a Special Consideration request through http://connect.mq.edu.au/.

 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Design Journal 20% No 05/06/2026 Individual Yes Open
Game protoype 50% No 07/06/2026 Individual Yes Open
Design quiz 30% No 19/04/2026 Individual Yes Open

Design Journal

Assessment Type 1: Portfolio
Indicative Time on Task 2: 12 hours
Due: 05/06/2026
Weighting: 20%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

A design journal demonstrating regular engagement with teaching materials throughout semester. Homework exercises will be included as part of SGTA and Practical classes. The student will select specific exercises to be graded at the end of semester.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate disciplinary knowledge of game design and development theories and practices.
  • Communicate game design and development decisions in appropriate formats.
  • Apply game design theory to analyse existing games.
  • Apply game design principles and processes in the production of a simple game.
  • Evaluate your work through self-reflection

Game protoype

Assessment Type 1: Creative task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: 07/06/2026
Weighting: 50%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

A playable prototype for a simple game developed in a 2D game engine, submitted together with a report detailing:

  • the technical implementation of the game.
  • the design principles employed in the prototype game.
  • reflection on the outcomes of playtesting the game with fellow students.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Communicate game design and development decisions in appropriate formats.
  • Apply game design principles and processes in the production of a simple game.
  • Prototype a simple game within a game engine.
  • Evaluate your work through self-reflection

Design quiz

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 19/04/2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

A take-home quiz addressing design topics including:

  • Comprehension questions about regarding design theory covered in lectures and SGTAs
  • An design analysis exercise, using the theoretical framework to analyse the design of a specific game.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate disciplinary knowledge of game design and development theories and practices.
  • Communicate game design and development decisions in appropriate formats.
  • Apply game design theory to analyse existing games.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • Academic Success for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

Week1 classes

  • Lectures will begin in week 1.
  • Practicals will begin in week 2.
  • SGTAs will begin in week 2.

Methods of Communication

We will communicate with you via your university email and through announcements on iLearn. Queries to convenors can either be placed on the iLearn discussion board or sent to the unit convenor via the contact email on iLearn.

Textbook & Readings

There is no assigned textbook for this unit. Reading materials will be recommended in lectures throughout session.

Unit Schedule

Refer to the unit iLearn page.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Changes from Previous Offering

We value student feedback to be able to continually improve the way we offer our units. As such we encourage students to provide constructive feedback via student surveys, to the teaching staff directly, or via the FSE Student Experience & Feedback link in the iLearn page.

Based on feedback from the 2025 offering, we plan to:

  • Simplify the rubric for the design journal.
  • Improve the development lectures and practicals to spend more time explaining key programming concepts

Unit information based on version 2026.02 of the Handbook