CORE QUESTION: What are you actually selling, and why should anyone care?

Students shift from thinking of their game as only a creative idea to understanding it as a product built for a specific market. They define the game concept, the player promise, the core value proposition, and the commercial assumptions behind the idea.

STUDENT OUTPUT:
A one-page product definition: title, genre, target platform, audience, player fantasy, core hook, and why the game could sell.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: 

This course challenges students to see their games as market-ready products, not just passion projects. Students will explore how player value, design decisions, audience expectations, and monetization strategies influence a game’s commercial viability. Using practical examples, the session shows how aligning creative vision with business strategy can lead to stronger player experiences and more sustainable success.

CORE QUESTION: What makes this game compelling to a player?

Students focus on identifying their game’s strongest player-facing value: fantasy, emotion, mechanics, aesthetic appeal, novelty, progression, social value, or replayability. Students learn to separate “features” from “reasons to buy.”

STUDENT OUTPUT:
A refined core hook statement and player value proposition.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: 

This course helps students identify what makes their game compelling from the player’s perspective. Students will learn to distinguish between features, mechanics, and true player value while refining the emotional, experiential, or strategic hook that makes their game stand out. By the end of the session, students will be able to clearly communicate why players should care about their game.

CORE QUESTION: Who is this game for, and how do they already spend money?

Students define their target audience using player behavior, genre expectations, platform habits, spending patterns, and community signals. The goal is to move beyond vague audience definitions like “people who like action games.”

STUDENT OUTPUT:
A target audience profile with player motivations, buying behavior, platforms, and relevant communities

COURSE DESCRIPTION: 

This course helps students define who their game is for and how that audience behaves in the market. Students will explore player motivations, genre expectations, platform preferences, spending habits, and community signals to build a more precise audience profile. The session emphasizes that commercial success depends on understanding not just who might play the game, but who is most likely to buy it.

CORE QUESTION: What is the smallest version of this game that can prove the opportunity?

Students define the commercial MVP: the minimum version of the game that demonstrates the hook, validates the audience, supports the pitch, and shows production feasibility. This week connects creative ambition to schedule, budget, team size, and production reality.

STUDENT OUTPUT:
A commercial MVP definition: must-have features, cuttable features, proof points, and estimated production needs.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: 

This course helps students define the smallest viable version of their game that can prove its commercial opportunity. Students will learn how to connect scope, budget, timeline, team capacity, and feature priorities to a credible production plan. The session focuses on identifying what must be built to demonstrate the game’s hook, validate demand, and support a publisher or investor conversation.

CORE QUESTION: What must be protected, cut, or postponed to make the game viable?

Students learn how scope creep damages commercial viability. They prioritize features based on player value, market expectations, production cost, and pitch relevance. This week helps students make hard decisions about what belongs in the demo, pitch, vertical slice, or full game.

STUDENT OUTPUT:
A feature priority map: core, supporting, stretch, and cut/post-launch features. 

COURSE DESCRIPTION: 

This course teaches students how to make disciplined scope decisions that protect the commercial viability of their game. Students will evaluate features based on player value, market expectations, production cost, and pitch relevance. By learning what to protect, cut, postpone, or simplify, students will develop a clearer path toward a focused demo, vertical slice, or MVP.

CORE QUESTION: How will players discover and understand this game?

Students build a practical marketing strategy around positioning, store page messaging, trailers, screenshots, wishlists, creator outreach, press beats, festivals, social channels, and launch timing. The emphasis is on marketing as proof of demand, not just promotion at the end.

STUDENT OUTPUT:
A go-to-market plan with key beats, channels, assets, and success metrics.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: 

This course helps students understand how players will discover, understand, and become interested in their game. Students will explore positioning, store page messaging, trailers, screenshots, wishlist strategy, creator outreach, festivals, press beats, and launch timing. The session frames marketing as an essential part of product strategy, not a task reserved for the end of development.

CORE QUESTION: How do you prove that people want this game?

Students learn how to use community building, playtesting, wishlists, Discord, mailing lists, social engagement, demos, festivals, and creator feedback as validation tools. This week prepares them to show evidence, not just enthusiasm.

STUDENT OUTPUT:
A validation plan and traction dashboard: what they have, what they need, and how they will measure interest.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: 

This course teaches students how to build evidence that players want their game. Students will examine how playtesting, community engagement, demos, Discord, mailing lists, wishlists, social channels, festivals, and creator feedback can validate market interest. The session helps students understand how to turn audience engagement into credible traction for publishers, investors, and strategic partners.

CORE QUESTION: What is the right path to market for this game?

Students compare self-publishing, publisher funding, platform support, grants, crowdfunding, angel investment, venture funding, and work-for-hire support. They learn what different partners care about and what kind of deal or pathway fits their project.

STUDENT OUTPUT:
A recommended strategic pathway with funding needs, partner targets, and rationale.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: 

This course helps students evaluate the best path to bring their game to market. Students will compare self-publishing, publisher partnerships, platform support, grants, crowdfunding, angel investment, venture funding, and other strategic options. The session focuses on matching the game’s needs, risks, budget, and goals with the right commercial pathway.

CORE QUESTION: Can this idea stand on its own?

Students assemble and refine their final pitch deck. The deck must clearly communicate the game, audience, market opportunity, differentiation, business model, production scope, team capability, traction, funding need, and next steps. The goal is a deck that can be read independently and still make sense.

STUDENT OUTPUT:
A complete publisher/investor-ready pitch deck and final presentation. 

COURSE DESCRIPTION: 

This course guides students through assembling a pitch deck that clearly communicates their game as a viable, sellable opportunity. Students will learn how to present the game concept, market opportunity, audience, positioning, business model, production scope, traction, team, funding needs, and next steps. By the end of the session, students should have a deck that can stand on its own and support a serious publisher or investor conversation.