Welcome

So glad you are here! We've got a fun packed week of learning about computer science and how to make a game using GameSalad.

(Looking for previous year's pages? Go to 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014)

The Games!

Check out this year's games, made in GameSalad. Note that you need to download a free copy of GameSalad Creator to open and test the games (you can skip registering for an account).

• Bomb Survival
• Brick Breaker
• Cloud World
• Cubey Coin
• Door Adventure
• Dungeon Escape
• Gem Collector
• Hockey Game
• Homework Dash
• Karley's Game
• Key Finder
• Penguin Game
• Penguin Pop
• Poop
• Save the Birds
• Space Destroy
• The Marshmallow Journey

Friday

Women in Computer Science and Games

Download the slides on women in CS, and check out these resources:

• National Center for Women & Information Technology
• Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology
• Made With Code
• Anita's Quilt: Threads of Inspiration
• IGDA Women in Games

Thursday

Usability / Human Computer Interaction

Usability and HCI were our computer science topics today (download the slides). Here are some related links:

• CS Unplugged: Human Interface Design
• The Design of Everyday Things (Book by Donald Norman)

Wednesday

Artificial Intelligence

Today's computer science topic was artificial intelligence (download the slides). Here are some related links:

• CS Unplugged: The Turing Test
• CS Unplugged: Finite State Machines
• Cleverbot
• Eliza
• IBM Watson: Final Jeopardy! and the Future of Watson

Even More GameSalad Help

• Gamesalad Recipe 007: Enemy Behavior–Patrolling
• Pace back and forth between 2 spots in gamesalad
• Rotate Towards and Follow
• Getting Enemies to follow a movement pattern

Tuesday

Computer Graphics

Today we learned about computer graphics. Download the slides and the example image with both raster and vector pictures (download this to the same folder as well).

You might also be interested in the following:

• CS Unplugged: Image Representation
• gimp (free raster image editing software)
• Inkscape
• Blender (free 3D modelling software)
• Blender Projects (including Big Buck Bunny)
• Alice (programming 3D games and stories)
• Removing An Image Background in GIMP

Binary Numbers

Images (along with everything else on a computer) are ultimately stored as ones and zeros. The binary number system is used to represent numbers on a computer. Download the slides from today's binary numbers presentation, and check out Virtual Ventures!

More GameSalad Help

• Setting up a Score System in GameSalad
• Adding Gravity and Jumping to a Platformer (Part 1, Part 2)
• Making Your Platform Game Level Scroll (camera scrolling)

Monday

Computer Science, Game Design

Download the slides on computer science and game design. Check out The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses if you want to learn more about making games.

These are the games we will study:

• This Is The Only Level
• i saw her standing there
• The Love Letter
• Auditorium

GameSalad

Check out the user manual for GameSalad Windows Creator.

Explore the template games.

Free Game Assets

• OpenGameArt.org
• The Spriter's Resource
• Video Game Music Archive

Orientation

We will meet in 4115 Herzberg at 9am Monday morning. We recommend you bring a USB key to save your work on, paper, pens/pencils, and headphones.

In addition to creating your own game, our schedule for the week includes:

• Monday: Computer Science and Game Design
• Tuesday: Computer Graphics
• Wednesday: Artificial Intelligence
• Thursday: Human-Computer Interaction
• Friday: Women in CS/Games, Pizza Party and Show-and-Tell (240 Tory Building @ 12:30pm)

On Wednesday at noon, there will be free activities in the Tory Foyer, including a visit from Little Ray's Reptiles and free cotton candy and popcorn.

Facebook Group

Anyone involved with this year's mini-course (or any other year) is welcome to join the Computer Science and Games: Just for Girls Facebook group.

Contact Me!

To talk to Gail, use this contact form. You are welcome to ask me about anything related to the course, Carleton University, and computer science in general! I'd love to hear from you!