Something you play that has rules, a goal, and is fun
Character
The person or thing the player controls (e.g. Mario, Steve in Minecraft)
World
The place where the game happens (e.g. a jungle, space, a city)
Rules
What you can and cannot do in the game
Goal
What you need to do to win or succeed
Think about your favourite game. It could be a video game, a board game, or a phone game.
Every game has 4 parts:
1. A Character (who you play as)
2. A World (where you play)
3. Rules (what you can do)
4. A Goal (how to win)
Example — Minecraft:
Character = Steve or Alex
World = A blocky world with biomes
Rules = Mine blocks, craft tools, fight mobs
Goal = Survive, build, explore (or beat the Ender Dragon!)
Talk to your partner: What is your favourite game? Can you name all 4 parts (character, world, rules, goal)?
I can explain the 4 parts of any game.
2 Types of Games (Genres)
A genre is the type of game. Here are the main ones:
Platformer — Run and jump on platforms (e.g. Mario, Celeste) Puzzle — Solve problems to progress (e.g. Candy Crush, Portal) Adventure — Explore a world and complete quests (e.g. Zelda, Stardew Valley) Shooter — Aim and shoot at targets or enemies (e.g. Fortnite, Splatoon) Racing — Drive fast and win the race (e.g. Mario Kart, Need for Speed) Simulation — Pretend to do a real activity (e.g. The Sims, Animal Crossing)
Write down 3 games you know and their genre:
My 3 Games
e.g. Fortnite = Shooter, Mario Kart = Racing, Minecraft = Adventure
I can name at least 3 game genres with an example for each.
3 Getting Started with Canva
What is Canva? Canva is a free website where you can create posters, pictures, and designs. We will use it all term to design our game!
Open your web browser (Chrome or Edge). Type this address in the bar at the top:
Type: canva.com and press EnterYou will see the Canva home page. It has a purple and white design.
Sign in with your school Google account. Follow these steps:
Step 1: Click the Log in button in the top-right corner.
A sign-in window will appear.
Step 2: Click Continue with Google.
A Google sign-in window will pop up.
Step 3: Choose your school email (it ends with @education.nsw.gov.au).
You are now logged into Canva! You should see your name in the top-right corner.
Stuck on signing in? Raise your hand. Your teacher or SLSO can help you log in.
Create your first design:
Step 4: Click the big purple Create a design button (top-right corner).
A dropdown menu will appear with different design sizes.
Step 5: Click Custom size.
Two boxes will appear for width and height.
Step 6: Type 1080 in the width box and 1080 in the height box. Make sure it says px (pixels). Then click Create new design.
A blank white square will appear. This is your canvas! You will design on this.
I am logged into Canva and I have a blank 1080 x 1080 design open.
4 Make a "My Favourite Game" Poster
You will now make a poster about your favourite game. Follow the steps below.
Add a background colour:
Step 1: Click anywhere on the white canvas. Then look at the top-left of the screen for a coloured square. Click it.
A colour picker will appear.
Step 2: Choose a dark colour that matches your game's mood (e.g. dark blue for a space game, dark green for a jungle game).
Your canvas background will change to the colour you picked.
Add the game title:
Step 3: On the left sidebar, click Text. Then click Add a heading.
A text box saying "Add a heading" will appear on your canvas.
Step 4: Double-click the text box and type the name of your favourite game (e.g. "MINECRAFT" or "FORTNITE").
The game name will appear on your poster. You can change the font, size, and colour using the top toolbar.
Add the 4 parts of the game:
Step 5: Click Text again, then click Add a little bit of body text. Type the 4 parts of your game:
Character: _____
World: _____
Rules: _____
Goal: _____
Your poster now shows the game name AND the 4 parts.
Add a picture or shape:
Step 6: On the left sidebar, click Elements. In the search bar at the top, type a word related to your game (e.g. "sword", "spaceship", "soccer").
Pictures and shapes will appear. Click one to add it to your poster. You can drag it to move it and pull the corners to resize it.
Stuck? Show this page to your teacher or SLSO. They can help you find elements in Canva.
Make it look good: Move things around so your poster looks neat and colourful. Make the title BIG at the top. Put the 4 parts in the middle. Put pictures around the edges.
Show your poster to your partner. Can they guess which game it is? Ask them: "What would you add to make it even better?"
My poster has: a background colour, the game title, the 4 parts (character, world, rules, goal), and at least one picture or shape.
5 Save Your Work
Good news! Canva saves your work automatically. But let's give it a proper name:
Step 1: Look at the very top of the screen. You will see text that says something like "Untitled Design". Click on it.
The text becomes editable.
Step 2: Delete the old name and type: L03 - My Favourite Game - [Your Name]Your design now has a proper name and is saved in your Canva account.
To find it later: Go to canva.com and click Projects on the left sidebar. All your designs will be there.