Week 7 — Space & Pace
GAME 1303 · Tuesday, October 6, 2026 · 9:00 AM – 1:50 PM
A level is not a place — it's a sequence of experiences arranged in space. Today you build the smallest complete level: a gate, a key, a checkpoint, and a deliberate rhythm.
This week at a glance
| Block | Time | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 9:00 – 10:15 | Design topic + engine features |
| Exercise | 10:30 – 11:45 | Ex 5 — Space & Pace — 2 pts, submitted today |
| Lab | 12:00 – 1:50 | Work on your semester project |
Before class
- Bring paper and a pen. Actual paper.
- Have a rough idea of one level from your game.
Lecture topics
| Section | Topics |
|---|---|
| 001 — Unity 6.x | Tilemap, Rule Tiles, tile palettes · Composite colliders · Modular prefabs · Checkpoints |
| 002 — Unreal 5.8 | Level blockout and Modeling Mode · Grid snapping · Modular assets · Checkpoints |
Exercise — Ex 5 — Space & Pace
A short level built from a beat chart, with working gating and checkpointing.
Open the version for your section:
Worth 2 points: one for Implementation (it builds and runs, the feature works), one for the Design decision (a deliberate, defensible choice beyond the defaults). Due at the end of the class period — late work earns the Implementation point only.
Lab goals
- Turn today's level into the first draft of your own game's level.
- Prepare for next week's milestone — an annotated map plus a walkable blockout.
Due this week
| What | When | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 5 — Space & Pace | end of class | 2 pts |
Run the matching tab of the course checklist before you submit. Every box on it is a graded criterion.
Next week
Week 8 is Milestone 3 — Level Map, 5 points. Your beat chart from today is most of the annotation work already done.