Mechanics and Logic Timing Guide (2 hours)

Audience: Ages 12-14. This workshop is deliberately lighter on code than previous sessions. The goal is a creative, discussion-rich experience.
Tone: Curious, analytical, playful. This is “designer thinking,” not “developer work.”

0:00-0:10 — Welcome + Icebreaker

Open with: “What is one game mechanic you love?”

Let students call out answers. Write them on the board. Aim for variety: jump, dash, grapple, craft, shoot, talk, build, rewind.

Set expectations for today:

  • We are thinking like designers, not coders
  • We will play a demo and pick it apart
  • We will design something together
  • There are no wrong answers in design

0:10-0:25 — What Are Mechanics?

Walk through mechanics categories using the slides.

Key points to land:

  • Mechanics are the verbs of a game (what can you DO?)
  • Different from story, art, and sound — mechanics are the rules
  • One game can have dozens of mechanics

Use real examples students know. Ask them to contribute. The board list from the icebreaker is a good starting point.

Highlight the Metroid example of progressive discovery:

  • Find an item → world opens up → use that item immediately
  • Compare to a wall of tutorial text — which feels better?

Do a quick compare: Mario’s first goomba teaches jumping through play, not through a screen that says “Press A to jump.”

0:25-0:40 — How Games Teach

Walk through the “How games teach without boring you” section.

Key design principles to discuss:

  1. Show before require — Let players see the mechanic before they need it
  2. Safe practice space — First use should be low-stakes
  3. Let them feel clever — Don’t explain it; let them discover it

Optional discussion prompt: “Has a game ever frustrated you with too many tutorials? What did that feel like?”

0:40-1:00 — Play the Mechanics Demo

Direct students to the demo game at:

/game-mechanics-and-logic/example-game/

Give them 5-7 minutes to just play freely. Then guide discussion:

  • “What could you do at the start?”
  • “What changed after you got the boots?”
  • “Did the game tell you what to do, or did you figure it out?”
  • “What would you add next?”

Point out the HUD showing locked/unlocked mechanics — this is the “behind the scenes” view of what the game is tracking.

If students finish quickly, challenge them to think about: “What if the boots were hidden instead of visible? What would change about the experience?”

1:00-1:30 — Group Design Activity

Groups of 2-3 students. Each group picks a mechanic to design an introduction for. Use the worksheet Part 4.

Encourage variety — don’t let every group pick double jump. Suggest:

  • Wall jump
  • Grapple hook
  • Time rewind
  • Invisibility
  • Shapeshifting
  • Crafting
  • Dialogue choices that matter

Circulate and ask questions:

  • “Where in the game world would you put the item that grants this?”
  • “What kind of player would miss it? Is that okay?”
  • “What’s the first thing they’d do after getting it?”

Watch for groups getting stuck on HOW to build it (that’s a different workshop). Redirect to: “What would it FEEL like to find and use it?”

1:30-1:50 — Share Out

Each group shares their mechanic and how they’d introduce it. 2-3 minutes each.

After each share, invite one question or piece of feedback from the class. Model good design feedback:

  • “I liked how you said…” (specific, positive)
  • “What if…” (generative, not critical)

1:50-2:00 — Wrap-Up

Key takeaways to reinforce:

  • Mechanics are the rules that make games interactive
  • Great games teach through play, not through paragraphs
  • Progressive discovery keeps players curious and confident
  • You already have the designer instincts — you’ve been playing games your whole life

Close with: “Next time you play any game, watch for the first 10 minutes. That’s usually the game’s most carefully designed part.”

Pacing Notes

  • If discussion runs long in the Metroid section: trim to 5 minutes, move on. The demo activity does the teaching more effectively anyway.
  • If students rush through the demo: give them the challenge of identifying which mechanic feels “best” and why.
  • If the share-out runs long: cut to one sentence per group — “What’s your mechanic, and one word for how players find it?”
  • The last 10 minutes can expand if there are great discussions. Cut scope before cutting confidence.