Play a game that has a musical soundtrack, and listen to the soundtrack while playing. Be sure to play enough that you're very familiar with how to play, what the shape of the game is like, and what music you're hearing. (If you choose a game you've played a lot already, you may already be at that point!) Take a break, and then listen to the soundtrack without playing the game. What parts of the

music or sound effects are especially memorable—and what aspects of gameplay, or moments in a scene you remember, do they evoke for you? What do these memorable moments tell you about how the soundtrack affects your experience of the game? How does the soundtrack help reinforce the rules and verbs of the game? Do you think a different soundtrack, or changes to the existing soundtrack, could make your experience more memorable? If so, describe why or how.

What will be an ideal response?

Working alone or in a group, brainstorm a new concept for a game, but rather than starting with rules, mechanics, or verbs, use a visual image as the starting point for a game. This could be a favorite piece of artwork, an evocative photograph, an image from advertising or popular culture, or an image chosen by your instructor. Just be sure to use an image from outside of games!Think about the choices that the visual artist or designer who made this image made: what is it representing? What moods or feelings does it convey? How do this image's visual design elements, texture, references to other images, genre, and texture combine to create your impression of the image? After discussing or making your own notes on the image, think about what kind of game could be inspired by this image, or use this image as a foundation for an in-game visual style. What kind of game would use this kind of image as context? Develop your game idea further into a document that describes gameplay, a visual style inspired by or rooted in the image you chose, and other elements of context (including camera and sound) that help support your vision for the game. When your document is complete, discuss the influence and role of your image in your process and the overall design of the game.