The second unit that you’ll study is R099 – Digital Games. This is a coursework unit that is marked out of 70 with 42 hours of lesson & homework time and another 12 – 15 hours of coursework.

This unit is aimed at students who are particularly interested in games development and design, and includes design of visual elements of a game and programming aspects of games development. At the end of this unit, you will be assessed on your ability to go through the entire process of designing and development.

What Hardware/Software Will I Need?

You will need to be able to both design and make your games in a format that meets the criteria from the exam board. To do this, you will need the following software:

• Google Classroom (Google Slides)
• Graphics Tablet (recommended)
• Krita Graphics Software (free)
• Inkscape Graphics Software (free)
• Gamemaker Studio 2 (student licence is included in course cost)

Please note that all lessons are produced for Windows. If you are using Apple or Linux, all software is cross platform, but there may be differences in the software setup.

This unit is NOT suitable for tablets / iPads

Although there are many other software packages that can be used for games design and development, the exam board have identified these as being the best ones to meet the marking regulations and availability on multiple platforms.

How Will I Learn The Skills To Create A Game / Use Gamemaker?

Each week (aside from coursework weeks), you’ll have a set of online lessons to complete which are all supported by a video tutorial from me. The videos from me will be alongside written instructions and extra tutorial videos showing you how to use the various options in the Gamemaker Drag & Drop environment.

The video below is from the R099 Digital Games unit and shows how to create a basic character in the Gamemaker Platform:

How I Authenticate Your NEA

The OCR Exam board requires you to produce your coursework in medium conditions. This means that I must supervise enough of your coursework (NEA) completion to allow me as your tutor to confidently confirm that the work you submit is entirely your own.

This means that:

• You must complete your documented work through my Google Classroom.
• You must complete at least 4 weekly assignments before starting your coursework (these cannot be submitted at the same time).
• You must be in contact with me regularly during your coursework weeks.
• You will be required to attend 1-2-1 meetings for planning & submission:
  • In these sessions, you will be asked questions about your written work & you should be able to explain what you have written and how you created your practical work.
  • If there is a concern that the work submitted is not your own, work will not be authenticated.
• Work is uploaded on a weekly basis to your course lessons to show how it has changed over the term.
• All work will be checked using a plagiarism checker before marking.
  • I recommend that all students check their work is below 10% using a checker such as Grammarly