Scouts add Game Design merit badge

The Boy Scouts of America has a new merit badge that will teach youngsters about games design.

The Game Design merit badge offers kids the chance to practice the craft through a variety of mediums, including electronic, outdoor/athletic, tabletop, pen and Paper, or role-playing games.

According to Scouting Magazine, those seeking the badge will have to analyse four games they have played, each in a different medium, and explain the positives and negatives for each of them.

The analysis portion also tasks them to describe four kinds of play value and provide examples of games that feature them.

With their counselor, scouts will learn about and discuss 17 game design terms, including pace, play sequence, level design, interface design, story, setting, and balance.

Those seeking the badge will be asked to alter the rules of pre-existing games, and finally move on to creating their own game, implementing a prototype, and conduct playtesting.

The young designers will then iterate on their design based on feedback from players.

The scouts will also learn about intellectual property and what bearing this has on game design ethics.

Scouts will have the option of talking to a professional game designer or design educator, or simply researching what the requirements are for a career as a game designer themselves.

Those interested in helping the BSA get this merit badge up and running can contact the organization at this email address.