NoteG: A Computational Notebook to Facilitate Rapid Game Prototyping

TL;DR

NoteG is a novel computational notebook designed to facilitate rapid game prototyping, making it easier and quicker for novice developers to create and extend game ideas, thus enhancing game-based learning and development.

Contribution

This paper introduces NoteG, a new computational notebook tailored for quick game prototyping, bridging the gap between coding notebooks and game development.

Findings

66% of users found NoteG easy to use

Participants reported that NoteG saves development time

Some users successfully extended the framework for new mechanics

Abstract

Game development-based approaches are increasingly used to design curricula that can engage students, as these can help them apply and practice learnt computer science concepts. However, it can become complex to develop a minimum working game or a prototype with the help of high-end game engines. Game prototyping is one of the most essential parts of the game design and development cycle as it allows developers to continuously test and improve their ideas. In recent years, computational notebooks have gained widespread popularity among developers. They can help run individual code snippets, visualize the output, consolidate the source code, and share live code easily. However, its use has not been explored in the field of game development and prototyping. In this paper, we propose NoteG, a computational notebook towards rapid game prototyping. We evaluated the tool with 18 novice game developers through a questionnaire-based user survey. A majority of the volunteers (66%) found it easy to use and were of the opinion that it saves time. A few of the participants successfully extended the existing framework to implement new game mechanics within their prototypes.