| Project Repo | Playable Link | Video | Development Doc |
Course Review
USC CSCI 526 “Mobile Games” is primarily suited for students with leadership aspirations, particularly those interested in game design and mechanics. However, for technical artists, the course lacks the necessary environment and resources to thrive.
The course structure imposes significant limitations. Most students taking this class have little to no prior experience with game engines, and many enroll with the primary intention of filling credits rather than genuinely improving their game development skills. Their focus is typically on SDE (Software Development Engineer) job hunting, rather than enhancing the quality of their projects. As a result, the course provides value mainly in terms of game design concepts, but not much beyond that.
A comprehensive list of projects developed in this course can be found here.
Among the projects developed in this course, apart from our own Ball Buddies, the following stood out as high-quality games:
Compared to related courses, such as CTIN 532, which allows teams of just two members to produce high-quality projects, CSCI 526 often falls short despite having teams of up to six members. The overall project quality remains relatively low.
Conclusion
Despite being labeled as a “Mobile Game” course, CSCI 526 does not cover any mobile-specific optimizations. Instead, it primarily focuses on WebGL development. Furthermore, the rigid structure of the course significantly restricts creative freedom, imposing strict limitations—such as prohibiting the use of external assets until the beta stage, which is already late in the development cycle.
Recommendation: This course is not suitable for experienced developers seeking flexibility and a more advanced technical environment.