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What is it?

The Mario Maker Workshop (MMW) is a free, online game design school that operates like a community. We use Super Mario Maker 2 as a platform to rapidly test and share ideas. The workshop will teach level design and game design lessons using a unique communal learning method. No matter your spare time or time zone, the MMW is always open.

You can find all of our lessons here:

Who is it for?

Our workshop is is primarily designed for two types of people. 1) Players who aspire to create the best Mario Maker courses. 2) People who are serious about improving their game design skills. Our lessons are a foundational course on Mario level design while also applying to game design in general.

What do you do?

  • Any time you play Super Mario Maker 2 you can contribute to the workshop. Whether you play random levels, make levels, or play workshoper's levels.
  • Each week focuses on a different design lesson. (20+)
  • Workshopers play, analyze, and give feedback on each other's levels.
  • Complete fun and challenging assignments designed to teach design concepts.
  • Dig deep into game design reading material (for game designers)
  • Discuss course ideas and game design on our Discord.
  • Interact in our weekly workshop recap twitch streams.
  • Contribute as much or as little as you want. Come and go as you please. There's no long term commitment.
  • Always have fun.

You'll Need

  • A Nintendo Switch & Super Mario Maker 2
  • Nintendo Online
  • Web Browser (to access Discord and Google Docs)
  • A Discord Account (free)
  • A Google Account (free)
  • 18+ years of age

Our Credentials

Design Oriented (DO) is a game design community for the deepest analysis and discussion. The founding members have been discussing and working on games for over 10 years.

Design Oriented is lead by Richard "KirbyKid" Terrell. Richard is the creator of Critical-Gaming, a game design blog that established a critical language to break down and understand game design. After a million words of analysis and a game design glossary, Design Oriented moves forward utilizing this critical-framework.

Super Mario Bros. platformers have been the subject of extensive game studies. From the early "Mario Melodies" to "The Measure of Mario" article series, Richard has specifically studied Mario design.

Talks given: A Crash Course in Game Design Innovation. How Kirby and Smash Bros. Taught me to Design Better Games. Foundations of Game Design. and many extemporaneous talks on the DO Twitch channel.

Richard created a short collection of videos called "Super Mario Fixer." In it he took user made courses from the original Super Mario Maker and applied Nintendo's design principles to "fix" the design while retaining as much of the original ideas as possible.

What can I earn?

Upon completion of the Mario Maker Workshop lessons you will have created a portfolio of Mario Maker courses along with the language to explain the lessons and principles exhibited in the design. You will also be a part of a small network of passionate game designers.

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Contact

Twitter: @DesignOriented Email: richard@designoriented.net

Created By
Richard Terrell
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