BSc (Hons) Games Development

Use your imagination and creativity to study the technology and techniques in computer games to degree level and progress to a career as a computer games software developer or designer. 

The BSc (Hons) Games Development course allows you to specialise in one of two key disciplines within the games industry: games software development or games design. The course will provide you with the knowledge, skills and experiences needed to excel as a graduate in the computer games field.

You will select one of two distinct paths within the course, ultimately graduating with either a BSc (Hons) Games Development (Design) or a BSc (Hons) Games Development (Software).

In Year 1 of the course, you'll study the foundations of creating games. In addition, you'll develop the skills required to prototype games using technologies such as Unity and Unreal games engines. After year one you will select your specialisation choosing between one of two streams.

• Games Design Stream: In Years 2-4 you'll specialise in Games Design through a series of individual and collaborative modules. Individual modules will develop your expertise in areas such as Games Narrative, Game System Design, Game User Research, User Psychology, Serious Game Design, Engine Based Development, and facilitate the development of portfolio pieces. Collaborative modules will see you work together with students from other specialised courses within the Department of Applied Computer Games such as 3D Animation and Visualisation with pathways for Games and VFX and 3D Design for Visual Environments in order to produce games to either internal or industry-specified briefs.
• Games Software Development Stream: In Years 2-4 you'll specialise in Games Software Development through a series of individual, and collaborative modules. Individual modules will develop your expertise in areas such; Artificial Intelligence, Mobile Game Development, C++ and OpenGL, Network Game Development, Engine Based Development, and facilitate the development of portfolio pieces. Collaborative modules will see you work together with students from other specialised courses within the Department of Applied Computer Games such as 3D Animation and Visualisation with pathways for Games and VFX and 3D Design for Visual Environments in order to produce games to either internal or industry-specified briefs.

Graduate prospects

• Graduates have gone on to work in companies such as Crytek, Electronic Arts, No Code, King, Media Molecule, Outplay Entertainment, Rockstar North and Sony.

Year 1

• Trimester A Introduction to Games programming, Introduction to Game Design, Maths for Computer Games, Fundamentals of Computer Systems,
• Trimester B Integrated Project 1, Introduction to 3D Modelling, Maths for Computer Games, Fundamentals of Network and Cloud Computing

Year 2

• Trimester A Design of Playful Experiences, Working With Game Engines
• Trimester B  Integrated Project 2, Human Computer Interaction
• Games Design Stream: Games narrative (Tri A) Game Content and Level Design (Tri B)
• Games Software Development Stream: Programming Structure and Design (Trim A) Programming with Unreal Engine (Tri B)

Year 3

• Trimester A Game Preproduction Workshop
• Trimester B Integrated Project 3, Research Skills and Professional Issues
• Games Design Stream: Game User Research, Serious Games Design (Tri A), User Psychology (Tri B)
• Games Software Development Stream: Games Programming 1, Game Artificial Intelligence (Tri A), Games Programming 2 (Tri B)

Year 4

• Trimester A&B Honours Project
• Trimester B Portfolio
• Games Design Stream:  Experimental Games, Creative Practice  (Tri A) Games System Design (Tri B)
• Games Software Development Stream: Graphics Programming, Network Game Programming (Tri A), Games Programming 3 (Tri B)