Game Arts and Design

Game arts and design is the creative discipline at the heart of the games industry, concerned with developing the visual, spatial, and experiential qualities that make games compelling and memorable. Game artists and designers create the characters, environments, objects, interfaces, and systems that players interact with, working across concept art, 3D modelling, texturing, animation, UI design, and level design to realise the vision of a game and deliver an experience that engages and satisfies players. The discipline demands both technical skill in digital tools and a strong creative sensibility.

This three-year, full-time programme at the University of Plymouth is delivered through facilities that are among the best available for this kind of study, giving you access to the tools and environments needed to develop professional-level work. The programme includes a placement year, which gives you direct experience of working within a game development studio or related creative organisation before you graduate, building professional contacts, portfolio work, and understanding of how games are made commercially. You will develop skills in concept design, 3D art, animation, level design, and game design, working on projects that build your portfolio and your capacity to collaborate within a development team.

Graduates move into roles in the games industry as game artists, environment artists, character artists, level designers, and UI designers, as well as into related creative industries including virtual and augmented reality, film and television visual effects, advertising, and interactive media. The placement year is typically important in helping graduates make the transition from study to employment, and the portfolio of work developed during the degree and placement is central to how games studios assess candidates. Further study in game design, visual effects, or interactive media is an option for those who wish to develop specialist expertise.