Games Design and Development

Games design and development is the discipline that brings digital games into existence, combining creative vision with technical knowledge and the understanding of what makes experiences compelling for players. Games are one of the most significant cultural and commercial forms of the twenty-first century, generating more revenue than the film and music industries combined, and the teams that make them draw on designers, programmers, artists, writers and producers working across overlapping disciplines. This degree develops the skills that sit at the heart of that process.

At Teesside, this three-year full-time programme develops your knowledge of both the design and development sides of game creation. You will study the principles of game design, understanding how gameplay systems, player experience, narrative and visual design are conceived and developed. On the technical side, you will learn to create games assets, including 3D models, textures, materials, audio and particle systems, and to implement them within game engines used professionally in the industry.

You will develop programming and scripting skills alongside your design and asset creation abilities, giving you a rounded understanding of how games are made from concept through to a playable product.

Teesside has a well-established reputation in games education and benefits from connections to the games industry, including opportunities to engage with developers and see how professional game production operates.

Graduates work across the games industry as game designers, level designers, 3D artists, technical artists, game programmers and producers, in studios ranging from small indie teams to large international publishers. The skills developed through games design and development also transfer into related industries including virtual reality, simulation, film and television visual effects and interactive media. Postgraduate study in games design or related fields is an option for those who want to specialise further.