Games Design

Games design is the discipline concerned with the conceptual and creative foundation of interactive entertainment, addressing how the rules, systems, mechanics, narratives, aesthetics and player experiences of games are conceived and developed. It sits alongside but is distinct from games programming, focusing more on the design thinking, world-building, level design, user experience research and creative direction that determine what a game is and how it feels to play. Games are now the largest entertainment industry in the world, and the designers who shape what games are and how they engage their players are central to its continuing development.

At the University of Surrey this programme integrates digital skills and artificial intelligence tools throughout the curriculum, reflecting the reality of a games industry in which technical fluency with emerging tools is increasingly expected of designers as well as programmers. The course runs full time over three years and develops both the creative and technical competencies that professional games design roles require. You will study game mechanics, level design, narrative design, player psychology, user experience, visual development and the production processes of the games industry, developing the ability to take a game from concept through to playable prototype.

You will build a portfolio of design work that demonstrates your creative ideas and your ability to translate them into playable experiences. The portfolio is the primary currency for games design graduates entering the industry.

Graduates from games design programmes work as games designers, level designers, narrative designers, systems designers, user experience researchers and creative directors within games studios of all sizes, from independent developers to major publishers. The skills developed in games design are also transferable to interactive media, simulation, training applications and experience design more broadly. Postgraduate study in games design or interactive media is also an option for those seeking specialist development.