Game Design: Courses, Syllabus, Career, and Industry Trends

Course Level

Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Online Programmes

Duration

Online Courses - 6 weeks to 25 weeks

UG- 3-4 years

PG-2 years

Eligibility

For Online Courses - 10+2 in any stream
For Undergraduate Courses -10+2 in any stream

For Postgraduate Courses- Bachelor's degree in design

Fees

Up to INR 10 lakh

Top Institutions

• IIT Bombay
• California Institute of the Arts
• Michigan University
• Abertay University 
• World University of Design

Average Salary

Up to INR 15 lakh

Top Recruiters

Nvidia, Rockstar Games, Capcom, Valve Corporation, Lila Games, Rockstar Games, Blizzard Entertainment, Nintendo, Ubisoft, Epic Games, Square Enix, Sega, etc.

Job Positions

Game Designer, Creative Director, Game Producer, Game Animator, Game Writer, Audio Engineer

Player

The game designer has to look into how many players will be there in the game. If there is more than one player, how the game will get affected in terms of relationships should be answered. It could be defined as a team or as a rival. Playing Mortal Kombat, for example, a player can play as an opponent with another player in the same room or solo. This relationship needs to be defined. 

Game Objective

The game objective describes what the player is going to do in the game. Taking the same example of MK from above, the objective is to defeat the opponent through 12 levels. 

Rules/Mechanics

Mechanics in a game are rules that dictate what the player should do next in the game.   Game mechanics are like building blocks. They wholly shape the player's experience and determine the challenges, goals, and strategies within the game. For example, in the MK 11 game, there are five endings, and they entirely depend on how the final fight goes. 

Sequencing 

It is the arrangement of the order of events, how they flow from one point to another, through which trigger that the player’s actions lead to. Players can learn about the game better when there is a well-designed sequence. A sequence is necessary to design levels of difficulty or introduce prizes or rewards, so the player continues playing the game. It is expected that the game designer understands player psychology to do so. 

Theme/Narrative

Every game has a story or a plot. The game designer has to sort out how the story unfolds and characters develop through the gameplay. Along with that, there has to be background of the story. It could be as direct as defining the landscape of game, but it could also be symbolic, addressing social issues or similar. 

But visuals aren’t enough when it comes to developing a story. The narrative can be made more compelling with the right sound design or music. 

Game Design Document

A Game Design Document (GDD) comprises the concept of the game, genre, story and characters, game mechanics, and art. This document is a standard practice that even top companies, including Ubisoft, use. 

The game designer may or may not be directly related to creating the concept of the game. But it is important to highlight in a GDD about it. It could be on racing or building an empire. 

Prototyping

Game designers have to develop a proof-of-concept before finalising the game. The concept of prototyping is to test how the game plays out practically. This is the stage when the game designer takes feedback and implements the priority tasks. 

Unreal Engine 4

Powerful and versatile game engine, known for its high-fidelity graphics.

Unity

Widely-used game development engine that supports both 2D and 3D game creation and platform compatibility.

Godot

An open-source game engine that supports both 2D and 3D game development and design. 

Blender

A free and open-source 3D modeling and animation software, Blender is used in game design for creating detailed 3D models, animations, and visual effects

Visual Studio

Microsoft's integrated development environment (IDE), Visual Studio is often used in game development for writing and debugging code, particularly for games developed in C# and Unity

Game System Design and Logic

• Understanding of game system design and logic 
• Relationship between game mechanics, designing rules, and logical thinking and reasoning
• Importance of game balance in relation to simplicity and complexity, dominant strategies, and skill and chance

Game Balancing

• Use of game-balancing tools 
• Risk and reward, physical and mental challenges
• Gameplay duration and freedom versus control

Graphics Design

• Principles of 2D and 3D graphics
• Creating and assessing 2D/3D static and moving visuals
• Storyboarding, designing, animating, and rendering various options for 2D/3D graphics

Animation and Sound Design

• Dynamic and interactive backgrounds
• Techniques for aligning audio cues with visual events 

Programming for Game Development

• Lua and C#

Introduction to Game Development and Design Theory

• Introduction to the basic concepts of game development and design theory 
• Exploration of how game design concepts affect the ways we design and interact with games

Player Psychology and Motivation

• Study of various player types and play styles and what motivates and interests them
• Application of a psychological, player-centric perspective to improve game design

Core Game Mechanics and Challenge Dynamics

• Techniques for adjusting game difficulty 
• Designing reward mechanisms
  
  

Game Development Tools and Techniques

• Unity 2D or 3D, or similar

Unreal Engine 4

Powerful and versatile game engine, known for its high-fidelity graphics.

Unity

Widely-used game development engine that supports both 2D and 3D game creation and platform compatibility.

Godot

An open-source game engine that supports both 2D and 3D game development and design. 

Blender

A free and open-source 3D modeling and animation software, Blender is used in game design for creating detailed 3D models, animations, and visual effects

Visual Studio

Microsoft's integrated development environment (IDE), Visual Studio is often used in game development for writing and debugging code, particularly for games developed in C# and Unity.

Amity University, Mumbai

3 lakhs

Artemisia College of Art and Design

6 lakhs

Asian Institute of Design

2 lakhs - 4 lakhs

Backstage Pass Institute of Gaming and Technology

2 lakhs - 6 lakhs

CMR University

5 lakhs

Era University

1 lakh

Galgotias University

5 lakhs

ICAT Design and Media College

2 lakhs- 5 lakhs

Indian Institute of Fashion and Animation

5 lakhs

Lovely Professional University

7 lakhs- 10 lakhs

Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics

30000

MIT Institute of Design

13 lakhs

Rishihood University

12 lakhs

SGT University

2 lakhs

Webel DQE Animation Academy

35000

World University of Design

Whistling Woods International

Start By Designing Games Yourself

The simplest path to becoming a game designer is by designing games. This might seem daunting, but it's the only way to truly learn the craft. There are numerous tutorials and guides available for beginners to get started.

Get a Game Design Education 

There are plenty of online MOOC platforms offering specific training for game design. If you're looking for that, there are plenty of online game design courses from edX or Coursera. Best part is, you get to learn from international universities and faculty who are experienced in the field. Check out the game design certifications on our platform. 

Build Your Game Design Portfolio 

A program certificate or a game design degree are not the only ways to enter the field. Your portfolio is important. You need to prove to hiring managers that you have talent in your craft. Show your character design skills, your creativity in level design, and your ability to design a fun, polished game. Your games can be simple and clever, but they should be fun, different, unique, and well-executed.

Getting a Job Through Networks and Referrals

Your portfolio differentiates you from the rest when it comes to getting a job in game design. 

Some cities, like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Mumbai, are game design and animation studio hotbeds. There are entry-level video game jobs you can get that could eventually lead to advancement opportunities. Networking is also important. Build up your contact list as you make projects, interact in online game design forums, or attend classes. 

If a paid gig isn’t in the cards, try to land a game development internship. These are great ways to learn the business, get some experience, and grow your portfolio.

Game Designer

Creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, game mechanics, level design

₹7.9 Lakhs 

Level Designer  

Spatial awareness, creativity, storytelling, game mechanics  

₹ 4.1 Lakhs 

Game Artist

Artistic skills, 2D/3D modeling, texturing, animation, visual design 

₹ 5.0 Lakhs 

Game Programmer

Programming languages (e.g., C++, C#, Python), problem-solving, logical thinking

₹ 4.2 Lakhs

Game Tester  

Attention to detail, patience, problem-solving, communication 

₹ 3.0 Lakhs

Ubisoft

Leading game publisher and developer with a diverse portfolio. Founded in 1986.

Assassin's Creed series

Blizzard Entertainment

Known for immersive and highly polished game experiences. Founded in 1991.

World of Warcraft

Rockstar Games

Creator of critically acclaimed and open-world games since 1998.

Grand Theft Auto

Valve Corporation

Developer and publisher known for innovative gameplay and technologies, since 1996.

Half Life

Square Enix

Japanese company renowned for its RPGs and captivating storytelling, since 1975.

Final Fantasy

Sony Interactive Entertainment

PlayStation console manufacturer and publisher, since 1993.

God of War