Computer Games Design [with Placement year] BA (Hons)

**Become a specialist in the field of games design and learn to work as part of a creative project team, with our Computer Games Design degree.**<br/><br/><br/>- Journey through the main areas of computer games development, from idea generation all the way to releasing a playable and polished game.<br/><br/><br/>- Learn specialist skills in game design, level design, user interface design, and user experience design, and different methods for user and task analysis to help you develop intuitive and accessible interfaces.<br/><br/><br/>- Develop a deep understanding of the two most popular commercial game engines, Unity and Unreal; knowledge that is highly sought after in the creative industries.<br/><br/><br/>- Build a professional portfolio to showcase your skills to future employers and clients.<br/><br/><br/>- Work collaboratively in a development studio environment that reflects the professional workplace.<br/><br/><br/>- Attend exciting industry events including games jams, industry talks, conferences, and festivals, such as our annual student games fest Gamebridge, where you can show your work to major industry reps.<br/><br/><br/>- Study in a region renowned for computer games: the East of England has nearly 200 active games companies, and Cambridge is home to 26 games companies including Jagex, Frontier Developments and Ninja Theory (source: Ukie Games Map, January 2024).<br/><br/><br/>If you prefer to work with the technical tools that make computer games run smoothly on a variety of devices, we also offer Computer Games Art, Computer Games Technology and Computer Games Programming degree courses.<br/><br/>As a Computer Games Design degree student at ARU, you’ll be based in the east of England, a region with nearly 200 active games companies. You can choose to study in Cambridge or Chelmsford. In Chelmsford, you’ll be based in the heart of Essex with its 25 games companies, while the city of Cambridge is home to 26 games companies, including Frontier Developments, Jagex and Ninja Theory. (Source: ukie.org.uk’s games map January 2024).<br/><br/>Skilled games designers are in high demand, with the value of the UK games industry reaching £7.05 billion in 2022. (Source: UKIE)<br/><br/>Working as a team is crucial to games development and so you’ll take part in collaborative projects with students from other creative courses, developing your skills in teamwork and project management.<br/><br/>Every year, you’ll also tackle live briefs from our industry partners. These might include prototyping game ideas, and even developing teaser games. You’ll have a chance to take part in negotiated briefs too, which may focus more on your particular interests and specialisms.<br/><br/>Throughout your Computer Games Design degree course, our expert staff are on hand to offer support and feedback. They’ll help you create an online presence to showcase your work.<br/><br/>You’ll also attend games jams, industry talks, conferences and festivals, like our annual gaming-inspired event Gamebridge. At Gamebridge, students from across the country attend industry-led talks and 1-2-1 portfolio reviews, whilst showcasing their work and networking with companies such as Frontier and Jagex, as well as other like-minded students.<br/><br/>We recognise that experience is critical when you’re applying for jobs. That’s why we offer a wealth of opportunities to work on projects and network with our partners in the gaming industry, many of them based locally in the ‘Silicon Fen’.<br/><br/>The modules and opportunities on your Computer Games Design degree will also help you identify where your interests and strengths lie, and therefore which employers and vacancies to target. For example, you might decide to specialise in overall game design, level design, user interface design, or user experience design.