Games Production and Design with Integrated Foundation Year BA (Hons)

This multi-disciplinary game design course will equip you with the essential skills to thrive in the fast-paced games industry. You will work to develop expertise in game mechanics, player psychology, and narratives, with the flexibility to choose your own specialism.

Why study this degree?
1. Develop narrative design, world-building, and interactive storytelling
2. Prototype game mechanics across PC, console, mobile, and XR platforms
3. Prepare for careers in AAA or independent games development
4. Specialise within games design to match your individual strengths
5. Apply game design practices and critical design thinking to real-world game production workflows.

In this dynamic games design course , you will develop core skills across three industry specialisms: world building and narrative design, game and level design, and systems and experience design.

You will also learn in state-of-the-art labs equipped with the latest industry-standard tools, including Unreal Engine and Maya workstations, as well as motion capture and VR/AR technologies. You will build a specialised portfolio that showcases narrative depth, innovation, and polished prototypes, and collaborate on live briefs with industry professionals and students from other courses. By graduation, you will be equipped to design adaptable game systems and confidently progress within the creative industries.

Integrated Foundation Year
On the Integrated Foundation Year on this course, you will be first introduced to the fundamental principles of games design, animation and illustration. Your foundation year gives you the time, space and support to explore your strengths, build confidence and prepare for the demands of project-based, industry-focused learning. Modules are as follows:

Module 1: Diagnostic exploration - making informed choices
Module 2: Technical - Technical knowledge in practice
Module 3: Specialist - Innovating specialist practice
Module 4: Integration - Integrated practice for progression to Higher Education

After you have completed your Integrated Foundation Year, you will study the following:

Year 1
In your first year, you will build a strong foundation in games design and production, exploring how games are conceived, designed, and developed. Through a combination of practical projects, critical enquiry, and creative experimentation, you will develop core knowledge in game design, level design, and professional practice.

Rave Beginnings in Games
Game Design Fundamentals
Markets, Customers & Sales Practice
Level Design
Working in Games
Finance for Decision Making

Year 2
In your second year, you will deepen your understanding of game design through the study of gameplay mechanics, systems design, and narrative and quest design. Through studio-based learning and applied projects, you will explore how designers create engaging player experiences, meaningful progression, compelling game worlds, and memorable player journeys, while developing the collaborative, analytical, and project management skills used within contemporary game studios.

Ops & Project Management
Game Mechanics
System Design
Narrative and Quest
Games Studio Culture
Games Team Project

Year 3
In your final year, you will bring together the knowledge and skills developed throughout the programme through advanced studio practice and major game projects. Building on your understanding of game design, production, and player-focused development, you will explore user experience (UX) and playtesting to refine and enhance game experiences. Working collaboratively on studio-based projects informed by contemporary industry practices, you will further develop your professional practice, portfolio, leadership, and production capabilities, while gaining experience of the workflows used within professional game studios.

UX and Playtesting
Games Studio Project
Game Production Project

All modules are subject to revalidation.