Game Design & Development
Building interactive games: code, art, and design working together.
Game design and development programs combine programming (often in engines like Unity or Unreal) with design theory, how mechanics, narrative, and level design create an experience, and often art or animation fundamentals. Some programs lean more technical (engineering-heavy), others more toward design and production.
Group projects are central: most programs have you build multiple games with classmates over the course of your degree, taking on different roles (programmer, designer, artist, producer) to understand the whole pipeline.
Typical courses you might take
- ✓Intro to Game Design
- ✓Programming for Games (C#/C++)
- ✓Game Engines (Unity/Unreal)
- ✓Level Design
- ✓Game Art & Animation Fundamentals
- ✓Narrative Design
- ✓Game Production & Team Projects
- ✓Playtesting & Iteration
Sample four-year plan
Illustrative, not a registration planOne possible way these courses could be sequenced alongside general education and elective credit. Real programs vary in order, pacing, and prerequisites by school, use this to get a rough sense of the arc, not to plan actual registration.
- ✓Intro to Game Design
- +General education requirement
- ✓Programming for Games (C#/C++)
- +General education requirement
- ✓Game Engines (Unity/Unreal)
- +General education requirement
- ✓Level Design
- +Free elective
- ✓Game Art & Animation Fundamentals
- +Free elective
- ✓Narrative Design
- +Elective in the major (or minor coursework)
- ✓Game Production & Team Projects
- +Elective in the major (or minor coursework)
- ✓Playtesting & Iteration
- +Capstone, thesis, or culminating project (common in many programs)
Skills you'll build
This major might be a good fit if you...
- ★Passionate about games as a medium, not just playing them
- ★Comfortable combining creative and technical work
- ★Enjoys iterating based on feedback
- ★Works well in cross-functional teams
Common minors & double-major pairings
Computer Science · Fine Arts · Animation
Frequently asked questions
What is a Game Design & Development major?
Building interactive games: code, art, and design working together.
What courses do Game Design & Development majors take?
Typical coursework includes classes like Intro to Game Design, Programming for Games (C#/C++), Game Engines (Unity/Unreal), among others, see the full course list above for this major's typical lineup.
What skills do you build in a Game Design & Development program?
Game Design & Development coursework typically builds skills like Programming for interactive systems, Game engine proficiency, Iterative design and playtesting, Collaborating across disciplines (art, code, design).
Is Game Design & Development a good major for me?
It tends to be a good fit if signals like "Passionate about games as a medium, not just playing them" or "Comfortable combining creative and technical work" describe you. See the full "good fit if you..." list above for more.
What other majors pair well with Game Design & Development?
Common minor or double-major pairings include Computer Science, Fine Arts, Animation.
How is Game Design & Development different from Computer Science?
They're related but distinct. Game Design & Development: Building interactive games: code, art, and design working together. Computer Science: How computers solve problems, from algorithms to systems. Use the compare tool to see courses and skills side by side.
How long does it take to earn a Game Design & Development degree?
Most bachelor's degrees, including this one, are designed to be completed in about four years of full-time study. Exact timing depends on your school, course load, transfer credit, and any changes of major along the way.
Printed from majoratlas.com/majors/game-design-development