BA (Hons) Games Design and Development
If you are interested in defining the rules and challenges of a game, conceptualising player actions, designing levels and missions, crafting the personality of game characters and storylines, this is the course for you.
Our BA (Hons) Games Design and Development degree is a comprehensive course which is tailored to equip you with the essential skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the dynamic games design industry.
You will develop an understanding of how players interact with games systems and what motivates them, as well as using games engines to test your own ideas out. This will be done in the most adventurous way possible: there will be freedom to fail and learn from those mistakes that are made along the way, all in the name of experience.
A multi-disciplinary approach that combines both gaming expertise and theoretical understanding of game design and development will help you fully immerse yourself from the word go. Throughout the course, you will delve into the intricacies of the game development process, gaining insights into narrative design, mechanics, technical design, and level design pipelines.
At BIMM University, we understand that the real measure of success lies in your ability to find your place in the industry once you leave and this degree course will provide you with practical experiences and industry connections to help you make a seamless transition from the classroom to the professional world.
Our dedicated Creative Technologies faculty, who are experienced industry professionals themselves, will guide and mentor you, ensuring you are well-prepared to embark on your journey as a game design and development expert.
Prepare to unlock the doors to endless possibilities in the games design industry and get ready to build your path to success with our BA (Hons) Games Design and Development degree.
Faculty
Dr. Enrique Perez is a game developer, researcher, artist, and consultant with over fifteen years of experience. They have worked on international projects in various fields, received multiple awards, and presented their work at festivals and theaters.
Enrique holds advanced degrees in Communication Science, Animation, New Media, and Game Design, and earned a Ph.D. in 2019. Currently, as Head of School: Creative Technology at BIMM University Berlin, Enrique focuses on creating a supportive and inclusive environment for the university community.
Course Specification
Mode of attendance: Full-time
Length of course: 3 years
Awarding institution: BIMM University (UK)
Campus delivery: MetStudios Berlin
Language of study: English
Final award: BA (Hons) Games Design and Development
Credits: 180 ECTS credits (60 ECTS per year of study)// 360 FHEQ (UK) Level credits (120 FHEQ credits per year of study)
Minimum Requirements
All applicants must successfully complete an entrance interview with BIMM University Berlin (details provided on application).
Academic entry criteria meeting a minimum of 64 UCAS points, equivalent to:
- General Higher Education entrance certificate (Award of Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife/ Abitur, or a Fachgebundene Hochschulreife/ Fachhochschulreife) with an overall average grade of 3.0, including a minimum grade of 10 on the English component (Leistungsfach) on the Abiturprüfung.
- 2 A-levels at Grade C or above, or BTEC Level 3 equivalent, and normally three GCSEs at a minimum grade C/4, including English Language.
- Please reference the Entry Requirements webpage for additional international qualification equivalencies. For applicants with significant prior professional experience and aged 19-years or older, offers may be made under the BIMM University Recognition of Prior Practice Policy.
- Proof of English Language proficiency is required if English is not your first language. BIMM University Berlin requires equivalent to Level B2 CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).
Course Fees
We’re dedicated to giving our students the best education possible – which means accessing our globally successful first-rate lecturers in premium locations at the heart of Germany’s creative scene.
Such cutting-edge facilities can be expensive, but we make sure all BIMM University Berlin courses are great value for money – representing a practical and affordable investment for your future career in the industry.
Year 1
All students take the following core modules in their first year of study.
A first Creative Industries module will provide you with an overview of the games industry, its different corners and edges, and especially its history. You will have fun playing lots of games from different decades by companies and teams of different sizes and with different focuses. In a second module, you will play many more games and analyse the contributions that different game companies and game designers have done to the game industry as authors. You will also reflect on your own contribution and personal goals.
Learn how to think out of the box. Build things and practice how to work with user requirements. Analyse design sins that have immortalised as memes. Start gaining design thinking skills and develop many game concepts in a safe design laboratory, in which failing is more than welcome. “Game Programming Fundamentals”: Let’s talk about games! Analyse game components and how each of them works as code. Start developing your game programming thinking skills and develop your own code writing voice by implementing mini games.
Immerse yourself in the world of Unity and Unreal, as well as other game engine tools. Enhance your proficiency in these pivotal game development tools going through such topics as scene assembly, fundamental control mechanisms, editor capabilities, and the intricacies of asset management and project deployment.
Learn the foundations of game design by playing and analysing games. Practice the making of several game concepts and implement the principles that dominate the games industry. Learn how to make your game ideas functional, entertaining, and professional.
Time to play and talk about games as systems, game economies, progression, complexity and emergency. Learn to develop games that feature these properties by defining, planning and balancing properly your player actions or game mechanics.
Get your hands “dirty” building physical and digital version of different game concepts. Practice iterative design through different fun challenges. Learn the principles of agile development and work on the horizontal slice of a game
Year 2
All students take the following core modules in their second year of study, plus two optional modules
*Please note that the offering of optional modules in individual Film Schools, in any given academic year, will be subject to the availability of resources and sufficient student interest.
Delve into advanced game design principles such as player experience and the art of “game feel” – the tactile, emotional feedback a player gets from interactions within the game. Drawing from player psychology, motivation theory, and the PENS (Player Experience of Need Satisfaction) model, craft memorable game experiences that resonate deeply with players.
Dive into the art and craft of intertwining compelling narratives within the interactive medium of games. Explore how stories are structured, told, and integrated, examining the unique challenges and opportunities that games present for storytelling. Unravel the intricate dynamics between player agency, branching narratives, and linear storytelling, aiming to craft experiences that resonate deeply with players and leave a lasting impact.
Develop the skills to carry out individual research enquiry as a game professional. Learn to undertake research applicable to your own practice. Discover the techniques and methods to position yourself around a research topic in a practical way and gain the skills to communicate your arguments as it is relevant in the games industry.
Gain more experience around the practical processes of game development, simulating experiences you are likely to encounter in professional studios. Structured around four distinct game development projects whose outcomes are prototypes or fully fleshed games, the course introduces you to a variety of briefs and requirements from different sources, including direct input from the gaming industry, competitive environments, and academic collaborations.
Collaboration and professionalism are essential skills in the games industry. Learn how to build trust and support relationships for work. You will plan and create collaboratively a piece of work that links to your practice. Collaborating with others will help you develop new and innovative ideas and will boost your confidence as a creative practitioner whilst practising your communication, project management, reflection and feedback skills.
Learn and implement the techniques to produce engaging and intuitive interfaces for games and innovative control methods. Bringing those systems to life through visual design and motion graphics.
Explore procedural content creation techniques, which can substantially increase the speed of production. Look into concepts of procedural content generation and rule-based system development using Houdini in conjunction with Unity or Unreal to create and design assets, allowing artists and designers to generate and populate levels. Also, experiment with AI and other generation tools.
Learn and practice creating and implementing sound effects, such as footsteps, gunshots, and ambient noise for your games productions. Provide a sense of realism and immersion through sound as part of your game worlds.
Explore game development for various hardware platforms: this might include handhelds, mobile or console. Create content for VR and AR applications exploring design and physiological challenges. Examine hardware requirements, restrictions and deployment processes.
Year 3
All students take the following core modules in their third (and final) year of study, plus one optional module.
*Please note that the offering of optional modules in individual Film Schools, in any given academic year, will be subject to the availability of resources and sufficient student interest.
Dive deep into the advanced practice of devising intricate, immersive, and believable levels and game universes. Engineer also the lore, cultures, ecosystems, and histories that make your game worlds resonate with players. Develop a comprehensive toolkit for crafting dynamic and interconnected game worlds and levels that captivate audiences and enhance gameplay.
Explore the crucial initial phases of game development. Learn and practice comprehensive planning and leverage research-driven ideation to produce compelling game ideas. Learn to pinpoint your target market and tailor your game to their preferences. Hone your skills in pitching game concepts, choose the most suitable project management methodologies, and ensure the optimal project scope. A highlight of the course will be guiding you in crafting a vertical slice, a representation of your game’s core design and mechanics.
Bring your game concept or game assets to life, navigating the challenges of game development while also engaging in the negotiation process to determine the assessment criteria of your project. Deliver a project aiming for a professional level of project management and quality assurance, keeping a developer diary to record your journey.
Apply the skills and knowledge that you have gained during your studies at BIMM University and produce an extended piece of work exploring your creative practice. First, generate a project idea and then extend and develop this project through to completion.
The final step in preparing you for a career in the games industry. It encourages critical self-evaluation of your personal learning journey and industry engagements thus far, drawing on evidence from your entire student experience. Explore concepts and theories of personal and professional development to assess your readiness for work. You will have the opportunity to engage with specialised workshops, facilitated by industry experts and informed by our extensive industry connections, to provide valuable knowledge and help you develop the skills needed to launch your career. The culmination of this module is the creation of a portfolio or showreel that showcases your talent and effectively communicates your unique professional identity.
Learn and implement the techniques to produce engaging and intuitive interfaces for games and innovative control methods. Bringing those systems to life through visual design and motion graphics.
Explore procedural content creation techniques, which can substantially increase the speed of production. Look into concepts of procedural content generation and rule-based system development using Houdini in conjunction with Unity or Unreal to create and design assets allowing artists and designers to generate and populate levels. Also experiment with AI and other generation tools.
Learn and practice creating and implementing sound effects, such as footsteps, gunshots, and ambient noise for your games productions. Provide a sense of realism and immersion through sound as part of your game worlds.
Explore game development for various hardware platforms: this might include handhelds, mobile or console. Create content for VR and AR applications exploring design and physiological challenges. Examine hardware requirements, restrictions and deployment processes.
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Any questions?
For any questions regarding our courses or if you’d like more information on how to apply to BIMM University Berlin, please contact our Admissions Team on +49 (0)30 311 99 186 or email admissions@bimm-university.de.
