Welcome to your Computer Games Design course

BSc Students

For first year students, you will explore the following:

Introduction to Games Design - In this module you will take your first look at an industry-standard game engine and learn to create gameplay via visual scripting. You will also learn game design techniques and tools to help you to create game design documentation for your projects.

Introduction to Asset Creation - In this module you will create your first 3D game-ready assets for your games.

Mechanics Prototyping – In this module, you will continue to develop your game engine skills and design and implement new, exciting gameplay mechanics.

3D Game Props: Design and Production – In this module, you will develop further your 3D asset skills, and learn about the pipelines required to take a 3D asset into a game engine.

Introduction to Games Animation – In this module, you take your first look at creating animated assets to be used within a game.

Project Management For Games Design – In this module, you will work on an individual project, utilising the game engine and 3D asset creation skills learned from the other modules so far.

As part of the Foundation year, you will cover a range of modules:

Introduction to Games Scholarship - In this module, you will begin your journey as a games developer in training, understanding the roles and career opportunities within the games industry and beyond.

Introduction to Collaborative Enterprise - This module will challenge you to capitalise on your skills and individual creativity while working with a mixed disciplinary team of games developers.

Games Design Foundations - This module introduces you to the process of game design and creation. You will learn how to design great gameplay experiences in the form of levels and game mechanics.

Games Engine Foundations - This module introduces you to games development using games engines. By utilising existing game frameworks, you will learn the foundations of level creation and scripting in Unreal Engine.

In the Games Development Department, the academic year is comprised of 3-blocks of learning. Each block is 9-weeks long. You can expect to be scheduled for 12-hours of contact throughout the week.

You will study two modules at the same time, with each module being timetabled 6 hours of contact per-module, per-week. You will study 6 modules over the year.

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops, and development practical sessions. Seminars enable you to discuss and develop your understanding of topics covered in lectures in smaller groups of around 15-40 students. In addition, you will have timetabled meetings with your academic mentor at least twice a year. You will be taught in first-class learning spaces throughout your course. Many of our courses are accredited or recognised by professional, statutory, or regulatory bodies.

Your course will provide you with opportunities to engage with formative feedback and engagement activities to help us to gauge your understanding of your subject informally before you complete the formal assessments.

There is a formal or ‘summative’ assessment at the end of each module. This includes a range of coursework assessments, practical portfolio work, development logbooks, written reports, presentations, and independent supervised projects. The grades from formal assessments count towards your module mark, and at later levels, ultimately to your degree classification.

You’ll often be given independent learning tasks (homework) that are designed to consolidate your learning and give you opportunities to complete tutorials or practice what you’ve learnt from your scheduled sessions. This is what we refer to as “self-managed study time”.

Download and Install Unreal Engine 5:

https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/download

To get you started, it is recommended you take a look at the official Epic Unreal Engine 5 beginner tutorials:

Games - Getting Started | Epic Developer Community (epicgames.com)

You will also be creating 3D assets as part of your learning. To assist with this, visit Autodesk’s 3ds Max Learning Channel:

Autodesk 3ds Max Learning Channel - YouTube

Much of the software you’ll be using is free or discounted to students with a valid University e-mail address, including Autodesk, and Microsoft Office. We’ll be using the following software on all of our awards:

• Autodesk Suite (Including: 3ds Max, Maya, Motionbuilder - this can downloaded for free with a student email address from Autodesk)
• Adobe Photoshop, Premiere & After Effects
• Microsoft Office
• Unreal Engine
• Unity
• Pixologic Z-Brush
• 3D Coat
• Substance Painter
• Quixel Suite

The above packages are available in our labs but if you wish to have access to them on your own PC the recommended specification is below:

Suggested Hardware specs:

• Minimum 8GB RAM, recommended 16 GB RAM
• Minimum i5 Intel CPU, recommended i7 Intel CPU
• Minimum NVidia GTX 970/ 2080, recommended for UE5 projects / Ray Tracing
• Minimum 1 TB HDD , recommended SSD for loading game projects

You can download wide range of software from the University free of charge once you have enrolled.

Download software

The student's union has a lot of groups that you, as a games and visual effects student may be interested in:

Pokémon Society London - https://www.staffsunion.com/activities/society/pokemonsocietylondon/

Press Start Society - https://www.staffsunion.com/activities/society/pressstartsoc/

Rhythm Revolution Society - https://www.staffsunion.com/activities/society/rhythmrevolution/

Robotics Society – coming soon!

Rolling Bones Society - https://www.staffsunion.com/activities/society/rollingbones/

Silver Screen Society - https://www.staffsunion.com/activities/society/silverscreensoc/

All clubs and societies