Games Design

Games design is the discipline concerned with creating the experiences that make games engaging, challenging, and memorable. It is distinct from games programming or art production, though it connects to both: the game designer's primary concern is the systems, rules, and interactions that shape how players experience a game, the balance of challenge and reward, the clarity or ambiguity of objectives, the way narrative and mechanics interweave, and the moment-to-moment decisions a game asks its players to make. Good game design is invisible; poor game design is immediately apparent.

At Roehampton this programme includes a foundation year, which provides a preparatory stage to develop the creative and analytical foundations you need before entering the main degree. A sandwich year, a year abroad, and work placement experience are all available within the programme, providing professional experience, international study, and a practical portfolio alongside your academic work. You will work across concept development, level design, systems design, and the iterative processes of prototyping and playtesting, building the professional practice and portfolio that games industry employers look for.

The programme takes a holistic view of game design, understanding that a game's story, mechanics, sound, and visual design are all interconnected, and that effective designers need to understand how each dimension contributes to the whole. Professional practices, portfolio development, and the business of the games industry are addressed throughout.

Graduates move into careers as game designers, level designers, narrative designers, systems designers, game producers, and product managers in game development studios ranging from large publishers to independent developers. Many also work in interactive media, edtech, VR and AR development, and gamification for training and education. Further study options include postgraduate programmes in game design, user experience, or interactive media.