Game Art and Design – BSc (Hons)

This module aims to give learners a firm understanding of the fundamentals of computer architecture as commonly found in desktop computers, handheld devices and personal communicators and convergent devices. It also aims to equip the students with an understanding of how data is stored digitally and how data is compressed and transmitted over the Internet.

Professional Culture and Communication is an interactive workshop style module that will assist students in their transition to University life. It offers students the opportunity to explore the importance of culture (of both the University experience and their future work industry). This module will introduce students to relationship building as a key skill in their professional lives. In Professional Culture and Communication students will reflect and build interpersonal competence in terms of the various channels of communication including; verbal, nonverbal, written and online. Students will learn and put into practice the essential components of a professional presentation

Creative Coding 1 introduces programming concepts to students. This module utilises a graphical environment to contextualise the application of programming.

The aim of this module is to introduce the learner to fundamental gaming concepts. The learner will explore the vernacular of game design and examine key game elements, styles and genres. The module will focus on developing the learners appreciation and understanding of game design. Using game design theory, analysis, physical prototyping, playtesting, and iteration learners will translate game ideas, themes, and metaphors into gameplay.

The aim of this module is to introduce the learner to the fundamental of visual design for games. This module will focus on developing the learner’s understanding of the aesthetic and technical requirements to successful plan design and develop high quality visual assets for 2D game world that are technically correct, appealing and succinct. By understanding the mechanisms and technologies involved in image creation, students can gain an appreciation of how such processes can be used to create visually striking game art.

The aim of this module is to introduce the learner to the core techniques and terminology required for the modeling of high-quality 3d scenes for use in the entertainment industries. This module will focus on developing the learner’s understanding of the technical requirements to successfully model real-world hard surface objects. The learner will be introduced to the technical and aesthetic considerations required for the creation of high-quality 3d models for use in the entertainment industry. The ultimate goal of this module is to introduce methods by which modellers can create topologically efficient and aesthetically pleasing 3d models.

The aim of this module is to introduce learners to digital audio systems and to give them the understanding of the principles and practice of audio creativity, recording and mixing which is required to create high quality audio content for digital media video, animation and applications.

Psychology is the scientific study of how we think, feel and behave. The Psychology of Teams module will draw from the applied areas of social and motivational psychology. This module is designed to help students understand, guide, facilitate and indeed lead team behaviour to give them the best chance of success. Students will self reflect on their interpersonal impact on teams, learn about the stages of team dynamics, explore strategies for dealing with conflict and understand the power of influence and motivation when working with others. The Psychology of Teams is very much about putting theory into practice and giving students the tools to proactively deal with the common issues that can arise in teams such as; groupthink, group polarisation and conformity etc.

Creative Coding 2 re-introduces fundamental programming constructs to students. Object orientated coding techniques are then covered in detail including the usage of classes, properties, methods and objects including object literals. Learners also explore the integration of complex media elements into projects such as audio, video and animation. Finally, learners are introduced to more complex input including the use of sound, camera and other devices for input.

The aim of this module is to give learners an appreciation of user interfaces as they pertain to interactive digital experiences, such as video games, and to support the learner in the design of effective user interfaces that address both the needs of the users and the needs of the interactive digital experience to which they apply

The aim of this module is to give learners an appreciation of 2D art in the context of video game design, the student explores various 2D art and animation production techniques, and their practical implementation for use within a game engine. This module potentially draws and expands on the learning outcomes previously acquired in the Visual Design for Games module at stage one, and can work in conjunction with both the Creative Code II and Interactive Audio Storytelling modules, also running in stage 2, to contextualise learning outcomes in a more expansive scope across 2D games design.

To provide learners with fundamental skills and knowledge in the processes and techniques used for the creation of rigs for driving animated models for use in the entertainment industries. This module will focus on developing the learner’s understanding of the artistic and technical requirements to successfully rig a 3d object or character. The learner will be introduced to the technical and aesthetic considerations required for rigging 3d models for use in the entertainment industry. The ultimate goal of this module is to introduce methods by which riggers can create flexible, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing rigging setups. It will include practical design and workflow methodologies for the creation of aesthetically pleasing and technically efficient rigs. This module aims to create an environment where the student can explore the role of the rigger and the working relationship and interactions with animators and modellers. Give students the skills to design, create, test, and maintain characters, vehicle, cloth, and prop set-ups (according to the project) and provide a service that meets the technical needs for the project at hand. Encourage collaboration with animators to design appropriate motion controls. Address the student’s ability to clearly communicate rigging systems and processes to other team members.

Introduces drawing fundamentals through visual observation, communication and expression. Learners will get an introduction to anatomy, proportion, gesture and form through life drawing. They will also get an introduction to drawing principles such as perspective, form, structure, composition, line and value through both observational drawing and research based design projects.

Game Engines Programming I advances learners programming knowledge and skills within the context of a real-time game engine. The module will introduce learners to an industry standard game engine, its programming architecture and application programming interface.

The aim of this module is to introduce the learner to the core elements within Game Design. This module will focus on developing the learner’s abilities and awareness of gaming concepts, systems and mechanics. The learner will be introduced to technical and aesthetic considerations when creating interactive storytelling and gaming works. The learner will explore the art of creating convincing game worlds through storytelling, gameplay, core mechanics, and design. Learners will create the overall game vision; determine the necessary systems and mechanics to support those systems. They will also determine player input, create the story and write the necessary documentation to support all of the above. The ultimate goal of this module is to introduce methods by which game designers create compelling and long lasting experiences.

Based on the real world, it imagines and shapes, through theconcept art, all kinds of fictional scenes within the context of the video gaming industry. The learner is introduced to the Basics of 3D modelling in an intuitive learning approach. The aim is to give actual in-depth insight into how professionals work. In this module, the student explores digital drawing 3D Modelling and painting techniques in the creation of concept art, ranging across environments, characters and props, generated from a game design document, or literary text. They will explore the process of thumbnailing, speed painting 3D assets creation and iteration based on feedback as well as the final production of high-quality concept art, with a focus on both the visual communication of relevant information for use by other artists i.e. the 3D modeller, and a high level of artistic ability in the rendering of marketing assets.

The aim of this module is to further the learner’s experience required for the modelling of high-quality 3dmodels for use in the entertainment industry. This module will focus on further developing the learners understanding of the technical requirements to successfully model real-world objects including sculpting organic objects .Having learnt the fundamental of building hard surface models the learner will be introduced to the technical and aesthetic considerations required for the creation of highly detailed and realistic 3d character models for use in the entertainment industries. The ultimate goal of this module is to introduce methods by which modellers can create, topologically efficient and aesthetically pleasing 3d character models and props that can be posed and deformed over time.

The aim of this module is to give learners the opportunity to observe and apply the fundamental animation principals through both simple objects and characters as they pertain to interactive digital experiences, such as video games. Once familiar with basic animation techniques in 3D animation software, learners begin to explore character locomotion and behaviour created via motion capture, and designed for application within the game engine. This module can potentially run in conjunction with both the Game Engines Programming II and FX for Games modules in stage 4, to contextualise learning outcomes within a more expansive scope across 3D video game design.

This module aims to provide a studio space for students to explore and experiment with game art projects of their own design. Students choose an area of specialisation to focus on from the broad scope of Game Art & Design Disciplines, research and pitch a project idea to academic staff, and produce a viable production plan for the project which is due for completion at the end of the module. While learning on the module will be primarily self-directed, all projects must adhere to a professional standard of production. Utilising agile development methodologies, students must actively partake in weekly stand-up meetings with academic staff, and present work, providing and receiving relevant feedback within peer groups. While the primary aim of the module is to allow students space to explore an area of interest, the ultimate goal of the designed project is to produce a portfolio piece, suitably presented on the students personal portfolio website. Students on this module will be assessed on the successful design and implementation of an agile production plan, and on the successful presentation of work on their portfolio website. The quality of the art/design/code work itself will not be assessed. This is to allow students the opportunity to experiment creatively without fear of negative academic repercussions.

Game Engines Programming II further advances learners programming knowledge and skills within the context of a real-time game engine. The module workshops the building of game mechanics through code and the integration of UI elements.

This module gives students the skills and understanding needed to critically analyse games and their impact on society. Students will explore critical concepts such as feminism, neo-liberalism and racism and their relevance in game design and development. They will be exposed to the Sustainable Development Goals and how games design can contribute to their achievement. They will reflect on their own values and how these align with their practice in game design. They will be exposed to the concepts of Critical Games and Values Based Game Design practices. Students will be encouraged to develop their critical thinking and analysis skills within the context of Games. This module will look beyond the game as a digital artefact, but rather as a global sociocultural phenomenon which has the potential to negatively or positively impact on individuals, societies and global sustainability. It will equip students to better understand this potential and their role, as games designers, in shaping it.

To provide learners with fundamental skills and knowledge in the processes and techniques used for the creation of effects setup for recreating natural phenomena for use in the entertainment industries. This module will focus on developing the learner’s understanding of the artistic and technical requirements to create flexible and efficient effects setups. The learner will be introduced to the technical and aesthetic considerations required for effects creation. The ultimate goal of this module is to introduce methods by which effects artist can create plan design and develop flexible, efficient and aesthetically pleasing effects setups. It will include practical design and workflow methodologies for the creation of aesthetically pleasing technically efficient, art direct able effects scenes.

The aim of this module is to further the learner’s experience in the completion of the character creation process. Following on from 3D modelling 2, students will have learned the fundamentals of character sculpting and will now develop techniques for making that sculpt game engine ready. Processes such as retopology, UV creation, advanced character texturing, and lighting will be explored. Building on the knowledge gained in the materials and lighting for games module, learners will develop more advanced techniques for efficiently finalising character models and presenting game-ready characters within the game engine. The ultimate goal of this module is to introduce methods by which learners can create, topologically efficient and aesthetically pleasing 3d character models for use within the games industry.

This module builds on the knowledge acquired in the previous animation module, to focus on the technical and aesthetic factors central to the creation of convincing character animation for implementation within the game engine. Learners further develop the principles of animation and deepen their knowledge of motion capture techniques with an emphasis on producing both interactive animated features and cinematic content suitable for use in video game production. This module can potentially work in conjunction with the Level Design & Prototyping and the Modelling, Texturing & Lighting I modules at stage 5 to contextualise learning outcomes within a more expansive scope across 3D video game design.

The Extended Reality Design & Development module exposes artists to the practicalities of developing content for virtual, augmented and mixed reality environments and experiences. The module will focus on the creation of appealing, optimised experiences for mobile and high-end XR devices taking into consideration the strengths and weaknesses of designing and developing for each XR platform, user experience and user interaction. Working individually, the learner will design and prototype an interactive XR application and program key mechanics and interactions using an industry-standard game engine. The module will utilise appropriate software and XR hardware to support learning.

The Level Designer works within the constraints of the game designer’s vision to build gameplay areas that are challenging, immersive and in keeping with the games’ dynamics and aesthetics. Working individually, the learner will design and prototype a level of a 3D interactive digital experience and program key mechanics and interactions using an industry standard game engine. The learner will utilise an iterative, user-centric, agile development process supported by industry standard project management tools. Building on learners prior game design and programming knowledge, the module will focus on the technical and aesthetic factors central to the creation of an appealing and engaging game level experiences. Learners will be instructed in both Level Design, prototyping and 3D programming.

This module builds on the knowledge acquired in Materials and Lighting I and 3D Modelling I to facilitate learners in the creation of industry-standard modelled textured and lit scenes that showcase both the technical and creative factors central to the creation of convincing and artistically pleasing game environments. The aim of this module is to broaden the learners understanding of the core elements and techniques required for the modelling, texturing, lighting, shading and rendering of 3d scenes models for use in the entertainment industries. The ultimate goal of this module is to introduce methodologies and techniques that will not only allow the learner to create beautifully detailed worlds but to do so in a way that is optimised efficient and flexible enough to be art direct able to satisfy game design criteria.

This module aims to provide students with a critical introduction to the principles, skills and methods of professional career planning. Through the creation and application of a professional development career portfolio, students will have an opportunity to reflect on their strengths and skills, research their chosen industry, clarify their career path and refine specific career development skills such as; CV creation and Interview techniques.

This module aims to provide a studio space for students to explore and experiment with game art projects of their own design. Students choose an area of specialisation to focus on from the broad scope of Game Art & Design Disciplines, research and pitch a project idea to academic staff, and produce a viable production plan for the project which is due for completion at the end of the module. While learning on the module will be primarily self-directed, all projects must adhere to a professional standard of production. Utilising agile development methodologies, students must actively partake in weekly stand-up meetings with academic staff, and present work, providing and receiving relevant feedback within peer groups. While the primary aim of the module is to allow students space to explore an area of interest, the ultimate goal of the designed project is to produce a portfolio piece, suitably presented on the students personal portfolio website. Students on this module will be assessed on the successful design and implementation of an agile production plan, and on the successful presentation of work on their portfolio website. The quality of the art/design/code work itself will not be assessed. This is to allow students the opportunity to experiment creatively without fear of negative academic repercussions.

In recent years, the arrival of new technology and more affordable hardware has opened the door to new opportunities for AR and VR. Enterprise companies are beginning to implement alternate realities into their processes for everything from training to customer experience. Building on learners existing knowledge of XR game development, the module will focus on utilising the latest software development kits and alternative user interaction methods to design and development virtual reality applications for use in a simulated training scenario. The module will include practical and workflow methodologies for the creation of optimised, user-centric virtual reality experiences.

This module will facilitate learners working in groups to manage, design, and produce a vertical slice of an industry standard video game. It incorporates learnings to-date and showcases both the technical and creative factors central to the creation of convincing gameplay and immersive experiences. This module explores areas related to management of a project using Agile methodologies such as forming Teams, scoping and planning a project, following processes to deliver iterative increments of their game whilst adapting to and incorporating feedback from play tests. It will include practical design and workflow methodologies with an emphasis on producing a vertical slice of a game. level design, game play systems and mechanics.

This module builds on the knowledge acquired in Modelling, Texturing, and Lighting Game Environments 1to facilitate learners in the creation of industry-standard modelled textured and lit scenes that showcase both the technical and creative factors central to the creation of convincing and artistically pleasing game environments. The aim of this module is to work within a modular workflow to not only create industry-standard environments but also to create reusable assets to efficiently create large-scale environments while keeping a consistent style and look. The ultimate goal of this module is to introduce methodologies and techniques that will not only allow the learner to create beautifully detailed worlds but to do so in a way that is optimized efficient and flexible enough to be art direct able to satisfy game design criteria.

This work placement allows students the opportunity to have direct experience of the games industry the structures and work expectations. It will encourage students to apply the skills and knowledge developed during the course, to review and to add to these. The placement will provide an opportunity to try new things, whether this involves travel through ERASMUS, mainstream studio, or placements which offer innovative opportunities to learn new skills or contexts. Students will also use this placement to inform the development of their final year project or their internship as well as reflecting on the direction of their future careers.

This module explores the use of Games and Gamification in a wide range of learning contexts. It considers the process of developing games based instructional materials from needs assessment through to its integration into formal and informal education and learning systems. It includes considerations of major traditional paradigms of learning such as Behaviourism, Cognitivism and Constructivism and how they are applied to Games Based Learning design processes and Gamification. The module looks at Experiential Learning and Critical Pedagogy in the context of Games Based Learning design and application.

This module exposes learners to the process of designing and developing game design documents. With a focus on writing game design documents, looking at various genres and platforms, the learner will explore and develop different game loops, experiment with different game mechanics and create feature lists necessary for efficient game production. They will also explore art styles, character creation and narrative in the context of writing for games, visual narrative, world building, the creation of levels as well as difficulty spikes and progressions.

Architectural Visualisation artists combine artistic and technical skills to create visually appealing illustrations, renderings, and walkthroughs of an architectural project. Ideally, it tells the story of the project in a way that is not possible with just architectural plans. Building on the learner’s prior knowledge of creating interactive game environments, the module will focus on extracting data from 2D architectural drawings to build, light, and texture engaging 3D interactive walkthroughs using a real-time development platform.

This module will focus on developing the learner’s understanding of modelling and managing large scale complex environments. Game worlds have become increasingly complex. Game levels can contain thousands of assets within very large scale game worlds. Managing all this data is not possible within traditional workflows. The learner will be introduced to the technical and aesthetic considerations required for the creation of highly detailed 3d environments. The ultimate goal of this module is to introduce methodologies and techniques that will not only allow the learner to create beautifully detailed worlds but to do so in a way that is optimised and efficient enough to work within a real time environment whilst being flexible enough to be art directable.

Learners will explore trends affecting the game industry and the broader space of creative industry. By examining several commercial offerings of major companies, learners will develop a working understanding of how creative content is channelled to the development and distribution of games for entertainment, manufacturing, and education. This module offers learners the opportunity to reflect on their specific interest in gaming through the framework of emerging trends. Different economic models have evolved in the games industry and this module shows how successful companies have developed partnership and distribution deals to for sustained profitability.

Lighting And Look Development

The aim of this module is to introduce the learner to the core techniques and terminology required for the texturing, lighting, shading and rendering of high quality 3d scenes for use in the entertainment industries. The learner will be introduced to the technical and considerations required for the texturing, shading, lighting and rendering of 3d models and scenes. Lighting artists add the lighting that creates atmosphere, adding realism, tone and depth to a scene; visually balancing individual elements they work with compositing to produce a convincing and consistent range of images. Maths and software may power the technical processes, but art and cinematographic observation and awareness uniquely supply the emotional impact and believability of the world portrayed on screen. As such this module attempts to teach and blend the science and art of light Learners need to use technical skill and aesthetic judgement in order to create images that not only look right but can be rendered efficiently. Moving beyond technical considerations the ultimate aim of the module is to enable learners to explore creative factors central to the creation of convincing and artistically pleasing shots and sequences. Module Aims Students can articulate, analyse and reflect upon their work through using both the languages of art/cinema and maths/science Give students a blend of maths and art that they can synthesise into good look development work. Impress on students the interrelationship of lighting, shaders, textures, rendering and compositing.

Mobile Game UI

Building on learners’ existing knowledge of game art asset creation and game UI, learners will design and produce performant user interfaces and art assets designed for interactive digital experiences being deployed to mobile phone and tablet devices. Content created will be designed to respond to varying screen sizes and touch screen interactions.

Major Games Project

This module is the culmination of the learner’s four years of study. The learner will produce a substantial and original Game Art & Design based project in response to a self-initiated brief. It will be important that the project reflects the nature of the learner’s area of study and that the project scope is tightly defined. The purpose here is to not limit students to preconceived ideas of what a game project should entail but to allow the learner to specialise areas of interest while producing a substantial major final real-time interactive project. Learners will be expected to develop a fully functioning artistically ambitious and technically polished ‘vertical slice’ of a game level. Learners will formulate and develop their own project proposals and plans which they will present to peers and academic staff for feedback and guidance.

Industry Internship

This is a capstone module and an integral part of the programme. The module aligns with the commitment to a practice based approaches to higher education highlighted within TUS foundational documents and the HEA/DES “Higher Education System Performance Framework”. This module provides a structured experiential learning opportunity for students where they can apply the creative, artistic, interpersonal, technical skills and analytical abilities developed during their studies and further develop them in a supported work environment. This internship module also allows students to better understand the working environment within the Games/Animation/UX industry and to review their career direction. It enables them to identify and develop the skills needed to begin a career which is aligned with their abilities and ambitions. This module will also encourage graduates to develop as reflective and self-directed practitioners within a rapidly evolving, exciting and multidisciplinary sector. The module also sets out to build structured relationships between the programme and industry. This relationship will extend beyond the Internship, to developing the content and delivery of the programme, research collaboration and promotion of the sector. Students will also be facilitated to pursue international opportunities for this module.