Course content
As soon as you start the course, you will begin to develop software, games and frameworks that will be the first building blocks of a professional looking portfolio.
In your first year you will study software engineering fundamentals to ensure you understand the computational foundations required to develop large and efficient applications. You will become familiar with the industry standard programming language of C++, delve into both the Unity and Unreal Engine game engines, create your first 3D environment using OpenGL and develop a game on the Evercade portable console.
During the second year, you will continue to develop your programming skills, focusing on low-level graphics programming with DirectX, multiplayer games programming and networking, and game AI. You will also work in a cross-discipline team with our games design and games art students to develop a game from concept through to a polished final product.
In your third year you will bring together the skills you have mastered through your studies to research, design and implement a unique solution to a problem of your choosing. This games research project will be supervised by a specialist member of the teaching team, who will guide you through the process. Finally, you will complete your studies by developing a cross-platform engine with a team of programmers, and mentored by industry professionals, that is able to build games for PC, PlayStation and more.
Professional body accreditation
Accredited by TIGA (The Independent Game Developers' Association) as delivering skills relevant to the games industry. TIGA accreditation is applicable to courses meeting any of a wide range of games industry needs, such as programming, art, design and entrepreneurship.
Modules
The tables provide an indicative list of the modules that make up the course for the current academic year. Each module is worth a specified number of credits. Our teaching is informed by research, and modules change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline. We aim to ensure that all modules run as scheduled. If for any reason a module cannot be run we will advise you as soon as possible and will provide guidance on selecting an appropriate alternative module where available.
Game Engine Programming
In this module, youll develop a playable prototype using industry-standard tools while strengthening your understanding of core game design and engine workflows. Youll also create a clear, engaging tutorial video that teaches one of your own game features, helping you refine both your technical skills and your ability to communicate them. This combination of creative development and technical explanation prepares you for collaborative, professional practice in the games industry.
Module code: GDEV40039
Core Programming Concepts For Games
Introduction to C++ provides you with an understanding of the fundamental concepts that underlie modern programming practices and techniques through a structured, problem-focused approach. This module links together your ability to understand a problem, create and test a solution, and reflect on the outcome of the work.
Module code: GDEV40033
Fundamentals Of Game Artificial Intelligence
Computer games are populated with characters that flesh out the world. These characters need to navigate their way through the environment in an intelligent manner, whilst avoiding collisions with the player and other characters. This module will introduce you to the mathematical concepts that underpin this behaviour.
Module code: GDEV40036
Platform Development
This module will challenge your ability to identify the operational and functional characteristics of a simple game and systemically take this product from conception to implementation with a theoretical backing in project formulation, planning and execution. Implementation will be performed using suitable game development frameworks and sound programming principles for a proprietary gaming platform.
Module code: GDEV40047
Real-Time Simulation
Modern computer games are often required to demonstrate a close approximation of the look and feel of the real world. This module provides you with a comprehensive understanding of the mathematics that govern the behaviour of the world around us and to learn how they can be adapted for in-game simulation.
Module code: GDEV50073
Game Production Studio
You will work in a group consisting of peers from across the suite of games development courses, forming a multidisciplinary team that mirrors a real development studio. Together, you will plan, prototype and deliver a vertical slice of a game.The module places strong emphasis on collaboration, communication and professional conduct. You will learn how to work effectively within a team, manage workflows across different disciplines, give and receive constructive feedback, and adapt to the challenges of shared production pipelines. Alongside their technical development, you will build key soft skills such as leadership, organisation, problem solving and time management, all of which are essential for a successful career in the games industry.
Module code: GDEV50060
Agent-Based Decision Making
Game characters make decisions all the time in video games, but if they make the wrong decision, they look unintelligent. There are a variety of different approaches used in games for agent decision-making that include reactive decision-making all the way up to long-term planning. This module will delve into the world of agent-based decision-making and equip you with the skills required to ensure your agents make decisions intelligently.
Module code: GDEV50053
Tools Programming
Creating tools and unique systems to help improve and streamline the games development process is vital to ensuring consistency of tasks, speed of development and the quality of the game. Tools can range from build systems, procedural content generation, asset creation and more. In this module, you will learn how to identify problems, conduct research, design a solution and ultimately create a bespoke tooling system to aid games developers.
Module code: GDEV50080
Audio Programming
Interested in sound and music for video games? Game audio is a fast-moving and highly innovative area where emerging technologies and cutting-edge techniques meet aspects of physical acoustics and the astounding capabilities of the human auditory system. In this module, you will pull back the curtain on the technical side of game audio, dive deep into how game audio really works, develop an understanding of underlying systems and key aspects such as sound generation, processing, mixing, and spatialisation, and find out more about the numerous career paths on the technical side of audio. You will explore a range of tools and approaches, from the established to the cutting edge, and then implement a functional audio tool or system that addresses your chosen, industry-relevant problem, before finally communicating your work to academic, industry, and non-specialist audiences.
Module code: GDEV50055
Networked Multiplayer Systems
Most modern games use networking functionality in some form or another, such as connecting players directly for cooperative/competitive experiences, generating leaderboards or collecting player data for analytics. In this module, you will design and develop a network architecture and multiplayer game that utilises modern day technologies and techniques to allow players to connect and share complex data to create a stable and synchronised multiplayer experience. Additionally, you will explore modern day literature to further expand your knowledge within the problem space.
Module code: GDEV50070
Game Ai Architectures
There are a wide range of problems to solve in video games from an AI perspective. Be that navigating a car around a track, having groups of agents move together in formation, squad behaviour, populating a busy marketplace, how to target the player in a way that feels fair, and much more. In this module, you will delve into these areas and look at the potential solutions. You will select a real-world problem to solve and develop your own bespoke solution.
Module code: GDEV60055
Final Year Project: Technical Artefact
Modern game technologies continue to advance rapidly, shaping the way developers design, prototype and deliver interactive content. New engines, frameworks and production techniques are transforming what is possible across gameplay systems, simulation, interaction design, tooling and real-time rendering. This module gives you the opportunity to explore this evolving landscape by creating an independent technical artefact. You will define a technical challenge of your choice and develop a playable game, interactive experience or applied games technology prototype that responds directly to it. Working under supervision, you will investigate the techniques, tools and theories relevant to your chosen problem, plan and implement a substantial technical project, document your development process and evaluate your outcomes through structured reflection.This module is suited to students who want to push their technical abilities further and produce a portfolio-quality artefact that demonstrates readiness for roles in game development, technical design, programming, research and development, or further study in advanced games technologies.
Module code: GDEV60053
Final Year Project: Dissertation
This module allows you to investigate an emerging area of game development through an independent technical research project. Working with a supervisor, you will define a research question, explore it through academic and technical investigation, create a practical artefact, and evaluate your findings in a written dissertation. The module is ideal for students seeking to deepen their technical expertise and produce a substantial portfolio piece that supports progression into industry, postgraduate study or research and development roles.
Module code: GDEV60052
Final Year Project: Collaborative Project
Game development is an inherently collaborative discipline. Modern studios rely on teams of designers, programmers, technical artists and production specialists working together to create complex interactive systems. This module gives you the opportunity to experience this collaborative environment by working as part of a team to produce a technical artefact.You will define a shared technical challenge and work with your group to create a playable game, interactive experience or applied games technology prototype. As a team, you will investigate relevant technologies, plan your development workflow, build and refine your artefact and document your progress through shared and individual evidence.Alongside team responsibilities, each student will take ownership of a defined area of contribution and produce a development document that records their personal workflow and technical decision making. The module concludes with a viva in which you will present the collaborative artefact and demonstrate both team understanding and individual accountability.This module is designed for students who want to strengthen their technical skills while developing the collaborative and communicative abilities that are essential for professional game development and wider creative technology industries.
Module code: GDEV60051
Cross-Platform Development
While working in a group, you will design and develop a game engine that will be able to deploy to different platforms. This module has you apply all the skills learned as part of your degree, as well as further refine your knowledge of platform-specific behaviours and optimise for them within a large-scale codebase.
Module code: GDEV60043
Advanced Graphics Programming
Discover advanced graphics programming as you explore an advanced, modern graphics API. Youll use this to perform techniques such as post-processing, normal mapping, and ray tracing. You'll gain hands-on experience while developing transferable skills for careers in gaming, visualisation and research.
Module code: GDEV60037