Game Art BA (Hons) (Online)

Games are created through a production pipeline that brings together every element of the finished digital artifact, from code and art to audio, narrative and animation.

In this module, you’ll use a modern game engine such as Unity or Unreal to explore each stage of that process and understand how these elements combine to form a playable experience. You’ll also develop a working knowledge of essential game production tools, including version control, to help you collaborate effectively in a professional development environment.

The visual design of a game is key to how players connect with it.

In this module, you’ll learn the core techniques for creating 3D models for games and other interactive experiences. You’ll explore the full creative process: from developing initial concepts to building and refining props. You’ll also discover how your work fits into a professional game development pipeline.

Digital environments immerse the player in real and fantastical spaces. In this module you’ll explore the process of creating environments for games and other digital spaces. You’ll explore the process of using block outs to plan out the space, creation of kits and finally optimisation for real-time rendering in a game engine.

Digital sculpting is the primary method for creating 3D characters.

Through this process, you’ll shape digital clay into the kinds of characters seen in modern video games. In this module, you’ll learn the sculpting workflow, develop an understanding of high-to-low polygon modelling, and create models that can be rigged and animated.

Games are created by multidisciplinary teams, and it’s rare for a single person to make one alone.

In this module, you’ll learn the project management techniques used across the games industry by taking part in a series of short, fast-paced projects inspired by game jam practices.

After each project, you’ll reflect on your process, evaluate what worked well, and apply those insights to your next piece of work.

You’ll explore what effective collaboration looks like and build the soft skills that support it, including communication, negotiation and reflective practice. Through lectures, webinars and creative skills exchange sessions, you’ll learn how groups work, how to contribute confidently and how to apply reflection to your own development.

You’ll then join a team of creatives from different online courses and respond to a set challenge based on a real problem. Together you’ll research, plan and create a final output in a format that suits your project.

A key aspect of game art is solving technical challenges creatively.

In this module, you’ll explore the role of the technical artist and how they bridge the gap between art and programming. You’ll experiment with tools and techniques such as pipeline optimisation, visual effects and procedural modelling to support efficient and visually striking game production.

Up to this point, you’ve been making decisions based on intuition or trial and error.

In this module, you’ll learn formal methods of playtesting that will help you make informed choices throughout the development process.

In this module, you’ll review your work to date and begin assembling an online portfolio.

To strengthen your portfolio, you’ll develop a hero piece that showcases your skills as a game artist. You’ll also reflect on the process of creating this piece, identifying lessons you can apply to future projects.

In this module, you’ll begin your first large-scale game project. You’ll start by building a world to guide your creative and technical decisions, applying techniques from ‘Introduction to Teamwork’ and ‘Game Tools & Techniques’.

You’ll follow the production process established in earlier modules, reflecting on your own and your group’s decisions to refine your practice.

To make the transition from education to industry, you’ll develop your professional identity alongside your portfolio of work.

In this module, you’ll use a continuous professional development approach to assess your current skillset and career goals. You’ll pitch the concept for your hero piece, then create a development plan and build a portfolio that showcases your progress.

Games are now one of the most influential cultural forms, shaping how people create, communicate and share stories. Their reach is wide and they deserve to be studied with the same care we give to film, art or literature.

This module builds on the grounding you developed in your first year and gives you space to look outward. It helps you connect your own interests with the bigger picture of contemporary video games.

You will explore how games affect players and society, examine the ideas and communities that surround them, and grow a more confident sense of where your work sits within today’s fast moving games culture.

The goal is to deliver your product to market, applying the production methodologies learned in previous modules.

You’ll use the lessons gained throughout the course to anticipate challenges, refine your approach and complete your final piece of work to a professional standard.

Games development techniques and tools are increasingly being used outside the games industry, in fields such as film, visualisation, health, education and business services.

In this module, you’ll explore how your game development skillset can be applied in real-world contexts. You’ll do this by working on live briefs from non-games clients, such as charities or researchers, and by exploring these topics through a problem-based learning approach.