Games Design

Games design is the discipline concerned with creating the systems, mechanics, narratives and experiences that make video games engaging and meaningful. It sits at the intersection of creative design, technical programming, storytelling, psychology and visual art, requiring practitioners who can think both conceptually and practically. The global games industry is one of the largest creative sectors in the world, and the range of roles it encompasses, from game designers and level designers to narrative designers and user experience specialists, reflects the breadth of skills the field demands.

At Leeds Beckett University this three-year, full-time programme takes a hands-on approach that blends creative and technical expertise. You will learn to design game systems, develop immersive experiences and understand the full production pipeline from initial concept through to finished product. The course includes both a sandwich year in professional practice and a year abroad, giving you extended industry experience and an international perspective on a sector that is genuinely global.

Your placement year puts you inside a real studio or creative company, where you can apply and test the skills developed in your studies and build the professional network that is so important in creative industries.

Games design graduates work across the games industry in roles including game designer, level designer, narrative designer, UX designer and creative director, as well as in adjacent creative industries such as interactive media, virtual reality, film and television production, and education technology. Many graduates also pursue indie development, using the skills and contacts built during their degree to develop their own games. Others move into postgraduate study in games design, interaction design or related fields.

The combination of creative and technical training makes games design graduates versatile in the broader digital and creative economy.