Games Design

Games design is the discipline concerned with how games are conceived, structured, and developed as interactive experiences. A great game is not simply the sum of its technical parts: it requires a deep understanding of player psychology, the principles of game mechanics and progression, the visual and narrative languages of games design, and the iterative creative process through which ideas are tested, refined, and built into something compelling. Games design sits at the intersection of art, technology, and storytelling.

At Robert Gordon University, this four-year full-time degree takes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on expertise from computing, engineering, and art to develop graduates who are versatile practitioners ready to operate across the full range of games development roles. You will master design techniques, game theory, programming, and interactive development, building both the technical competence and the creative judgment that the industry demands. The programme includes a sandwich year, providing professional experience in the games or creative technology sector, a year abroad option, and work placements, all of which strengthen your industry connections and employability.

The typical entry tariff is 152 UCAS points.

Graduates of games design programmes work in games studios and the wider interactive media industry in roles including game designer, level designer, UX designer, narrative designer, technical designer, and games producer. The skills developed are also relevant in virtual reality and augmented reality development, simulation and training, and digital art and interactive media more broadly. Many graduates also pursue entrepreneurial routes, developing independent games projects.

Postgraduate study in games design, interaction design, or computer science is a natural direction for those who want to develop their practice further or move into research and teaching.