Games Design

Games design is the discipline concerned with creating the rules, systems, mechanics, and experiences that make a game work. Where games programming focuses on the code and games art on the visual elements, games design asks the foundational questions: what is the player doing, why does it feel satisfying, how do challenge and reward interact, and how does the overall experience hold together? It is a field that draws on psychology, systems thinking, narrative theory, and iterative creative practice, and it sits at the heart of one of the world's fastest-growing creative industries.

At the University of the Arts, London, this three-year full-time programme gives you the opportunity to develop your design skills within one of the world's leading creative education environments. You will explore game mechanics, player experience, level design, narrative and world-building, prototyping, and the critical frameworks that help you evaluate and improve your work. The programme includes a sandwich placement year and work placement opportunities, connecting your creative development to the professional games industry and giving you experience of how studios, publishers, and independent developers actually work.

UAL's location in London and its connections across the creative industries mean you are studying in an environment where professional practice is always close at hand.

Games design graduates go on to work as games designers, level designers, narrative designers, and creative directors in studios of all sizes, from independent teams to major publishers. The design thinking and systems skills developed on the programme are also valuable in adjacent areas including UX design, interactive media, digital experience design, and education technology. Many graduates build careers that combine games work with other creative practices, while others specialise deeply in a particular area of the discipline.

Further study in games design, interaction design, or creative media is a natural option for those who want to develop their practice at postgraduate level.