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There are 4 modules in this course
If you love games and want to learn how to make them, then this course is your third step down that path. In this course you will learn the fundamentals of game design, including an understanding of level design, game balancing, prototyping, and playtesting, as well as game asset creation techniques. You will continue developing video games using industry standard game development tools, including the Unity game engine. At the end of the course you will have completed a 3D First-Person Shooter game, and will be able to leverage an array of game development techniques to create your own basic games.
Are you ready to take the next step in your journey into game design and development? In this module, we will introduce the course and kick off your third game project, a 3D Shooter. In the first part of the assignment, follow along with the tutorial videos introduced in this module. In the second part of the project, you will modify the game to make it your own.
What's included
31 videos3 readings
Show info about module content
31 videos•Total 229 minutes
Course Overview•2 minutes
Project Overview•5 minutes
Create a 3D URP Project•5 minutes
Import the Input System•2 minutes
Import Custom Asset Package•2 minutes
Import ProBuilder•3 minutes
Intro to ProBuilder•12 minutes
Graybox Level Design: Floor and Walls•13 minutes
Graybox Level Design: First Room•11 minutes
Graybox Level Design: Second Room•11 minutes
Test Grayboxed Level•6 minutes
Enhance the Grayboxed Level•15 minutes
Art Pass: Floor•9 minutes
Art Pass: Outer Walls•11 minutes
Art Pass: Middle Wall•8 minutes
Art Pass: First Room•4 minutes
Art Pass: Second Room•12 minutes
Full Player Setup•3 minutes
Player Prefab Walkthrough•8 minutes
Setup Imported Animation•8 minutes
Particle Systems•9 minutes
Particle Systems (cont.)•7 minutes
Level Management•10 minutes
Enemy AI•15 minutes
Pickups•4 minutes
Other Provided Prefabs•6 minutes
Audio Mixer•7 minutes
Adding More Levels•11 minutes
Coding Standards•6 minutes
Ad Hoc vs. Generalized Code•3 minutes
Finish the Project•1 minute
3 readings•Total 35 minutes
Use Unity 2022.3 for this Course•10 minutes
Downloading Project Assets•10 minutes
3D Shooter Assignment•15 minutes
Game Assets
Module 2•3 hours to complete
Module details
A big part of game development is developing the game assets. Game assets in Unity include the visuals (2D and 3D graphics, fonts, materials, animations), audio (sound effects, voice acting, ambient sounds, and music), and even the game logic (C# scripts), amongst other things. In this module, we will explore concepts and creation techniques of graphics, concepts and creation techniques of audio, the asset pipeline, and explore programming best practices.
What's included
13 videos4 readings4 assignments
Show info about module content
13 videos•Total 79 minutes
Game Graphics Concepts - Part 1 of 3•5 minutes
Game Graphics Concepts - Part 2 of 3•6 minutes
Game Graphics Concepts - Part 3 of 3•4 minutes
Creating Game Graphics•3 minutes
Game Audio Concepts•6 minutes
Creating Game Audio•7 minutes
The Asset Pipeline•9 minutes
Programming Best Practices - Part 1: Introduction•2 minutes
Programming Best Practices - Part 2: Easy-to-Read Code•12 minutes
Programming Best Practices - Part 3: Designer-Friendly Code•6 minutes
Programming Best Practices - Part 4: Fault-Tolerant Code•9 minutes
Programming Best Practices - Part 5: Efficient Code•6 minutes
Programming Best Practices - Part 6: Refactoring Code•4 minutes
4 readings•Total 20 minutes
Graphical Asset Creation Tools•5 minutes
Graphical Asset Acquisition Resources•5 minutes
Audio Asset Creation Tools•5 minutes
Audio Asset Acquisition Resources•5 minutes
4 assignments•Total 55 minutes
Game Graphics•15 minutes
Game Audio•15 minutes
Asset Pipeline•10 minutes
Programming Best Practices•15 minutes
Level Design and Game Balancing
Module 3•3 hours to complete
Module details
In this module, we will explore level design and game balancing. Level design is where the ‘rubber meets the road’. The level design is where the gameplay, storyline, art, and technology all come together to create the actual game world the player experiences. We have discussed the idea of creating experience goals, designing, playtesting, comparing the difference between the experience goals and the actual experience, and then iterating on the design, several times. This is game balancing. It is what iterative design is all about.
What's included
9 videos10 readings2 assignments
Show info about module content
9 videos•Total 46 minutes
Level Design - Part 1: Introduction•6 minutes
Level Design - Part 2: Components of Level Design•7 minutes
Level Design - Part 3: Tips for Designing Levels•7 minutes
Level Design - Part 4: Level Design Activity•5 minutes
Game Balancing - Part 1: Introduction•4 minutes
Game Balancing - Part 2: Player vs. Player•7 minutes
Game Balancing - Part 3: Player vs. Gameplay•4 minutes
Game Balancing - Part 4: Gameplay vs. Gameplay•6 minutes
Game Balancing - Part 5: Game Design Challenge•3 minutes
10 readings•Total 124 minutes
Level Design vs. Gameplay Design•10 minutes
"What Makes a Good Puzzle" by Mark Brown•18 minutes
"How Level Design Can Tell a Story" by Mark Brown•18 minutes
"Why Nathan Drake Doesn’t Need a Compass" by Mark Brown•9 minutes
Graph Paper•5 minutes
Unity Level Design Tips•10 minutes
"How Games Use Feedback Loops" by Mark Brown•13 minutes
"Should Dark Souls Have an Easy Mode?" by Mark Brown•10 minutes
"How Games Get Balanced" by Mark Brown•16 minutes
Balancing Your Game•15 minutes
2 assignments•Total 30 minutes
Level Design•15 minutes
Game Balancing•15 minutes
Making Your Game Better
Module 4•4 hours to complete
Module details
Prototyping is one of the most critical skills a game designer can cultivate. The ability to "find the fun" in gameplay design is critical to being a successful designer. In this module we will discuss prototyping of a game. This can then be put in front of players during a playtest, allowing you to better understand if the underlying mechanics, systems and aesthetic are something that players may find engaging. As you work on your 3D Shooter project, you should be playtesting. In this module, you will also finish up the 3D Shooter project, submit it for peer review, and peer review your fellow learners games. Finish the course strong!
What's included
8 videos1 reading1 assignment1 peer review
Show info about module content
8 videos•Total 30 minutes
Prototyping and Playtesting - Part 1: Introduction•2 minutes
Prototyping and Playtesting - Part 2: Gameplay Prototypes•8 minutes
Prototyping and Playtesting - Part 3: Other Early Prototypes•3 minutes
Prototyping and Playtesting - Part 4: Mid to Late Prototypes•2 minutes
Prototyping and Playtesting - Part 5: Playtesting•3 minutes
Prototyping and Playtesting - Part 6: Playtesting (cont.)•6 minutes
Prototyping and Playtesting - Part 7: Playtesting (cont.)•4 minutes
Course Wrap Up•1 minute
1 reading•Total 6 minutes
"Secrets of Game Feel and Juice" by Mark Brown•6 minutes
1 assignment•Total 15 minutes
Prototyping and Playtesting•15 minutes
1 peer review•Total 180 minutes
3D Shooter Peer Review•180 minutes
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The course was originally built with Unity 5.1.x. However, we recently updated lessons to Unity 5.4.x where there were notable differences between 5.1 and 5.4.
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What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.