Why choose Game and Level Design BA at Middlesex?

Do you want to design and balance game mechanics as well as tell stories? On this hands-on course, you'll be making games with a mix of digital and paper prototyping and planning from week one.

Learn to design game mechanics as well as tell stories. Staff have experience across AAA, indie, tabletop and mobile gaming. You will develop your skills in designing and prototyping games as well as several forms of storytelling. On this highly practical course, you'll be making games with a mix of digital and paper prototyping and planning from week one.

Our students work with Middlesex students from our 3D animation, art and design, music, and computing departments as part of our coordinated workshop activities and making games.

Our links with industry partners also give you access to live briefs, guest lecturers, and potential employers. These include CCP, CD Projekt Red, Creative Assembly, King, Mediatonic, Media Molecule, and NaturalMotion among many others.

What you will gain

The games industry is complex, diverse and spans a variety of old and new technologies from print to computer software to 3D printed game pieces. This BA gives you the skills and knowledge you need to become a successful games designer in this fast-changing industry.

You’ll gain hands-on experience that will help you build your portfolio that will set you up for a successful career in a range of creative industries. This degree's studio-based collaborative learning environment will prepare you for the distributed nature of the world of work.

You’ll develop your employability skills and industry connections with a range of work placements and internship opportunities. Year after year, students from this programme produce fantastic, high-quality game prototypes. Take a look at some of the games created by our students past and present.

What you will learn

You will learn key skills, such as game design and prototyping, game engine scripting, environmental storytelling, game writing, idea generation and selection, game prototyping, basic programming, writing and storytelling for games and environmental design.

Plus, design and communication skills including writing, scripting, prototyping and storytelling. You'll study concepts and history for game design which will enable you to to talk confidently about what makes existing games successful and about what players do in games that keeps them playing. There will also be critical and analytical techniques shared for observing playtests, offering peer feedback, and developing ideas. We'll also cover level design including an understanding of digital architecture, challenge and pacing, and environmental storytelling.

You'll learn how to communicate a detailed game idea professionally across a range of modes including writing, prototyping, diagramming, speaking. And develop experience of game engines and how to use them to produce digital prototypes in response to a industry briefs. There will be opportunities for hands-on experience of creating and publishing games using storytelling techniques and environmental design.

Careers

How can the Game and Level Design BA support your career?

This degree equips you with the skills and knowledge necessary to thrive as a game designer in a dynamic industry. Through hands-on experience, you will develop a portfolio that will set you up for a successful career in a range of creative industries.

Graduate job roles

This degree opens up a wide variety of different career options, including technical game designer, gameplay designer, level designer, interaction designer, app designer, developer and programmer.

Graduate employers

Graduates from the course have gone into a range of roles throughout the gaming and creative industries:

• Junior open world designer at CDProjeckt Red
• Game designer at Outplay Entertainment
• Game developer at Trick27
• Level designer at Pixel Foundation
• QA tester at Rockstar
• Account assistant at PlayStation
• Assistant producer at Square Enix

Transferable skills

This degree's mix of in-person and online teaching will prepare you for the distributed nature of the world of work. You will gain experience and skills in management and team collaboration.

Work placements

Placements and internships can greatly improve your future job prospects after you graduate. They usually boost your confidence and academic results by giving you the opportunity to practice what have learned in a professional setting.

Our specialist employability service will help you find placement opportunities.

MDXworks

Our careers and employability service, MDXworks will launch you into the world of work from the beginning of your course, with placements, projects and networking opportunities through our 1000+ links with industry and big-name employers in London and globally.

MDXcelerator Student Start-Up Support

Want to be your own boss? You'll have the chance to pitch your business to gain mentoring and grants of up to £15,000.

Global network

You’ll study with students from 122 countries who’ll hopefully become part of your global network. And after you graduate, we'll still support you through our alumni network to help you progress in your chosen career.