Game Development BA(Hons)

Development Foundations  

Through several small-scale team projects, you’ll learn the basic principles, terminology, roles and tools used in the development of digital products and services. You’ll then develop a pitch that will inform the project you’ll pursue in the Multidisciplinary Teamwork module. 

Digital Creativity

In this module, you’ll explore and experiment with digital media formats, including text, image and sound. You’ll transform an existing digital artefact into a new form, as a means of appropriation, before integrating it with digital game technologies to make them interactive. 

Multidisciplinary Teamwork

In this module, you’ll work in a multi-skilled team to make a digital product or service in response to a prompt and some constraints. You’ll deepen your knowledge of organising a software development project as well as learning how to work with people from different backgrounds, and across different disciplines, towards a shared deliverable.  

Reading Games*

In Reading Games, you’ll begin to think closely and carefully about the formal nature of digital experiences; their markets, the contexts of their production and player experience.  

*Game Development: Programming students will study Data Fundamentals instead of this core module. 

Environment Art 1

In this module, you’ll learn the basic principles of environment art for games. You’ll generate environment art in a game context using digital tool sets to produce high-definition assets for use in the game development pipeline.  

Through this work, you’ll consider scene setup, planning, modelling methods and reference gathering, as well as UV mapping, texture creation, materials and shading. 

Environment Art 2 

Through a series of practical engagements, you’ll develop the skills you need to create technically accurate and exciting environment art suited to games. You’ll learn about working in accord with hardware limitations, exporting pipelines to a game engine, baking methodologies for game assets, texturing techniques for games, rendering, lighting and shadows. You’ll also continue to build on your understanding of the underlying principles of environmental art within a 3D game context.  

Game Design 1 

In this module, you’ll be introduced to game design practice. You’ll critically evaluate various established game designs, learn the techniques and principles of crafting rules to deliver authored gameplay experiences, and gain a deeper understanding of the role of a professional game designer. 

Game Design 2

In this module, you’ll explore and practice more advanced level design techniques using the most recent professional game development environments. You’ll learn to design, create, test and refine your game’s user experience and level designs. You’ll also explore the role of level scripting in the games industry by adding interactivity and puzzle-like elements.    
 

Principles of Computing  

In this module, you’ll learn the principles of computing, discrete mathematics, statistics and technical communication. Through a series of tasks, you’ll begin to use core computer science concepts, techniques and methods to solve practical problems and leverage algorithms in your solutions.  

You'll also delve into the history of computing, engaging with the plurality of voices in the profession and the controversies evoked by algorithmic bias.

Individual Programming Project 

In this module, you’ll refine your approach to computer programming by developing an architecturally sound project focused on object-orientated solutions. 

Through this project, you’ll build confidence with various interfaces that enable interaction within and across different system components. You’ll also boost your awareness of ethical considerations such as safety, accessibility, sustainability, and the impact of supply chains.

You’ll also practice more disciplined software engineering methodologies, develop your mastery of the notations for describing and refactoring system architectures, and apply the mathematics associated with circuit design.

Data Fundamentals

In this module, you’ll learn the fundamentals of the data science life cycle. This will include learning how to formulate questions, collect and clean data, explore and visualise data, make statistical inferences and predictions, and report insights in a way that informs decision making.

You'll also gain an awareness of the responsibilities, obligations, and legalities of working with sensitive and personal data including its collection, storage, analysis, management, and transmission.

Writing: Crafts & Contexts 

Through debates and written assignments on writing, authorship, genre, creativity and audience, you’ll explore the practice of writing as a discipline and a craft. You’ll also develop critical skills, strategies for writing to deadlines and an understanding of the cultural context and traditions writers and readers work within. 

Breaking the Rules: Remix & Writing Back 

This is a challenging and radical creative writing module covering remix and writing back in theory and practice. Using all kinds of texts as source material, you’ll be supported to break the rules and experiment with reversionary writing, collage, reviewing, adaptation, pastiche and parody. You’ll also consider genre, information content, point of view, tone and context.

Game Form & Player Experience

In this module, you’ll explore theoretical approaches and concepts that are used to comprehend the relationship between game form and player experience. You’ll learn about and reflect upon ideas that seek to illuminate why players play, and why they find ‘ludic’ experiences pleasurable. 

World Building: Pre-Production

In this module, you’ll work in a multi-skilled team on a digital ‘world creation’ project that you’ll continue to develop throughout the year. Through the project, you’ll get hands-on experience of world-building and exploratory concept work, prototyping, pre-production and early phases of production. 

World Building: Production

You’ll continue work on your collaborative ‘world creation’ project, delivering content in line with production milestones and the processes involved in preparing to release your world and reach your intended audience. 

Portfolio Development

In this module, you’ll work on a self-devised portfolio piece with a view to submitting it to an industry competition.   

From researching to execution, you’ll hone your skills and gain confidence as you develop your project within your chosen specialism. Experimenting with different techniques, you’ll build your portfolio and create a piece of work that conforms to industry norms. 

Developing Concept Art Vocabularies (option)

In this module, you’ll bring your existing understanding of concept art and visual culture into a production context. Working within a team on a practical project, you’ll develop your 2D skills, explore new and experimental media and investigate methodical approaches to making concept art in greater depth. You’ll also expand your ability to use appropriately relevant software, tools and materials, including collage and digital speed painting as well as new 3D approaches. 

Developing Character Art Vocabularies (option)

This module provides a more advanced study of character art creation for games. You’ll refine your experience with relevant software, tools, and pipelines; sharpen your observational skills and your understanding of human anatomy through life drawing; and further your understanding of development pipelines and processes. 

Developing Environment Art Vocabularies (option)

You’ll research and explore techniques and practices in the creation of environment art for games. Focusing on an identified area of interest, you’ll develop a research brief proposal before responding with a portfolio and a written analysis of that work. As ever, you’ll be encouraged to experiment and test out different techniques and approaches.

Level Design

In this module, you’ll learn to create game levels, from initial concept through blockout and finally using modular kits. 

You’ll look at designing enclosed and open world environments using different techniques from blockout to modular design. Through the process, you’ll investigate how to include game mechanics, narrative and sound design into your level builds. You’ll discover how quest design and environmental storytelling can influence the narrative of a game, as well as examining how audio can provide a sense of space for your players. 

Game Design 3

In this module, you’ll extend and advance your technical and creative understanding of game design by working on a basic game prototype that tests specific game mechanics. You’ll also define this mechanic fully within a Technical Design Document (TDD), which acts as a communication tool between the designer and the rest of an implementation team.

Level Design

In this module, you’ll learn to create game levels, from initial concept through blockout and finally using modular kits. 

You’ll look at designing enclosed and open world environments using different techniques from blockout to modular design. Through the process, you’ll investigate how to include game mechanics, narrative and sound design into your level builds. You’ll discover how quest design and environmental storytelling can influence the narrative of a game, as well as examining how audio can provide a sense of space for your players. 

Advanced Game Programming

On this module, you’ll learn more about the different areas of game programming through the process of producing a game from scratch. Through this, you’ll deepen your knowledge and understanding of languages and framework fundamentals as well as game engine architecture. You’ll also touch on artificial intelligence (AI) and will be challenged to incorporate it into your game or your game development process. Through this, you’ll consider how AI might impact society in the future.  

Level Design

In this module, you’ll learn to create game levels, from initial concept through blockout and finally using modular kits. 

You’ll look at designing enclosed and open world environments using different techniques from blockout to modular design. Through the process, you’ll investigate how to include game mechanics, narrative and sound design into your level builds. You’ll discover how quest design and environmental storytelling can influence the narrative of a game, as well as examining how audio can provide a sense of space for your players.

Writing for Games

This module introduces you to the craft of writing for games. How do established narrative techniques apply and adapt to interactivity? What does it mean to write for an active audience? What new storytelling methods are evolving to account for player agency? 

You’ll critically consider everything from small indie titles to AAA blockbusters, mixed reality to immersive experiences, to help you unpack the writing and narrative design methods you can use in your own games.  

Experience Design

In this module, you’ll be challenged to create an experience that showcases your specialist skills. This could include, but is not limited to, user experience design, writing projects for new media, a short but novel media experience, animation or graphical assets for specific media experience. 

Future Skills

Focusing on employability, you’ll develop a commercial awareness and entrepreneurial mindset.  

You’ll explore career options, including researching the skills required to set up your own business, establish yourself as a freelancer, or for use as an employee in a business or organisation.  

You'll also devise a group project around enterprise opportunities. Practical learning will be consolidated through critical reflection as you develop the ability to translate skills for an external challenge-led context. 

Professional Portfolio

You’ll consolidate and showcase your specialist skills and knowledge through the production of an industry-ready portfolio. You also receive portfolio, CV and career development guidance. 

Future of Games

You’ll explore how cultural and technological changes might influence the way games are made and played in future. You’ll critically examine various aspects of contemporary games and digital culture, confronting issues relating to sustainability and ethical production, equality and civil rights, and personal identity and ideology, among others. 

Major Collaboration

In this module, you’ll leverage your experiences and skills to deliver a substantial collaborative project. Working in a multi-skilled team, you’ll design and implement a digital product or service, such as an enterprise solution, mobile app, installation, game, web application, immersive experience or software development tool. 

Why study an Integrated Foundation Year route?

If you’re taking on a new subject that you haven’t studied in depth before, have been out of education for a while or have a non-standard educational background then an Integrated Foundation Year degree may be the right choice for you. It is a four-year degree with an Integrated Foundation Year to start, which allows you to explore the primary elements of your subject before progressing on to the remaining three years of the BA(Hons) degree.

What you'll learn

If you choose this pathway, you'll study five core modules in your Foundation year. These are all designed to help you explore the foundational elements of your subject. You'll gain relevant technical skills, learn to experiment and take risks, develop an understanding of professional practice, have opportunities to work across disciplines and collaborate with other students on live project briefs.

Modules

Explore

You'll begin your foundation year by working collaboratively with others to explore themes of the future. You'll take risks, experiment through play and be supported to break through barriers.

Technique

You'll take subject-specific workshops and develop essential technical and practical skills in your area of study. You'll also enhance your analytical and organisational abilities.

Apply

You'll work with your peer group to think beyond discipline by addressing a societal or global issue. You'll then showcase your work to your peers and deliver and accompanying evaluation of your process.

Industry

You'll enhance your creative and practical skills in your subject specialism by responding to typical industry briefs, underpinned by focused research and experiments. You'll also gain industry insights through guest lectures and workshops.

Launch

You'll develop your unique identity in your specialism through the production of a self-initiated body of work. Your final project will be the bridge to your next year, fully supported by evaluative reviews and critical analysis of the work you have created.

After the Foundation year, you progress into Year One of the full three-year degree, equipped with a deeper knowledge of your subject, a clear understanding of your strengths, and develop a practical and technical skillset and the confidence to excel in your chosen subject.

If you apply for and enrol onto a degree with an Integrated Foundation Year, you’ll have the option to switch onto a five-year version including a placement year. That means you’ll complete the first three years of your course before completing a placement in industry in your fourth year and returning to Falmouth for the fifth year of your programme. 

You can choose to take an optional professional placement after your second year on a three-year programme, or after your third year if you’re studying for a degree with an Integrated Foundation Year. 

You’ll be responsible for finding your own placement, with support from the Employability team. 

Choosing this option will enhance your industry experience and skills while studying. 

How you’ll study during your professional placement

You’ll spend time working in a professional context, as part of a business or organisation. This can be in one role, or up to three, and must be for a minimum of 24 weeks. 

You’ll develop in-demand workplace skills, deepen your insight into industry and grow your network of contacts, all of which could help you get ahead in your career after graduation. 

Throughout this year, you’ll develop a portfolio of work that includes critical self-reflection on what has been learned from the experience. You’ll be required to evidence your experiences, the skills you’ve learned and your professional growth. 

You'll create original games through group work, professional practice and Game Jams. You'll also develop practical skills through practice-based workshops and learn to evaluate and improve your work through group tutorials, crits, and individual tutorials. 

You'll share specialist first-year modules with other Games Academy courses.

At Falmouth, we use a 'digitally enhanced learning & teaching' approach. Your experience will always be predominantly in-person, including seminars, tutorials and studio teaching, with some, more targeted elements, being online either live (synchronous) or pre-recorded (asynchronous). You can read more here.

100% of your assessment will be coursework. 

Assessment methods

Designed to mirror industry practice, students are continuously assessed on group projects through a group working strategy. Further assessment methods could include: 

• Foundation year assessments are 100% coursework based
• Game making
• Visual, verbal and written assignments
• Portfolio of project work