Integrated Foundation - Bachelor of Arts (Honours) - Games Design (I614)

Integrated Foundation - Bachelor of Arts (Honours) - Games Design course focuses on the conceptualisation and development of the key elements that shape a player’s experience — including game mechanics, rules, narratives, characters, and levels. Students learn how to design engaging gameplay through a combination of creative exploration and technical understanding.

The course nurtures critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, and adaptability, equipping students with both the practical and interpersonal skills needed in the fast-evolving games industry. Core study areas include game design principles, storytelling, and player engagement, forming a strong foundation for the creation of innovative and immersive experiences.

Throughout the degree, students have opportunities to specialise and experiment across different aspects of game design, gaining a broad yet in-depth understanding of how to ideate, develop, and refine compelling digital games. By graduation, they emerge as practitioners ready to innovate and contribute to the dynamic field of game development.

The Integrated Foundation Year introduces students to the creative, technical, and theoretical foundations of games and animation. It builds essential knowledge of core design principles — line, shape, colour, value, form, texture, and space — and explores how these underpin visual communication and interactive experiences.

Students gain early exposure to digital software and tools relevant to game design, animation, and user interaction. The course also develops research, ideation, critical thinking, and reflective skills, encouraging learners to present and communicate creative concepts with clarity.

An overview of digital games and animation software forms part of the curriculum, alongside discussions of current innovations and the capabilities and limitations of artificial intelligence (AI) within creative processes.

This preparatory year establishes a strong creative and technical foundation, equipping students with the confidence and skills needed to progress successfully into the full BA (Hons) Games Design degree.