What Is Programming? And How To Get Started
January 28, 2025
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This course is part of Game Design and Development with Unity 2020 Specialization
Instructor: Brian Winn
7,469 already enrolled
Included with
(64 reviews)
Recommended experience
Intermediate level
Completion of "Game Design and Development 2: 2D Platformer" course.
(64 reviews)
Recommended experience
Intermediate level
Completion of "Game Design and Development 2: 2D Platformer" course.
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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 2020 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.
26 videos3 readings
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.
13 videos4 readings4 assignments
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.
9 videos10 readings2 assignments
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!
8 videos2 readings1 assignment1 peer review
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Reviewed on Sep 5, 2021
I really like the theoretical parts of these courses
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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.
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
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