Game Design and Development 5: Capstone Project

This course is part of Game Design and Development with Unity 2020 Specialization

Instructor: Brian Winn

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

2 assignments

Taught in English

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Learn more about Coursera for Business

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Game Design and Development with Unity 2020 Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV

Share it on social media and in your performance review

There are 4 modules in this course

In the game design and development capstone course, you will create an original game from initial concept up to the first playable version! Along the way, you will have the opportunity to put your game ideas in front of your peers. The capstone experience gives you the opportunity to push your skills further and demonstrate your newfound skills as a game developer. The capstone also contains guest talks from game industry professionals at Riot Games, Blizzard Entertainment, Insomniac Games, Gearbox Entertainment, Iron Galaxy, Deep Silver Volition, Goodgame Studios, Stardock, GREE, Heart Shaped Games, and more.

Welcome to the Game Design and Development Capstone. In this module I will give you a little bit of a sense of what to expect over the coming weeks. I am going to be honest with you though, this is going to be a fair amount of work. As you have learned, making games takes time and effort. And the goal of the Capstone is to prove that you have the knowledge, skills, and attitude to make games. So, get ready to flex those game design and development muscles that you have developed across the specialization. The first thing you need to do is come up with a game idea and then flesh it out into a high concept and pitch.

What's included

3 videos7 readings1 peer review1 discussion prompt

3 videosTotal 14 minutes

Course Overview4 minutesPreview module
"What is Success in Video Game Development" by Ziba Scott, Founder, Popcannibal4 minutes
"Game Design Problem Solving Basics" by Scott Brodie, Founder and Lead Designer, Heart Shaped Games5 minutes

7 readingsTotal 190 minutes

Capstone Overview10 minutes
FAQ10 minutes
Industry Guest Talks10 minutes
Getting Started10 minutes
Brainstorm Game Ideas60 minutes
Create the High Concept Document30 minutes
Develop a Game Pitch Presentation60 minutes

1 peer reviewTotal 30 minutes

High Concept and Pitch30 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes

High Concept Discussion10 minutes

Now you have to start the process of making your game a reality through early prototyping. No matter how you do this, either as a non-digital prototype or a digital prototype, you need to start building and testing some of your core gameplay systems and mechanics. Along the way, it is helpful to further document your design by creating "Design Blueprints". The result of this module is an early progress report to make sure you are on track.

What's included

2 videos2 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt

2 videosTotal 85 minutes

"Finding An Art Style for Your Small Game" by Marie Lazar, 3D Environment Artist, Goodgame Studios9 minutesPreview module
Randy Pitchford, Founder, Gearbox Entertainment on "The Artist's Dilemma"75 minutes

2 readingsTotal 120 minutes

Engage in Early Prototyping60 minutes
Draft Design Blueprints60 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 10 minutes

Milestone 2 Checkpoint10 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 15 minutes

An Early Progress Report15 minutes

The next step is the hardest one. It is time to fire up Unity and start game dev'ing. The goal is to build the first playable version of the game. With the first playable you are able to truly playtest and iterate on the game to "find the fun." Good luck.

What's included

3 videos2 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt

3 videosTotal 42 minutes

"How To Get Better at What You Do" by Declan McClintock, Programmer, GEL Lab at MSU11 minutesPreview module
"Optimization in 3D Video Games" by Jon Moore, Graphics Engineer, Iron Galaxy Studios14 minutes
"Game Production Overview" by Chris Bray, Studio Head and Senior Producer, Stardock16 minutes

2 readingsTotal 190 minutes

Develop the First Playable Prototype180 minutes
Game Dev Tutorials by Brackeys10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 10 minutes

Milestone 3 Checkpoint10 minutes

1 discussion promptTotal 15 minutes

First Playable Progress15 minutes

You are almost to the finish line! In this module, you finish up and submit your first playable prototype for peer review. I will also discuss what would be the next steps for your project if it shows promise, in the "Preparing to Ship" lecture. I also included several "Career Journey and Advice" guest lectures. Watch as many of these as you like. And last, but not least, I will close out the course and specialization by discussing your possible "Future Directions" after this course.