Computer Games Design
Become a specialist in the field of games design and learn to work in a creative project team to forge a career in games design, interactive design, experience design or digital product design.
for "Academic support" in the National Student Survey 2026.
Source: NSS 2026
Learn about the main areas of computer games development, from idea generation through to releasing a playable and polished game.
You’ll develop specialist skills in game design, level design, user interface design, and user experience design, with a focus on intuitiveness and accessibility.
You’ll gain a thorough understanding of the two most popular commercial game engines, Unity and Unreal, and build a professional portfolio to showcase your skills to future employers and clients.
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"The support in ARU for the course and our wider community is brilliant." Students and alumni explain what makes our computer games degrees special.
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![Computer games student looking at work in progress on a screen]()
"The support in ARU for the course and our wider community is brilliant." Students and alumni explain what makes our computer games degrees special.
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Learn specialist skills in game design, level design, and user/interface experience design.
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Work collaboratively in a development studio environment that reflects the professional workplace.
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Gain opportunities for placements, live briefs and networking through our links with companies like Dlala Studios, Sony, Jagex and Frontier.
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Attend industry events such as games jams, talks, and festivals including our annual Gamebridge.
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Access cutting-edge research materials through our partnership with Global Science & Technology Forum.
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Study in Cambridge or Chelmsford, both home to a host of games companies (source: Ukie Games Map, January 2024).
Study at an award-winning university
We've received a Gold award for the quality of our education in a UK-wide review of teaching standards. We were also proud to be named Times Higher Education University of the Year 2023.
Careers
Build a professional portfolio as you study, including an online presence on portfolio sites, websites and blogs, so you’re ready to showcase your skills to future employers and clients.
You'll gain practical experience with industry-standard tools, software and production pipelines. The technical and creative skills you develop will open up opportunities across games development, software engineering, XR and simulation, and the wider creative technology sector where experience with professional workflows and production pipelines is highly valued.
Teaching and modules
You’ll start this course by learning about game design theory, key game development stages, industry-standard game creation tools, world-building techniques, and various roles in the games industry.
In years 2 and 3, you’ll deepen your knowledge of tools and techniques for creating characters, environments, and narratives, often working collaboratively.
Finally, you’ll develop artefacts for your portfolio, take on live briefs for industry partners, and complete a Major Project that brings together all your skills and knowledge.
Student work
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Press Start on your future in games: discover the new £2.5m games development facilities at ARU, designed to mirror real-world production environments and support the next generation of computer games artists and developers. Read more about our new facilities.
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A showreel of work by students on our undergraduate games courses.
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Computer Games Technology graduate Michal now works as a game developer at Jagex. Read Michal's Spotlight interview.
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Artwork for Final Project by Sam McHaffie. See more of our computer games students' work.
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Artwork by Caitlin Pirie.
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Artwork by David Lopes.
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Artwork by David Lopes.
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Artwork by David Lopes.
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Artwork by Maria Sosnovska.
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Artwork by Maria Sosnovska.
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Artwork by Ryan Kelly.
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Artwork by Ryan Kelly.
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Artwork by Talia Smith.
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Artwork by Talia Smith.
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![A tutor showing a student how to stand in a full body scanner for computer games]()
Press Start on your future in games: discover the new £2.5m games development facilities at ARU, designed to mirror real-world production environments and support the next generation of computer games artists and developers. Read more about our new facilities. -
![Detailed CGI render of an olde worlde kitche, with a lit stove in the centre]()
A showreel of work by students on our undergraduate games courses. -
![Back view of Michal Staniewski playing Runescape on a smartphone]()
Computer Games Technology graduate Michal now works as a game developer at Jagex. Read Michal's Spotlight interview. -
![Artwork showing an island with beach and temple-like structures in the middle of an ocean]()
Artwork for Final Project by Sam McHaffie. See more of our computer games students' work.
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![Artwork of a horse wearing protective equipment as if about to enter battle]()
Artwork by Caitlin Pirie.
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![Artwork showing the altar in a church]()
Artwork by David Lopes.
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![Artwork showing the inside of a church with light streaming across the pews]()
Artwork by David Lopes.
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![Artwork showing a car approaching a house at night]()
Artwork by David Lopes.
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![Artwork showing rings around a white planet]()
Artwork by Maria Sosnovska.
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![Artwork showing two sphere or planet-shaped elements, one surrounded by a vertical burst of light]()
Artwork by Maria Sosnovska.
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![Female computer games character]()
Artwork by Ryan Kelly.
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![Artwork showing blades with elaborate carved handles]()
Artwork by Ryan Kelly.
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![Artwork showing an altar-like setting within a large porticoed building]()
Artwork by Talia Smith.
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![Artwork showing a camper van parked next to tents and a picnic table]()
Artwork by Talia Smith.
Modules are subject to change and availability, and may vary by location. If you have the choice of optional modules, these are indicated with a *.
- Game Concepts and Analysis
- Video Game Prototyping
- Introduction to Gameplay and Levels
- Player-Centric Game Design
- Into ARU
- Collaborative Games Development
- Player Experiences in Games
- Technical Development for Games
- Ruskin Module (15 credits)
- Studio Practice for Games
- Major Project for Games
You can choose to take an optional placement year as part of this course. Placements typically happen in Year 3, and your course will take four years overall. Find out more about placement years.
- Work Placement - Cambridge School of Creative Industries
To prepare you for university study, you can take a foundation year at the start of this course. Find out more about foundation years.
- Interactive Learning Skills and Communication
- Information and Communication Technology
- Creative Workshops 1
- Approach to Design
- Critical and Contextual Studies
- Creative Workshops 2
- Specialist Project
- Composition and Style
Read profiles of teaching and research staff on this course.
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Matthew HollandLecturer
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Thom Barrett (he/him)Lecturer
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Dr Barış IşıkgünerAssociate Professor
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Ian BrownSenior Lecturer Practitioner
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Sven NorrisLecturer
Facilities
You’ll create in a professional-standard environment designed to reflect the realities of the games industry.
Professional-specification workstations, equipped with RTX graphics technology, give you access to powerful creative workflows, industry software, and specialist kit. Integrated studio spaces allow you to collaborate comfortably, replicating professional game studio workflows.
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Collaborative studio spaces
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Comfortable workstations
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Professional-specification software
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VR/AR spaces
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Professional-standard studio
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![Students and lecturer in a computer development studio]()
Collaborative studio spaces -
![Students sitting at a computer designing several versions of graphics of architectural columns]()
Comfortable workstations -
![A student sitting in a computer development studio]()
Professional-specification software -
![A student using a virtual reality headset and controllers]()
VR/AR spaces -
![A computer development studio]()
Professional-standard studio -
![Computer games student working in a project using two desktop screens]()