GAMES DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT - 2026/7

Module Overview

further build confidence and expertise in designing and presenting their creative work

Module provider

Literature & Languages

Module Leader

MOONEY Stephen (Lit & Langs)

Number of Credits: 30

ECTS Credits: 15

Framework: FHEQ Level 5

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

Indicative content includes: 

• Game design specialisms and roles in the games industries 


• Technologies and platforms


• Screen spaces, virtual cameras and compositional dynamics


• Intermediate animation and movement


• Indie game design


• Games development


• Game development specialisms and roles in the games industries


• Production methodologies


• Production tracking tools


• Pitching: game demographics and marketing


• Game Design Documentation 


• Producing demos


• Incorporating feedback


• Prototyping

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate achievement of the module learning outcomes.

• Seminar/practical session discussion with ongoing tutor feedback is designed mainly to assess transferable skills in working as part of a group and applying theory to creative design, games development and practical/professional skills in developing and presenting work in suitably industry facing form and to professional standards as well as expressing ideas and critical analysis in oral communication. It also assesses specialised subject knowledge in the different forms of practical and critical thinking and expertise explored in relation to games design and games development and cognitive/analytical skills in critical thinking and in using theory in the close examination of critical texts and process and design challenges in class.


• The Games Design/Development Report, Game Design Document and Game Prototype with Reflective Critical Commentary assessments allow students to demonstrate:


• subject knowledge relating to the close analysis of form, meaning, language, methodology and context in games design and games development (including sustainability and global and cultural capability narratives)


• cognitive/analytical skills in critical thinking


• professional/practical skills in communicating ideas, proposing, planning, designing, testing and bringing to prototype a games output using a contemporary video games platform that will feed forward into their future careers as games designers, games developers and/or critics


• creative engagement with the opportunities and limitations of particular modes of writing, designing and games development, skills that will feed into their games design and other modules in future years of the degree, including their final major project in their final year 


• creative engagement with theories, texts, themes and challenges discussed on the module, such as sustainability and global cultural awareness matters


• an ability to locate their own creative design work fruitfully and articulately in relation to existing traditions, practices and processes in contemporary games design and development


• employability related context in their research into specific specialisms that they might consider as future career options after they complete the degree

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

Assessment 1: Games Design/Development Report (500 words) (10%)

This summative assessment allows students to present a report on a given specialism of games design or games development that they find of particular interest as a potential career path

Assessment 2: Game Design Document (2000 words) (30%)

This summative assessment is an opportunity for students to present a short, industry focussed Game Design Document (GDD), incorporating both text and visual materials, for the game prototype which they will develop in Assessment 3 of the module

Assessment 3: Game Prototype with Reflective Critical Commentary (500 words) (60%)

This assessment represents a culmination of the module's output with students designing and presenting a working game prototype on a contemporary video game platform and incorporating a reflective critical commentary (500 words) that reflects on the development processes employed. Students will also present a live demonstration of the game prototype

Formative Assessment & Feedback:

Verbal feedback and formative 'feed forward' is provided through seminar/practical session discussions. Likewise, with tutor and peer feedback including on draft work presented (including work-in-progress) as part of the confidence building safe space of the workshopping elements of the classes. The module includes regular assignments covering creative responses and production skills for the topics and techniques under investigation.

Design, documentation, presentation, professional writing and critical analysis skills will be developed and honed which will feed forward to the summative assessments for this module and towards building the students' resilience and confidence in preparing work for public presentation. In particular, formative assessment will be made of an initial Game Design Document presentation to the class. Direct feedback will be given in these cases regarding quality, standard and areas for improvement.

There is the option of a range of other feedback mechanisms agreed between tutor and students in week 1 of the module, such as seminar/practical session contribution and writing exercises.

Module aims

• provide students with the opportunity to explore an expanded range of games design techniques, practices, roles and specialisms
• equip students with a deeper understanding of games design supporting the further development of creative and production skills
• introduce students to contemporary processes and methodologies of games development
• guide students in situating games design, development and production tools and practices within their industry applications
• allow students to produce a working game prototype with accompanying games design documentation, analyzing, assessing and incorporating improvements by evaluating game performance against the game design documentation and the original concept
• further build confidence and expertise in designing and presenting their creative work

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

• hone and develop students' game design and games development skills (in a variety of forms) by developing an awareness of the application of their practice and processes in informing their critical thinking, and vice versa, and in further developing their own ideation, development, building, testing skills through responding to in-class briefs, discussion and sharing of designing experience alongside study of critical and source materials


• assist students in locating their own games design and games development work and critical reflective writing alongside games design and games development theory and critical ideas and texts and connect these to some of the key ideas and concerns in design proposal, documentation and prototype work and its cultural context, such as global cultural and sustainability questions


• equip students with the advanced research and writing skills they will need to produce critically informed academic and creative writing (in a variety of forms) and creative criticism by further developing competency and confidence in writing in a professional, industry facing manner by encouraging thinking about forms and professional standards in writing styles through the safe space of the seminar/practice session setting where ideas, advice and responses are shared with other new designers and developers


• encourage and assist students to formulate ideas for working games, and to use audio-visual material, written design documentation and software prototypes to demonstrate these ideas through assigned reading and class exercises and through seminar and practice session discussion and workshopping. Students will build on skills acquired in previous units, extending these skills where appropriate using game development software tools and techniques.


• develop in students their resourcefulness and resilience strategies by giving them the freedom to experiment with forms, modes and styles in response to the design and development briefs in class, and by providing them with the supportive and encouraging safe space of the seminars/practice sessions within which they can improve their established skills in receiving and giving constructive critical and creative responses to their own work and those of other students and continue to practically develop their awareness of their creative processes


• continue to help students develop further the sorts of professional writing and communication skills and credentials that modern employers look for in the games and related creative industries (and beyond) through the editing and feedback process engendered though the design briefs in class and the assessment briefs which foreground professional writing and presentation skills.

The learning and teaching methods include:

A combination of lecture materials, seminars, practical sessions, captured content, guided learning and independent learning, and includes a weekly seminar and/or practical session element during some of which students will present their own work or respond to that of others in a supportive, constructive and open manner.

Students will engage with preparatory reading, including, where relevant, creative design and development work by other students, in advance of the seminar/ practical session which may combine discussion of interrelated critical ideas and texts with in-class creative or critical exercises and briefs each week. Designed to help students reflect on and apply their learning to creative and critical outputs, the seminar/practical session environment acts as a safe space for developing and exchanging ideas, support, design and writing skills.

Varied learning materials such as lexical texts, visual materials, sculptural objects and other physical material prompts, video and sound objects, games and gamified texts are designed to increase student accessibility and will present them with a range of interpretive materials and approaches with which to work and develop their own thinking and creative responses.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: ELI2052

Other information

The School of Arts, Humanities & Creative Industries is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills, and capabilities in the following areas:

Employability: this 2nd year module explores game design and games development from a range of more advanced and nuanced perspectives than their1st year modules as a way to further develop relevant skills, knowledge and practices pertinent to the wider games design field. This is done with an industry facing approach to generating games design concepts and ideas, planning and developing these into realised projects that have been tested and presented in the forms of professional documentation, project management and standards that a career in contemporary games design and beyond require. In focussing on and growing key design, planning, development, project management and presentation skills, in this module you will develop further the sorts of professional abilities that will facilitate your practice as a professional games design and/or games development practitioner. The skills and aptitudes developed in this module will connect to the wider games design and games focused modules throughout your degree, such as those focussing on character design, level design, narrative design, digital environments, visual narratives and more.

Equally important for employability within these areas (and often overlooked) is the development of social knowledge around games design and personability.

Digital Capabilities: this module, and the programme as a whole, is built on the very latest techniques and technologies developed and employed by the games and related industries, thus ‘digital capabilities’ very much comes with the territory. This module engages at all levels with technology and digital assets and skills, emphasising design platforms, games development skills, production methodologies, production tracking tools, producing demos and prototyping. In addition, the opportunities and challenges posed by generative AI in games design and development will form part of the skills development of students. Appropriate use of digital media and communication platforms is increasingly important for visual arts and creative industry professionals and students will gain and develop those invaluable skills as part of this module.

In addition to these more obvious digital capabilities, this module is also designed to develop students’ capabilities and skills in digital games design and development documentation and presentation of prototypes.

As part of the module seminars/practical sessions, you will also be encouraged to communicate with one another and to work on some exercises using SurreyLearn, Microsoft Teams, and other digital and file and output sharing platforms, skills will be carried forward to other modules across your degree and beyond.

Global and Cultural Capabilities: games design and games development have a significant application to human experience, human interaction and immersion that crosses borders and boundaries reaching all parts of our global cultures, while acknowledging (and hopefully embodying) those aspects that make different cultures so valuable and vibrant. Games design and development and their component parts can also play a very important recording and preservation role in narrativising and keeping alive and vibrant different cultures and experiences, especially those that might otherwise be silenced or endangered. The weekly seminar/practice sessions give students the opportunity to present your own design work and development methodologies and to experience and respond to those of others in a friendly, constructive and open forum.

Resourcefulness and Resilience: this module, through workshopping, pitching and prototyping and the shared experience that comes about from sharing work with other students will help equip you for the real world setting of your current and future games design and/or games development practice. You will benefit from the experience of your peers and from your tutors who all have games design and development skills and experience and from periodic guest speakers attached to the Games Design programme as you progress through your degree.

This module provides students with a number of challenges which reflect the current state of the art. Students need to respond to these with inventiveness and flexibility and are often required to research and develop their own solutions to given problems. This module also helps develop further your practice as a designer/developer, the nuances of building a portfolio of work and a profile as a professional in the games industries and beyond.

Sustainability: Students learn about established and emerging sustainable design and development practices around the production and presentation of games, their players and the interfaces between them. Furthermore, from a content viewpoint, students are encouraged to develop work that takes account of these practices and goals as part of their subject matter. Games design and games development, as with all art forms, can also realise cultural sustainability goals, playing an important role in increasing and maintaining awareness of cultural identity, themes and experience.

Teachers across the School also work closely with the University of Surrey’s Institute for Sustainability to explore and promote the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2026/7 academic year.