CODING GAME ENVIRONMENTS AND LEVELS - 2026/7

Module Overview

Levels in video game are an inherently engaging and popular mechanism for empowering player participation and interaction and for facilitating narrative development and character growth and advancement within game environments.

Focussing on level design and environment coding in video games, this module develops further the coding and programming knowledge and skills students developed in the first year and second years.

Level design coding acts to structure and implement the broader game design aesthetics of a video game, crafting the player experience and responsiveness within a 2D or 3D environment. Students will develop the skills and technical know-how necessary to design and code levels for video games. Utilising digital assets such as Unreal Engine, Blender and Maya they will craft engaging levels for both single player and multiplayer experiences. From 2D and map-making and 3D modelling, to game editor implementation, greyboxing, gameplay objective scripting and other contemporary industry techniques students will develop and hone their skills as a level programmer, creating a range of game assets and environments that a player will see within the game level.

Students will, in addition, examine and potentially utilise appropriate applications of generative AI to game environment and level design processes, identifying opportunities and challenges that this poses to their work. Coding Environments and Levels connects to other games design and coding modules on the degree as well as a broader group of modules that utilise coding in them in the final year of the programme.

Module provider

Literature & Languages

Module Leader

MOONEY Stephen (Lit & Langs)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 6

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

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• Levels and gameplay


• Using level features and techniques


• Level editing toolsets (2D and 3D)


• Creating 2D maps and spaces


• Game Engine Limitations


• Shape Theory and Affordance


• Game editor implementation


• Mechanics Dynamics Aesthetics


• Gates and Valves


• Linearity Vs Open word


• Grey boxing


• Optimising assets


• Texture and lighting


• Gameplay Objective Scripting


• Guiding player interaction


• Testing & balancing levels


• Applications of generative AI to game environment and level design processes

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.

Laboratory seminar discussion with ongoing tutor feedback is designed mainly to assess transferable skills in working as part of a group and applying learning materials to creative coding design and practical/professional skills in developing and presenting coding work in suitably professional form and to desirable technical standards as well as expressing ideas and reflective critical analysis in oral communication suitable to level 6 study. It also assesses subject knowledge in the different forms of practical and contextual thinking and expertise explored in relation to coding, gameplay programming and design for digital environments and levels in video games and cognitive/analytical skills in creatively thinking through posited problems that require a coding solution in class.

The Portfolio of Game Level Work with Reflective Critical Commentary assessment allow students to demonstrate:

• focused subject knowledge relating to the close analysis of advanced form, structure, coding language and engines applications and their context in coding design for environments and levels in video games (including sustainable practice and global and cultural capability narratives where appropriate)


• cognitive/analytical skills in applying coding techniques to solving games design environment and level gameplay challenges and problems and in reflective critical thinking


• professional/practical skills in generating and communicating advanced and nuanced ideas, designing effective and sophisticated coding solutions, as well as testing and realising elegant coding outputs that will feed forward into their future employability in the games industries, the wider creative industries and beyond


• more advanced and focused creative engagement with the opportunities and limitations of particular types of game engine, scripting and gameplay programming as it related to game environments and levels as well as the related writing and designing skills that will feed into their games design and other modules in their final year of the degree, including their final major project


• advanced creative engagement with current themes and challenges within the games design field as these relate to game environments and level design in particular (which may include sustainability and global cultural awareness challenges and opportunities)


• a strongly developed ability to locate their own creative coding design work fruitfully and articulately in relation to existing coding practices, techniques, frameworks and platforms, particularly in relation to game environments and levels

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

Portfolio of Game Level Work with Reflective Critical Commentary (1000 words) (100%)

This summative assessment represents a culmination of the module's output with students presenting a portfolio of work on game levels and assets including materials and lighting in the development of functioning level design gameplay coding work (with games engine files and video playthrough) and incorporating a reflective critical commentary on the portfolio (1000 words)

Formative Assessment & Feedback:

Verbal feedback and formative 'feed forward' is provided through laboratory seminar discussions, with tutor and peer feedback on their designs, development and reflection leading towards the summative assessment at the end of the module as part of the confidence building safe space of the these sessions.

Design, coding, programming, presentation, professional writing and critical reflection skills will be built upon and developed beyond those acquired at levels 4 and 5 and will feed forward to the end of semester summative assessment, helping build students' resilience and confidence in preparing work for presentation and assessment.

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 contribution and writing exercises.

Module aims

• further extend and deepen students' understanding of programming and coding for video games and game environments, specifically for level design
• hone student's knowledge and ability in using scripting solutions within and across complex game environments and levels
• provide students with an applied understanding of the challenges games designers face when developing levels, including gameplay and game artefacts design
• help students to make nusanced informed decisions about what approaches and techniques may be most appropraite for specific gameplay goals, objectives, and game balance within and across levels and to devise and implement their own coding mechanics to achieve these
• further build confidence in designing, applying and presenting creative coding work and to facilitate advanced reflection upon their coding activities and creative outputs
• develop level design skills within existing game engines and implement environment and level specific strategies and solutions to reflect this

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

• develop in students an applied understanding of game environment and level considerations, challenges and opportunities faced in games design by exposing them to new technology and programming developments in the field.


• refine and develop advanced coding and environment and level skills by developing an increased awareness of the application of these to their games design practice by exposing them to more in-depth knowledge of games engines, scripting and gameplay programming applicable to designing and creating engaging environments and levels in the gaming industries, the broader creative industries and beyond, by setting in-class briefs, discussion and sharing of game environment and level programming and applied games engine experience alongside the study of learning materials and the weekly assessment tasks


• further refine the growth in students' creative independence and ability to generate focussed environment and level based advanced gameplay coding solutions by illustrating pertinent case study examples and encouraging them to think about ways in which coding knowledge, techniques and platforms can be applied to solving game environment and level based problems and by incorporating practical laboratory seminar sessions where students can experiment with practical programming techniques and principles.


• continue to assist students in developing the applied research and writing skills they will need to produce critically informed reflective academic writing and presentation skills at this level by developing increased competency and confidence in writing and presenting material for feedback and assessment in appropriate media such as feedback at the weekly laboratory seminar sessions and in response to the module assessment brief and the accompanying reflective critical commentary and by encouraging more nuanced thinking about forms and professional standards in writing styles through the safe space of the laboratory seminar setting where ideas, advice and responses are shared with other coding students


• equip students with developed skills in resourcefulness and resilience as emerging coders, building on that acquired at levels 4 and 5, by encouraging them to experiment with more advanced and complex forms, modes and styles in response to the focussed game environment and level coding and design briefs in class, and by continuing to provide them with the supportive and encouraging safe space of the laboratory seminar within which they can continue to develop further their skills in receiving and giving constructive critical and creative responses to their own work and those of other students and to develop a more developed awareness of their creative process in relation to the technology and game design

The learning and teaching methods include:

A combination of lecture materials, laboratory seminars, captured content, guided learning and independent learning, and includes a weekly laboratory seminar where students discuss coding design goals and challenges they have experienced and respond to those of others in a supportive, constructive and open manner.

Students will engage with preparatory reading, including, where relevant, creative design work by other students, in advance of the laboratory seminar which will combine discussion of coding learning materials with in-class creative or critical exercises and briefs as appropriate. Designed to help students reflect on and apply their learning to creative and critical outputs, the laboratory seminar environment acts as a safe space for developing and exchanging ideas, support, design, coding 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: ELI3075

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 final year module builds on previous years' modules to develop, in students, focussed and applied coding skills in relation to game environments and level design in video games with advanced applications to game design and other creative industry applications from a range of different perspectives, tackling and solving problems that arise in relation to gameplay, character advancement and other level based organisation. Our industry facing approach to generating ideas and designing and implementing coding solutions is complimented with advanced level training in contemporary engines, coding frameworks, programming languages and platforms. In focussing on and further developing key focussed technical coding and design skills, in this module you will refine and enhance your professional abilities in working with game environments and levels that will facilitate your practice as a professional games design practitioner wording with code and its technical and creative applications both in the gaming industries and beyond. The skills and aptitudes developed in this module will connect to the wider games coding and games design modules throughout your degree. In addition, the development of collaborative social knowledge around coding, games design and personability is a feature of this module.

Digital Capabilities: built on the very latest techniques and technologies developed and employed by the games and related industries, in this module, students gain further and focussed proficiency in environment and level design coding, using specific digital tools, such as Unreal Engine, Maya and Blender (as indicative examples), building their skills to design engaging level specific gameplay and character advancement effects and solutions. As part of the module laboratory seminars, you will also be encouraged to communicate with one another professionally 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. Appropriate use of digital media and communication platforms is increasingly important for the collaborative environments that games design graduates progress to, and through use and discussion of these students gain an awareness of their roles, plus their limitations and misuse which can have a wider impact (e.g., to digital well-being). Students will also gain further insight into current opportunities and challenges posed by generative AI.

Global and Cultural Capabilities: games design, as a broad field, can facilitate the exchange of ideas and experiences and represent these in digital and analogue spaces and can help to foster creative and cultural empathy in players, viewers and readers of all kinds across the globe. Coding for games and the creative industries can be part of the language of these discussion - game environments and levels offer the opportunity to reflect on and sensitively represent differing cultural identities and experiences, especially those that might otherwise be silenced or endangered. You are encouraged to share and incorporate your experiences and knowledge from your own cultures and backgrounds in your environmental and level code designs, and to respect, understand and value differences in experience. In this context, the weekly laboratory seminars give students the opportunity to discuss their own coding solutions to games environment and level design challenges and to experience and respond to those of others in a friendly, constructive and open forum.

Resourcefulness and Resilience: this module, through the shared experience that comes about from sharing your coding design experience with teaching staff and other students, will help equip you for the real world setting of your current and future games design practice. This module provides students with a number of challenges which reflect the current state of the field, including the opportunities and challenges posed by generative AI, helping to reassure students of their role in evolving industries. Students need to respond to these with inventiveness and flexibility and are often required to research and develop their own solutions to given problems. As with other modules on the degree the importance of connecting to games/gaming and design communities that will be essential to your current and future emotional and practical wellbeing and success as a designer.

Sustainability: students are made aware of sustainable design and production practices of games, their players and the interfaces between them. In this module, coding considerations for environments and levels will be part of that broad discussion, while students will also be encouraged to actively incorporate energy saving and waste reducing sustainable game design and coding practices in their work. Furthermore, from a content viewpoint, some of the environment and level solutions developed by students on the course may address environmental and cultural sustainability issues and challenges as part of their approach. 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.