Games Design and Development

The MSc Games Design and Development combines creative studio practice, technical development, and professional skills to equip you with the expertise required to design, prototype, and build compelling interactive experiences. Studio-led modules encourage experimentation, critical play, and iterative design, helping you to refine ideas, test concepts, and evaluate player experience – in addition to reinforcing skills in team working and collaborative environments – aligning with industry practices. 

Alongside this, you will develop strong foundations in game engines, gameplay systems, real time production workflows, and interactive design methodologies. You will examine how mechanics, narrative, and user experience shape meaningful play, while gaining the technical proficiency needed to implement and iterate on your designs.

The course also introduces emerging immersive technologies, offering opportunities to explore extended reality, spatial interaction, and experimental forms of digital engagement. Professional development and research training build essential skills in project planning, communication, evaluation, and entrepreneurial practice, supporting pathways into both industry roles and independent game creation.

Teaching is informed by the School’s research in games, immersive media, and digital creativity, ensuring learning is aligned with contemporary practice and innovation.

Your studies culminate in an individual MSc project, where you integrate design, technical, and research skills to create an original game or interactive experience with creative, commercial, or societal impact.

You will take part in a multidisciplinary foundation that introduces core creative and technical principles that underpin contemporary games design and development practices. This shared experience looks to help you build a strong network of peers across related disciplines and equips you with the essential skills required for more advanced studio based work. You will develop fundamental capabilities in interactive systems, prototyping, real time tools, problem solving, and digital production workflows, whilst also beginning to establish your professional practice through collaboration, reflection, and industry aligned communication skills.

Learning Methods

You will be taught through a mixture of lectures, practical exercises, live group discussions, dedicated support sessions, and independent self-study.

Access to our virtual learning environment, Moodle, is provided giving you access from home to learning materials (including videos, e-books and journals).

How long is a Games Design and Development course?

The MSc Games Design and Development course can be successfully completed  in 12-16 months studying full time, or 28-32 months part time.

Activity Summary

• Lectures - 30 students per group, 4 hours per week
• Project supervision - 30 students per group, 1 hour per week (12 hours in total during Stage 3)
• Practical class or workshop - 30 students per group, 8 hours per week
• Supervised time in studio / workshop - 30 students per group, 1 hour every 2 weeks
• Independent Study - 10 hours per week

Independent Study

Spending time developing and enhancing both your knowledge and practice is important in this course. One 15 credit module represents around 150 hours of study during a Semester. This consists of roughly one third contact study (class times including lectures, labs etc.) and two thirds non-contact study, which involves your own self-directed study i.e., practicing your skills, project work, furthering knowledge and so on. Independent study is vitally important in this course and will strengthen your overall skills and learning experience.

#Equipment

While certain facilities will be provided by the School, it is expected that students on the course will have access to a device (laptop or desktop PC) capable of supporting game development and immersive media production. An example specification might be:

• CPU – minimum equivalent to 5GHz performance (modern multi core processors)
• RAM – minimum 16GB
• GPU – a dedicated graphics card, such as an NVIDIA RTX series or AMD Radeon RX series

This specification will ensure that students can effectively run contemporary game engines such as Unity and Unreal Engine, as well as tools for prototyping, 3D asset creation, and immersive technology development.

Assessment

Typically students are assessed:

Full Time

• 5 portfolios
• 2 project output
• 2 reports
• 5 practical skills assessment
• 1 exhibition or show - Postgraduate Demo show

Part Time

Stage 1

• 3 portfolios
• 3 practical skills assessments

Stage 2

• 1 report
• 1 dissertation
• 2 portfolios 
• 1 project output
• 1 exhibition or show - Postgraduate Demo show
• 2 practical skills assessments

Stage 3

• 1 report
• 1 dissertation
• 1 project output
• 1 exhibition or show - Postgraduate Demo show

Staff Delivering on this Course

You will be taught by experienced academics with industry and/or research experience in the field of Games Design, Games Development, and Immersive Media.

Staff members on the course are frequently recognised by the student body through the annual Support and Teaching Staff with Appreciation and Recognition (STAR) awards, voted for by students and organised by RGU:Union. In recent years, staff have received multiple nominations and awards, including Lecturer of the Year, Supervisor of the Year, and awards for Continued Excellence.

Many of our academic staff are Fellows or Senior Fellows of the Higher Education Academy or are working towards this professional recognition. This accolade reflects their sustained commitment to excellence, leadership, and impact in teaching and learning.

Staff on this course may also include visiting lecturers, visiting Distinguished Researchers, library specialists, industry practitioners, and postgraduate researchers who contribute current knowledge and practical insight into contemporary game development and interactive media practice.

Feedback

We aim to provide you with feedback within 20 working days of hand-in for all written exams, coursework and practical exams.

Placements

Students have the option to seek out an optional, paid short term (3 month) or yearlong (12 month) placement, however, permission to undertake a placement is at the discretion of the School and is not guaranteed.

Students looking to take an optional placement are encouraged to source their own placement opportunity, or access our Placement Office, who will look to support students in through the process, such as sourcing/validating a suitable position. You are supported by a dedicated Placement Coordinator within the School who oversees the placement module.

For students who undertake a placement the course duration will be extended by the length of the placement.

Job Prospects

The demand for skilled game designers and developers continues to grow across the global creative and interactive industries, and graduates of the MSc Games Design and Development course can expect careers in a variety of specialisms, including:

• Game Designer
• Gameplay Programmer
• Technical Designer/Systems Designer
• Game Developer (Unity/Unreal)
• UX/UI Designer for Games and Interactive Media
• Level Designer/Environment Designer
• Producer or Project Manager in Games
• Immersive Media or XR Developer
• Indie Game Developer or Creative Entrepreneur

Standard Entry Requirements

What is needed for MSc Games Design and Development?

• Applicants normally hold a 2:2 undergraduate honours degree or its equivalent in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Maths discipline or in a related Creative subject.
• Applicants with a lower degree classification and/or relevant work experience will be considered on a case by case basis.

English Language Requirements

Applicants whose first language is not English should have an IELTS of 6.0 overall, with no component lower than 5.5, or an equivalent.

We accept a variety of in-country and secure English language tests, find out more:

Please note, some courses may require a higher standard of English than stated in this page. Contact admissions@rgu.ac.uk for further information.

Academic Year 2026/2027

On Campus & Online Learning

• All fees are to be confirmed