Game development courses can help you learn programming languages like C and C++, game design principles, 3D modeling, and animation techniques. You can build skills in level design, user interface creation, and game mechanics implementation. Many courses introduce tools such as Unity and Unreal Engine, that support creating immersive gaming experiences and allow you to apply your skills in real projects.

Michigan State University
Skills you'll gain: Unity Engine, Game Design, Video Game Development, Prototyping, 3D Modeling, Software Design Documents, Peer Review, Cross Platform Development, C# (Programming Language), User Interface (UI), 3D Assets, User Experience, Software Design, Storytelling, Software Documentation, Animation and Game Design, Conceptual Design, Computer Graphics, Ideation, Multimedia
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

University of Colorado System
Skills you'll gain: Object Oriented Design, Unity Engine, Debugging, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Game Design, Video Game Development, Software Design Patterns, Data Structures, C# (Programming Language), Prototyping, Graph Theory, Computer Programming, Data Management, Event-Driven Programming, Software Architecture, Application Design, Algorithms, Computational Thinking, Data Storage, Application Development
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

Skills you'll gain: Unreal Engine, Video Game Development, Animation and Game Design, Game Design, User Interface (UI), Prototyping, Virtual Environment, Virtual Reality, Visualization (Computer Graphics), Simulations, Artificial Intelligence, User Interface (UI) Design, Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR), Animations, Scripting, 3D Assets, Debugging
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

University of Colorado System
Skills you'll gain: Unreal Engine, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), C++ (Programming Language), Video Game Development, Debugging, Computer Programming, Event-Driven Programming, Unity Engine, Data Structures, C# (Programming Language), Data Storage, Software Design Patterns, 3D Assets, Development Environment, Game Design, Software Documentation, UI Components, Programming Principles, Software Architecture, Application Development
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

Skills you'll gain: Computer Graphics, Game Design, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), 3D Assets, Video Game Development, Animation and Game Design, C# (Programming Language), Animations, Cross Platform Development, Development Environment, Software Installation, Debugging, User Interface (UI), Program Development, Prototyping, Computational Logic, Content Management
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

California Institute of the Arts
Skills you'll gain: Animation and Game Design, Game Design, Animations, Prototyping, Conceptual Design, Video Game Development, Storytelling, Software Design Documents, Ideation, Visualization (Computer Graphics), Storyboarding, Design, Virtual Environment, Art History, Technical Design, Design Elements And Principles, Usability Testing, Creative Design, Design Strategies, Interactive Design
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

Skills you'll gain: Unity Engine, Game Design, Video Game Development, Performance Tuning, User Interface (UI), Animation and Game Design, 3D Assets, Event-Driven Programming, Virtual Environment, UI Components, C# (Programming Language), Debugging, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), System Configuration, User Interface (UI) Design, Computer Graphics, Scripting, Prototyping, Animations, Data Structures
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

University of Colorado System
Skills you'll gain: Video Game Development, Game Design, Debugging, Animations, Programming Principles, Scripting, Scripting Languages, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), User Interface (UI), No-Code Development, Other Programming Languages, Event-Driven Programming, Software Design Patterns, Computational Logic, Data Structures, Computer Programming, Development Environment
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

Skills you'll gain: Version Control, Unity Engine, GitHub, Bitbucket, Git (Version Control System), Android Development, C# (Programming Language), Android (Operating System), Game Design, Mobile Development, Scripting, Scripting Languages, 3D Assets, Video Game Development, Animation and Game Design, User Interface (UI) Design, Computer Graphics, Application Development, Cross Platform Development, User Interface (UI)
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

Skills you'll gain: Unity Engine, Video Game Development, Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Environment, Simulations, System Design and Implementation, Scripting, Performance Tuning, Software Design Patterns, C# (Programming Language)
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

Skills you'll gain: Prompt Engineering, Prompt Patterns, Generative AI, Generative Model Architectures, Responsible AI, OpenAI, ChatGPT, AI Product Strategy, Data Ethics, Large Language Modeling, Leadership and Management, LLM Application, Strategic Leadership, Risking, Business Ethics, Legal Risk, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), Business Development, Deep Learning, Content Creation
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

Michigan State University
Skills you'll gain: Unity Engine, Animations, 3D Modeling, Color Theory, Animation and Game Design, 3D Assets, Video Game Development, Game Design, Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk Maya, Visualization (Computer Graphics), Computer Graphics, Conceptual Design, Computer Graphic Techniques, Prototyping, Graphic and Visual Design, Graphical Tools, Design, Data Import/Export, Design Elements And Principles
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Browse the game development courses below—popular starting points on Coursera.
Yes. Many game development courses offer a free audit option, which allows learners to access video lessons and reading materials at no cost. To complete assignments or earn a certificate, you’ll need to upgrade or apply for financial aid.
You’ll learn how to create game concepts, design levels, write scripts, and bring games to life with tools like Unity and C#. Topics may include physics and animation, user experience, monetization strategies, and the entire game development pipeline.
Not necessarily. Many beginner-friendly courses introduce coding fundamentals alongside game design concepts. However, some familiarity with programming or computer science can help you progress more quickly.