Game design courses can help you learn level design, character development, storytelling techniques, and game mechanics. You can build skills in prototyping, user testing, and balancing gameplay to enhance player experience. Many courses introduce tools like Unity and Unreal Engine, that support creating interactive environments and implementing game logic. Additionally, you might explore programming languages such as C or C++ to bring your ideas to life, along with graphic design software for creating compelling visuals.

Rice University
Skills you'll gain: Combinatorics, Probability, Programming Principles, Program Development, Computational Thinking, Computer Programming, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Development Testing, Software Testing, Applied Mathematics, Debugging, Algorithms, Python Programming, Game Design, Simulations
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months

Michigan State University
Skills you'll gain: Persona (User Experience), Game Design, Design, Animation and Game Design, User Experience Design, Persona Development, Driving engagement, Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR), Psychology, User Research, Cultural Sensitivity, Cultural Diversity
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

Illinois Tech
Skills you'll gain: Video Game Development, Game Design, Art History, Music History, Animation and Game Design, Computer Graphics, Culture, Electronic Media, Policy Analysis, Public Policies, Interactive Design, Cultural Diversity, Storytelling, Innovation
Build toward a degree
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

Skills you'll gain: 3D Assets, 3D Modeling, Unreal Engine, Virtual Environment, Computer Graphics, Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR), Video Game Development, Game Design, Computer Graphic Techniques, Animation and Game Design, Design Elements And Principles, File Management, Editing, Graphics Software, User Interface (UI), Data Import/Export
Beginner · Course · 3 - 6 Months

University of California San Diego
Skills you'll gain: Android Development, Application Development, Android (Operating System), Android Studio, Mobile Development, Software Development Tools, Game Design, Computer Programming Tools, Development Environment, Internet Of Things, Embedded Software, Web Servers, Web Applications, USB, Ubuntu, Peripheral Devices, Operating Systems, Software Installation, Command-Line Interface
Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months

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

Skills you'll gain: AI Personalization, Generative AI, Virtual Environment, Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR), Artificial Intelligence, Creativity, Storytelling, Game Design, Interactive Design, Persona (User Experience), Prompt Engineering, Storyboarding, Innovation, Media Production
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

Skills you'll gain: Unity Engine, Video Game Development, Game Design, C# (Programming Language), Animations, Program Development, Performance Tuning, Computer Programming, Computer Programming Tools, User Interface (UI)
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

The University of Edinburgh
Skills you'll gain: Software Engineering, Programming Principles, Software Development, Computer Programming, Software Documentation, Software Testing, Computational Thinking, Game Design, Animations
Mixed · Course · 1 - 3 Months

Skills you'll gain: Unity Engine, C# (Programming Language), Video Game Development, Game Design, UI Components, Scripting
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

Universidad de los Andes
Skills you'll gain: Game Design, Video Game Development, Agile Methodology, Agile Software Development, Software Design Documents, Software Development Methodologies, Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR), Virtual Reality, Sprint Planning, Video Production, Technical Documentation, Prototyping, Digital Publishing, User Interface (UI)
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months

University of California San Diego
Skills you'll gain: Debugging, Computer Programming Tools, Program Development, Computational Thinking, Programming Principles, Computer Programming, Computer Science, Game Design
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months