Game Design and Development 5: Capstone Project

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Game Design and Development 5: Capstone Project

This course is part of Game Design and Development with Unity Specialization

Instructor: Brian Winn

5,408 already enrolled

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4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

39 reviews

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

2 weeks to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

39 reviews

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

2 weeks to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

2 assignments

Taught in English

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This course is part of the Game Design and Development with Unity Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

In the game design and development capstone course, you will create an original game from initial concept up to the first playable version! Along the way, you will have the opportunity to put your game ideas in front of your peers. The capstone experience gives you the opportunity to push your skills further and demonstrate your newfound skills as a game developer. The capstone also contains guest talks from game industry professionals at Riot Games, Blizzard Entertainment, Insomniac Games, Gearbox Entertainment, Iron Galaxy, Deep Silver Volition, Goodgame Studios, Stardock, GREE, Heart Shaped Games, and more.

Welcome to the Game Design and Development Capstone. In this module I will give you a little bit of a sense of what to expect over the coming weeks. I am going to be honest with you though, this is going to be a fair amount of work. As you have learned, making games takes time and effort. And the goal of the Capstone is to prove that you have the knowledge, skills, and attitude to make games. So, get ready to flex those game design and development muscles that you have developed across the specialization. The first thing you need to do is come up with a game idea and then flesh it out into a high concept and pitch.

What's included

3 videos7 readings1 peer review1 discussion prompt

3 videos Total 15 minutes

Course Overview 5 minutes
"What is Success in Video Game Development" by Ziba Scott, Founder, Popcannibal 5 minutes
"Game Design Problem Solving Basics" by Scott Brodie, Founder and Lead Designer, Heart Shaped Games 6 minutes

7 readings Total 190 minutes

Capstone Overview 10 minutes
FAQ 10 minutes
Industry Guest Talks 10 minutes
Getting Started 10 minutes
Brainstorm Game Ideas 60 minutes
Create the High Concept Document 30 minutes
Develop a Game Pitch Presentation 60 minutes

1 peer review Total 30 minutes

High Concept and Pitch 30 minutes

1 discussion prompt Total 10 minutes

High Concept Discussion 10 minutes

Now you have to start the process of making your game a reality through early prototyping. No matter how you do this, either as a non-digital prototype or a digital prototype, you need to start building and testing some of your core gameplay systems and mechanics. Along the way, it is helpful to further document your design by creating "Design Blueprints". The result of this module is an early progress report to make sure you are on track.

What's included

2 videos2 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt

2 videos Total 85 minutes

"Finding An Art Style for Your Small Game" by Marie Lazar, 3D Environment Artist, Goodgame Studios 10 minutes
Randy Pitchford, Founder, Gearbox Entertainment on "The Artist's Dilemma" 75 minutes

2 readings Total 120 minutes

Engage in Early Prototyping 60 minutes
Draft Design Blueprints 60 minutes

1 assignment Total 10 minutes

Milestone 2 Checkpoint 10 minutes

1 discussion prompt Total 15 minutes

An Early Progress Report 15 minutes

The next step is the hardest one. It is time to fire up Unity and start game dev'ing. The goal is to build the first playable version of the game. With the first playable you are able to truly playtest and iterate on the game to "find the fun." Good luck.

What's included

3 videos2 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt

3 videos Total 42 minutes

"How To Get Better at What You Do" by Declan McClintock, Programmer, GEL Lab at MSU 11 minutes
"Optimization in 3D Video Games" by Jon Moore, Graphics Engineer, Iron Galaxy Studios 14 minutes
"Game Production Overview" by Chris Bray, Studio Head and Senior Producer, Stardock 16 minutes

2 readings Total 190 minutes

Develop the First Playable Prototype 180 minutes
Game Dev Tutorials by Brackeys 10 minutes

1 assignment Total 10 minutes

Milestone 3 Checkpoint 10 minutes

1 discussion prompt Total 15 minutes

First Playable Progress 15 minutes

You are almost to the finish line! In this module, you finish up and submit your first playable prototype for peer review. I will also discuss what would be the next steps for your project if it shows promise, in the "Preparing to Ship" lecture. I also included several "Career Journey and Advice" guest lectures. Watch as many of these as you like. And last, but not least, I will close out the course and specialization by discussing your possible "Future Directions" after this course.

What's included

19 videos4 readings1 peer review

19 videos Total 192 minutes

Preparing to Ship - Part 1: Introduction 1 minute
Preparing to Ship - Part 2: Game Polish and Balance 2 minutes
Preparing to Ship - Part 3: Optimization and Analytics 5 minutes
Preparing to Ship - Part 4: Packaging and Distribution 6 minutes
Marie Lazar, 3D Environment Artist, Goodgame Studios 6 minutes
Eric Arnold, Studio Architect of Programming, Deep Silver Volition 7 minutes
Will Bonner, Associate Test Engineer, Riot Games 5 minutes
Jon Moore, Graphics Engineer, Iron Galaxy Studios 13 minutes
Matthew Vorce, Programmer, Pixo Group 4 minutes
Chris Bray, Studio Head and Senior Producer, Stardock 7 minutes
Greg Donovan, Senior Producer, Deep Silver Volition 5 minutes
Scott Brodie, Founder and Lead Designer, Heart Shaped Games 6 minutes
Jared Riley, Engineering Manager, GREE International 18 minutes
Charles Roman, Senior Software Engineer, Radiant Entertainment 4 minutes
Steven Messinger, Lead Open World Designer, Rockstar Games 42 minutes
Shane McCloskey, Senior Designer, Insomniac Games 46 minutes
Future Directions - Part 1: Introduction 3 minutes
Future Directions - Part 2: MSU Academic Programs and Courses 9 minutes
Future Directions - Part 3: Other Resources 3 minutes

4 readings Total 40 minutes

When to Release Your Game? 10 minutes
Introduction to Career Journey and Advice Guest Talks 5 minutes
Other Game-Related MSU Coursera Offerings 10 minutes
"How to Become a Game Design" by Mark Brown 15 minutes

1 peer review Total 60 minutes

First Playable Playtest 60 minutes

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Instructor

Instructor ratings

(18 ratings)

Brian Winn

Michigan State University

8 Courses 176,626 learners

Offered by

Michigan State University

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Reviewed on Jan 27, 2026

Top quality course. Very well structured. I learned so much!

Reviewed on Feb 11, 2022

Perfect for budding game designers and developers!

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To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

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Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.