About this course: Start creating your world. A game world is not just a backdrop for your game—be it minimal or detailed, contained or part of a much bigger universe, it provides the context for your player. Ultimately, a game world should feel alive and wholly unique to any player who will experience it. In this course, we will explore game worlds in existing games and study the art and influences that inform their themes and styles. We will also investigate key components of environment and level design as well as strategies designers use to define gameplay or advance it. We’ll also look at navigation and the elements that make your world as real (or unreal) as you want it to be. A weekly challenge will prompt you to explore styles and inspirations for possible game worlds, and you’ll learn effective ways to communicate your ideas from concepts to presentation-worthy proofs of concept.

Created by: California Institute of the Arts

Taught by: Théotime Vaillant, Instructor, Experimental Animation
School of Film/Video

Basic Info	Course 3 of 5 in the Game Design: Art and Concepts Specialization.
Language	English
How To Pass	Pass all graded assignments to complete the course.
User Ratings	4.3 stars Average User Rating 4.3See what learners said

Syllabus

WEEK 1

Introduction to World Design

During this first week, we'll start with a brief overview of game worlds and game design. We’ll also examine environments and larger world-based concepts to see how games incorporate a macro-level view of how they progress. At the end of the week, a short assi...

4 videos, 4 readings

Graded: What(ever) works

WEEK 2

Do Your Research

Where do you start when designing a world? Where should you begin to look for sparking that creative impulse? This week we will be exploring ideas and presentation techniques for a game’s environment and world design. I encourage you to draw inspiration from o...

7 videos, 2 readings

Graded: Brave New World

WEEK 3

The Way You Move

How do you move in a video game world? This week we’ll discuss fundamental components and concepts in world and level design. Naturally, these evolve as the gameplay progresses but there are specific strategies you can use to create the finer details in a game...

9 videos, 4 readings

Graded: Making Spaces

WEEK 4

A Whole World

Bring your game world to life. In this final week, we’ll be putting down what will eventually define the look, ambience and atmosphere of your world, learning specifically how to convey a mood for a unique and engaging game environment. Go back to your assignm...

6 videos, 4 readings

Graded: Bring Everything Together & Stir It Up

FAQs

How It Works

Coursework

Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.

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Creators

California Institute of the Arts

CalArts has earned an international reputation as the leading college of the visual and performing arts in the United States. Offering rigorous undergraduate and graduate degree programs through six schools—Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music, and Theater—CalArts has championed creative excellence, critical reflection, and the development of new forms and expressions.

Pricing

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