BS in Game Design

What you’ll learn

  • the basics of game design by studying game production, concepts, art and sound
  • game theory and system strategies
  • progressive design and production
  • to develop, produce and publicize a finished game that you’ve helped create as part of a team

Focal areas

Hone your skills to a specific niche by completing nine credit hours within one of six focal areas:

  • Art
  • Design: Game Design Theory
  • Design: Games and Mind
  • Management, Advertising and Public Relations 
  • Programming
  • Sound

Game Workshop I: Prototype

Develop a game prototype with a team.

Game Workshop II: Demo

Continue to work on your game, focusing on the production cycle and assessing your game’s impacts on players and culture.

Game Workshop III: Publish

Perfect and publish your game.

Student work

Chronautical

The "Chronautical" game explores different planets and travels through time in a non-linear, sci-fi mystery narrative.

Find different pieces of a time machine, choose from quests to explore the world, and take steps to reach the end goal of discovering the lost planet of Atlantis.

Learn more about "Chronautical"

Faculty

Our game design faculty combine industry skills with research savvy. They include lead designers for popular video games, an artist for “Game of Thrones,” a researcher in artificial intelligence for games and a game company founder.

Meet Media School faculty

Student media

Two students work on creating a video game on their laptop.

GameDev@IU

Student media

GameDev@IU is IU’s game development community, bringing together students of all skill levels, interests and identities to form a supportive and productive learning environment.

Members work, share ideas and learn new techniques in an open and collaborative environment. Individuals can form or join teams to create full games.

Visit GameDev@IU’s website

Careers

Our game design degree will give you a solid foundation on which to build your career, whether your ambition is to be a designer, artist, programmer or producer.

Many game design professionals work for game software and developer companies, but there are also opportunities with content providers such as marketing and advertising firms, educational and wellness providers, and even the government.

Learn about the industry
Max Lancaster

It's not enough to follow your dreams — you have to work hard to make them a reality. And The Media School has excellent game professors that will put you on the path to success.

Max Lancaster, BS'16, associate producer at ArtCraft Entertainment
Unreal Academic Partner