Game Design Essentials
Learn game design fundamentals
Take the first step towards your career as a game designer
This fun, in-depth course gives you a great taste of what it's like to design a video game at an AAA game company. Mentored by a professional game designer, you'll discover what makes a game 'fun' and build practical job skills in system and level design to help kickstart your career in games.
Why study game design at CG Spectrum:
- Learn to design games even without prior knowledge
- Gain confidence using industry software Photoshop and Unreal Engine
- Be mentored by a world-class game designer
- Private 1-on-1 or small group classes (max 4 students)
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Over the course of 12 weeks you'll learn the basics of game design through systems and mechanics; understand different job roles and team structures; deconstruct your favorite games to reveal intricate design decisions; and start designing and building your own game world!
You’ll be personally mentored by an industry expert who will show you the latest tools and techniques used by top game studios.
Expect highly personalized training with small class sizes and 1-on-1 private tuition. Classes are 100% online, so you can learn from the comfort of your own home, in your own time.
After completing the course, you have the option to continue your journey with the full Game Design Foundations.
Your pathway to the industry
Dive right into the full study pathway and be industry ready in 1 year.
Justin Howe
Dept. Head of Game Design
Known for Citizens of Earth
Troy Dunniway
Troy is an award-winning game designer and executive with over 25 yrs of game development experience at major companies like Microsoft, Ubisoft, Insomniac, EA, Disney, and Samsung.
Read full bioCurriculum Manager of Game Design
Known for Resistance: Fall of Man
Nicolas Najm
As a triple-A game designer, Nick has worked with giants like Ubisoft Toronto and Insomniac Games on titles such as Far Cry Primal, Watch Dogs 2, Far Cry 5 and Far Cry 6.
Read full bioMentor of Game Design
Known for Watch Dogs 2
Phil Therien
Mentor of Game Design
Known for Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Eric Jensen
Eric is a Design Manager at PlayStation's Bend Studio. He is excited to share his journey and knowledge he has gained with others.
Read full bioMentor of Game Design
Known for Days Gone
Heath Smith
AAA Game Designer Heath has 13+ years' experience top studios in North America and Australia on The Amazing Spider-Man, Hitman, and The Tomb Raider franchise.
Read full bioMentor of Game Design
Known for Shadow of the Tomb Raider
J.J. Williams
J.J. has worked at NetherRealm Studios (WB Games), Disney Interactive and Midway Games. Titles include: Injustice 2, Mortal Kombat X, Disney Infinity, John Woo Presents: Stranglehold.
Read full bioMentor of Game Design
Known for Injustice 2
Anthony Cardahi
Anthony is a passionate gamer working in the industry for 10+ years. He loves sharing ideas and perspectives, and hopes his experience in the industry can help newcomers.
Read full bioMentor of Game Design
Known for Metro: Exodus
Travis McGeathy
Mentor of Game Design
Known for Diablo III
Daniel Pinch
Mentor of Game Design
Known for World of Tanks
Stephan Logier
Mentor of Game Design
Known for Beyond Good and Evil 2
Jonathan Morin
Mentor of Game Design
Known for Watchdogs 2
Glenn Storm
Mentor of Game Design
Known for Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Mathieu Bissonnette
Mentor of Game Design
Known for Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Scot Bayless
Scot helped create the first Advanced Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, and was responsible for hits like Falcon 3.0, Crimson Skies, 007: Everything or Nothing and DMC.
Read full bioDirector of Game Development
Known for DMC
Michael Cameron
While at award-winning game studio Blazing Griffin, Michael released titles like Murderous Pursuits, The Ship: Remasted, Distant Star: Revenant Fleet and Dino Tribes.
Read full bioMentor of Game Design
Known for Distant Star: Revenant Fleet
Tim Huntsman
Tim is in his fourth decade of designing and producing video games. He has a number of top-selling and award-winning titles to his name.
Read full bioMentor of Game Design
Known for Disney Infinity
Pascal Luban
Mentor of Game Design
Known for Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow
Philippe Baude
Mentor of Game Design
Known for Watch Dogs
Casey Bradley
Mentor of Game Design
Known for America's Army franchise
Chris Swain
Mentor of Game Design
Known for NetWits
Jason Roberts
Mentor of Game Design
Known for Diablo IV
Ryan Laley
Mentor of Game Design
Known for Online Education
Alex Zapalac
Mentor of Game Design
Known for Dreamwalker
Roozbeh Madanipour
Mentor of Game Design
Known for Watch Dogs: Legion
Max Tishakov
Mentor of Game Design
Known for Outriders Worldslayer
Chris Kefalas
Mentor of Game Design
Known for The Callisto Protocol
CG Spectrum prepares you to work as a professional game designer from day one.
The most impressive quality CG Spectrum offers is a course that makes study as if you were on your first job. If you are willing to put the energy into studying and do the assignments as if you were on the job, and if you are ready to hear your mentor's suggestions and challenge yourself to push your limits, you will get an experience very similar to the workplace.
CG Spectrum is the perfect place to gain focus, understanding, an encouragement for your journey.
If you are looking for a supportive place to gain or hone skills in game design or other verticals, CGS is a fantastic and worthy place to dive in.
I would recommend CG Spectrum to anyone interested in what the school has to offer.
I am really impressed with CG Spectrum: from the classwork, the feedback, the lively student portal as well as all the help provided from all other teams like financial as well as student support.
CG Spectrum is helping me grow as a game designer and as a person.
Both my mentor Andrejs Verlis and Dept. Head, Troy Dunniway, have been so encouraging and empowering. It doesn’t even feel like school. I’m finally seeing so many of my interests culminate, and I’m excited to leverage the great networking and career development here for a beautiful future.
All-encompassing 'under the hood' vocational platform for aspiring AAA designers.
The course spells out all the skills you need to succeed in a AAA studio and then gives you the resources to do it for yourself. My mentor takes great interest in steering and supporting me through the design of my own major game concept. I recommend this course to anyone who is up for the challenge of learning to conceive and design their own games, then bringing them to life as working prototypes.
The community at CG Spectrum is amazing!
People are passionate about what they study and do. It's a great study and work environment.
