Game Development
Rize’s Game Development program is uniquely designed in partnership with Unity Technologies, the world’s most used game engine. Upon completion of this program, students will possess the necessary skills to obtain the Unity Certified Associate: Programmer certification and Unity Certified Associate: Game Developer exam. The curriculum covers game mechanics, narrative storytelling, user experience, and collaboration through project-based learning. Students also gain experience with version control, testing, and optimization to prepare for careers in the dynamic field of game development.
Game Development
Courses
C# Programming
C# is a modern, general purpose, object oriented programming language with a range of uses, most notably creating desktop applications, web applications, web services and building games using the Unity engine. This course is intended to give students a working knowledge of the C# programming language and the .NET framework, as well as an understanding of C#’s application to the Unity Game Development Engine. This online course has optional live sessions.
Introduction to Games
Games sit at the intersection of technology, art, and culture, so success within the games industry requires you to understand all three. This course explores why we love games, what role they play in society, and the industry that produces them. You’ll also learn the basics of game development. This course was developed in partnership with Unity and the IGDA to help everyone interested in the games industry start on the right foot.
Unity II: Advanced Unity Programming
This course is intended to provide students with the skills and knowledge to bring their mastery of the Unity game engine and C# programming up to a professional standard. Students will learn how to perform a range of vital code-based tasks within the Unity platform, and will grow their skills in building core gameplay functionality, supporting systems and platform-specific optimizations. This course was built in collaboration with Unity. Upon successful completion, students will be prepared to sit for the Unity Certified Associate: Programmer exam.
Content and Systems Design
If you’ve ever enjoyed the experience of playing a video game, you’ve had a first-hand lesson in how important content and systems design are. The experience of a game is driven by four major components: content, systems, narrative, and user experience. This class will help you learn to design all four components, and build a deeper understanding of the game development process and an introduction to concepts in scripting. This online class has optional live sessions.
Unity I: Working with Unity
The Unity engine powers nearly 50% of all games and nearly 75% of mobile games. This course, built in collaboration with Unity and the IGDA, will introduce you to developing games in Unity. By the end of this course, you'll learn how to build a fully functioning game within the Unity system, including all key elements. This online course has optional live sessions.
Capstone Project: Building a Game
This course is intended as a culmination of all a student’s work in the Unity Game Development major. Students will work in groups to build a game in the unity engine that uses real-time 2D or 3D visuals and showcases their understanding of the core principles of game design. Students will pitch their game, design, prototype, build and test their game. Students will be evaluated based on the quality of their game, and their internal project management processes. This online course has optional live sessions.
Student Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
- Critically analyze and evaluate games as well as their themes, mechanics, and other components.
- Synthesize creative and technological perspectives and apply those principles to the development of games.
- Gain an appreciation of the nature of games as an artistic medium, technology product, and cultural force.
- Acquire the necessary mastery of programming and the Unity engine to successfully build games.
- Apply theoretical principles of game design and product development to the process of game creation.
Certifications
- Unity Certified Associate: Programmer
Validates foundational skills in programming within the Unity environment. Covers C# scripting, debugging, asset management, and implementing core gameplay features like player movement, UI, and game mechanics.
- Unity Certified Associate: Game Developer
Demonstrates a broad understanding of game development using Unity. Includes skills in animation, audio, lighting, user interface, and basic programming to create fully functional and interactive game experiences.
Disclosure
This program includes courses delivered online through an institution of the Lower Cost Models Consortium (LCMC), however all academic credit applies toward the degree requirements at your degree-granting institution.
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