Introduction
The gaming landscape is rapidly changing with creative and tech inputs from around the world. The biggest evidence is a projection of $455.30 billion in worldwide market revenue by Statista’s market insights for 2024. If you are an aspiring game developer or already a seasoned professional, it makes sense to seek ways to up your career game development. In this blog, we will look at the best game development courses to consider in 2024.
Which is the Best Game Development Course?
We looked at what people from the gaming industry had to say about the best game development course out there. To put it simply, there is no single answer. You need to be proficient in creative and technical skills to have a successful career as a game developer. Also, there are many specializations in game development that you can opt for. For instance, you could learn the skills and techniques to become a game programmer, game designer, character artist, 2D/3D Animator, AI Game Programmer, and so on. The specializations are mostly aligned with the trending job profiles in the game development industry, which you can read about in detail here.
The starting point for aspiring game developers is earning a bachelor’s degree in computer science or software engineering. This should be combined with proficiency in different programming languages such as C++ and Java. The path after these basic steps generally involves signing up for different types of courses that would help you start your career as a game developer. Although game development currently has no apex institute in India. However, there are around 139 colleges that offer university courses and industry-relevant certifications offered by private institutes both online and offline.
Best Game Development Courses in 2024
India has around 155 colleges that offer Game Design Courses. Here are the Software Game Designing Specializations available in India:
- B.Sc in Game Design and Development
- B.E in Graphics and Gaming Engineering
- DGDI: Program in Game Design and Integration
- B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering
Here is a list of the top 5 Computer Science Engineering colleges to get you started with the basics of game development. These are full-time courses with the highest placement rating.
Top 5 Computer Science Engineering Courses in India
| Sr. No. | College | Placement Rating | Course Offered | Exam Accepted | Total Tuition Fees in Lakhs | Average Game Developer salary in India |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VIT Bhopal University (Pvt) | 4.2/5 | B.E./B.Tech | VITEEE | ₹7.92L | ₹8 LPA |
| 2 | SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai (Pvt) | 4.1/5 | B.E./B.Tech | JEE Main TNEA SRMJEEE | ₹14L | ₹4.5 LPA |
| 3 | Chandigarh University (CU) (Pvt) | 4.1/5 | B.E. in Computer Science Engineering (Graphic and Gaming) | CUCET Chandigarh University CBSE 12th PSEB 12th | ₹10.2L | ₹7.5 LPA |
| 4 | IIT Nagpur (Public-Private Institute) | 3.8/5 | B.Tech. in Computer Science and Engineering | JEE Main | ₹7.92L | ₹10 LPA |
| 5 | Faculty of Engineering and Technology, MRIIRS, Faridabad | 4/5 | B.E./B.Tech | 10+2 MRNAT JEE-Mains, SAT CUET | ₹10.98L | ₹4.25 LPA |
Source: Shiksha
Top 10 Game Design Colleges in India
Let’s move on to the top 10 Game Design Colleges in India based on infrastructure rating. These are institutions that offer facilities like hostels, labs, libraries, cafeterias, and shuttle services. A highlight is that the Artemisia College of Art and Design is the only college In India with animation, VFX & game production studio.
| Sr. No. | College | Placement Rating | Course Offered | Exam Accepted | Total Tuition Fees in Lakhs | Placement Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Faculty of Engineering and Technology, MRIIRS, Faridabad (Pvt) | 4.2 | B.Tech. in Computer Science and Engineering (Gaming Technology) | 10+2 JEE Main | ₹10.98 L | –/– |
| 2 | LPU – Lovely Professional University (Pvt) | 4.8/5 | B.Sc. in Gaming Design | LPUNEST + 3 | ₹7.2L | –/– |
| 3 | Artemisia College of Art and Design, Indore (Pvt) | 4.4/5 | B.Des. in Game Design and Development | –/– | ₹6.1L | 4.3/5 |
| 4 | Ecole Intuit Lab, Mumbai (Pvt) | 4/5 | Undergraduate in Game Art and Design | –/– | ₹16L | –/– |
| 5 | MAAC, Indore (Pvt) | 4/5 | Diploma in Game Design and Integration | –/– | ₹16L | 4/5 |
| 6 | ICAT Design and Media College, Chennai (Pvt) | 4/5 | PG Professional Program in Game Programming | –/– | ₹1.6L | 5/5 |
| 7 | Backstage Pass Institute of Gaming and Technology, Hyderabad (Pvt) | 4/5 | B.A. (Hons.) in Game Art and Design | CBSE 12th | ₹6L | 3.7/5 |
| 8 | SGT University, Gurgaon (Pvt) | 3.6/5 | B.Tech. in Computer Science and Engineering | JEE Main CUET | ₹5.66L | 3.3/5 |
| 9 | Arena Animation, Kankurgachi(Pvt) | 5/5 | Certificate in Trinity 3D – Animation, VFX, Gaming | –/– | –/– | 5/5 |
| 10 | Seamedu – Ajeenkya D Y Patil University (Pvt) | 4/5 | B.Sc. in Game Art and Design | CBSE ISC | ₹4.65L | 3.0/5 |
Source: Shiksha
Top Graphic Designing Colleges in India
The game development industry has skilled professionals from many areas. For example, you need someone who can integrate realistic 3D models and art to bring games to life. So here is our list of the five most popular places offering graphic design courses based on data from College Duniya.
| CD Rank | College | Course | Course Fees | Placement | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Institute of Fashion Technology – [NIFT], Navi Mumbai | UG Certificate in Design | ₹ 70,800 Total fees | Average package: ₹5 lacs | #2/17 in India |
| 2 | Pearl Academy West Campus, New Delhi | B.Des Communication Design | ₹ 7,47,000 1styear fees | –/– | #1/25 in India |
| 3 | Symbiosis Institute of Design – [SID], Pune | B.Des Industrial Design | ₹ 4,86,500 1st year fees | Highest package: ₹ 12 lacs | #3/25 in India |
| 4 | IIFA Multimedia, Bangalore | Bachelor of Science [B.Sc] (Animation Game Designing and Development) | ₹ 1,75,000 1st year fees | Highest package: ₹ 5.4 lacs | –/– |
| 5 | Lovely Professional University – [LPU], Jalandhar | Bachelor Of Design [B.Des] (Graphics) | ₹240,000 1st year fees | Highest package: ₹ 3 crores | –/– |
Source: College Duniya
Top Online Game Development Specializations
For those of you who are already working in different capacities in the game development industry, lack of time is a huge obstacle. However, that shouldn’t stop you from pursuing specializations in the game development field. Coursera is one of the many platforms that offer flexible online learning through job-relevant courses that you can audit or enroll in with financial aid available from Coursera. It partners with leading universities and game development companies worldwide and blends instructor-led courses with hands-on projects. Here are the top courses on Coursera you can enroll in online.
1. Game Design and Development with Unity 2020 Specialization
Contents: It is a beginner-level 5-course series via Michigan State University that focuses on both the theory and practice of game making.
What you will learn:
- Game Design and Development 1: 2D Shooter
- Game Design and Development 2: 2D Platformer
- Game Design and Development 3: 3D Shooter
- Game Design and Development 4: 3D Platformer
- Game Design and Development 5: Capstone Project
Skills Taught:
- Unity
- Video Game Development
- Technology
- Video Game
- Game Design
Language of Instruction: English +22 languages
Rating: 4.7
Duration: 2 months at 10 hours a week
More information here.
2. C# Programming for Unity Game Development Specialization
Contents: It is a beginner-level 4-course series via University of Colorado that teaches C# programming and how to program Unity Games.
What you will learn:
- Introduction to C# Programming and Unity
- More C# Programming and Unity
- C# Class Development
- Intermediate Object-Oriented Programming for Unity Games
Skills Taught:
- Crt0
- For Loop
- Console Applications
- Foreach Loop
- Video Game Development
- C Sharp (C#) (Programming Language)
- Unity (User Interface)
- Game Programming
Language of Instruction: English +22 languages
Rating: 4.7
Duration: 3 months at 10 hours a week
More information here.
3. Game Design: Art and Concepts Specialization
Contents: It is a beginner-level 5-course series via California Institute of the Arts. It teaches in-demand game development skills from university and industry experts. Also, it concludes with a Capstone Project where you have to design a game design document for a personal game project.
What you will learn:
- Introduction to Game Design
- Story and Narrative Development for Video Games
- World Design for Video Games
- Character Design for Video Games
- Game Design Document: Define the Art & Concepts
Skills Taught:
- Interactive Storytelling
- Game Design Document
- Video Game Design
- Game Design
Language of Instruction: English +22 languages
Rating: 4.7
Duration: 1 month at 10 hours a week
More information here.
4. C++ Programming for Unreal Game Development Specialization
Contents: It is an intermediate-level 4-course series via the University of Colorado. It teaches C++ and how to use the C++ programming language in Unreal games.
What you will learn:
- Introduction to C++ Programming and Unreal
- More C++ Programming and Unreal
- C++ Class Development
- Intermediate Object-Oriented Programming for Unreal Games
Skills Taught:
- C++ (Programming Language)
- Video Game Development
- Unreal Engine (User Interface)
- Game Programming
Language of Instruction: English +22 languages
Rating: 4.7
Duration: 2 months at 10 hours a week
More information here.
5. Art for Games Specialization
Contents: It is a beginner-level 4-course series via Michigan State University. It teaches the essentials of 2d and 3d game art production, concept art for games and current gen game art workflow.
What you will learn:
- Pixel Art for Video Games
- Low Poly Art for Video Games
- Current Gen 3D Game Prop Production
- Concept Art for Video Games
Skills Taught:
- Design
- Animation
- 3D Modelling
- Concept Art
- Video Game Development
Language of Instruction: English +22 languages
Rating: 4.5
Duration: 1 month at 10 hours a week
More information here.
6. Deep Learning Specialization
Deep learning algorithms are used to analyze gameplay data and identify patterns that are not obvious to human testers. A specialization in Deep Learning allows developers to improve game design and balance difficulty levels.
Contents: It is an intermediate level 5-course series via DeepLearning.AI. It is a foundational program to help you get deeper into AI technology. It concludes with an applied learning project where you can build and train deep neural networks, implement vectorized neural networks, identify architecture parameters, and apply DL to your applications.
What you will learn:
- Neural Networks and Deep Learning
- Improving Deep Neural Networks: Hyperparameter Tuning, Regularization and Optimization
- Structuring Machine Learning Projects
- Convolutional Neural Networks
- Sequence Models
Skills Taught:
- Recurrent Neural Network
- Tensorflow
- Convolutional Neural Network
- Artificial Neural Network
- Transformers
Language of Instruction: English +22 languages
Rating: 4.9
Duration: 3 months at 10 hours a week
More information here.
7. Coding for Everyone: C and C++ Specialization
Contents: It is a beginner-level 4-course series via the University of California, Santa Cruz. It teaches you how to code in C and C++ and debug and solve complex problems with C and C++.
What you will learn:
- C for Everyone: Programming Fundamentals
- C for Everyone: Structured Programming
- C++ For C Programmers, Part A
- C++ For C Programmers, Part B
Skills Taught:
- Computer Programming
- Coding
- Algorithms
- C Programming
- C++
Language of Instruction: English +21 languages
Rating: 4.4
Duration: 1 month at 10 hours a week
More information here.
8. Virtual Reality Specialization
Contents: It is a beginner-level 5-course series via the University of London. It teaches the essentials of VR and how to create your own VR application.
What you will learn:
- Introduction to Virtual Reality
- 3D Models for Virtual Reality
- 3D Interaction Design in Virtual Reality
- Building Interactive 3D Characters and Social VR
- Making Your First Virtual Reality Game
Skills Taught:
- Interaction Design
- 3d computer graphics
- Virtual World
- Virtual Reality
Language of Instruction: English +22 languages
Rating: 4.7
Duration: 2 months at 10 hours a week
More information here.
Also Read: TOP GAME DEVELOPMENT COMPANIES IN INDIA 9. Game Theory
Contents: It is a beginner-level course with 8 modules from Standford. It teaches the mathematical modeling of strategic interaction among rational (and irrational) agents that can be seen in games such as chess, poker, soccer, etc.
What you will learn:
- Week 1: Introduction and Overview
- Week 2: Mixed-Strategy Nash Equilibrium
- Week 3: Alternate Solution Concepts
- Week 4: Extensive-Form Games
- Week 5: Repeated Games
- Week 6: Bayesian Games
- Week 7: Coalitional Games
- Week 8: Final Exam
Skills Taught:
- Game Theory
- Backward Induction
- Bayesian Game
- Problem Solving
Language of Instruction: English +22 languages
Rating: 4.6
Duration: 3 weeks at 5 hours a week
More information here.
10. Gamification
Contents: It is a beginner-level course with 6 modules from the University of Pennsylvania. It teaches the application of game elements and digital game design techniques to non-game problems, such as business and social impact challenges.
What you will learn:
- Gamification and Games
- Deconstructing Games
- Motivation and Psychology
- Design
- Applications
- Gamification in Perspective
Skills Taught:
- Game Design
- Psychology
- Gamification
- Marketing
Language of Instruction: English +22 languages
Rating: 4.8
Duration: 3 weeks at 5 hours a week
More information here.
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What is it Like to Work as a Game Developer?
Working as a game developer is an exciting and challenging job. Like many Developer profiles, it comes with its set of pros and cons. However, many game developers love their jobs because they allow them to do what they like the most—be creative. Also, the monetary aspect is motivating as game developer salaries in India are quite competitive. Let’s look at what game developers from around the world have to say about their jobs.
What is the Future of Game Developers?
The Games market is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. Statista projects a market revenue of $455.30 billion for 2024 alone in the Games industry. For those of you who have just started your journey as game developers, there are many online and offline courses offered by Indian and globally acclaimed educational institutions. These courses teach you everything, such as computer science/engineering, programming languages, game development, 3D modelling, and more. Earning a degree and industry-relevant specializations is a goal you should set, as many platforms have made world-class courses accessible and flexible. This is your chance as a game developer to begin your journey as a continuous learner. Sign up with Olibr to explore the game development landscape and more.
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FAQs
A bachelor’s degree is not compulsory to become a game developer. However, a degree in computer science helps you develop the skills required to become a game developer.
Yes. There are many diploma and certificate courses in game development-related skills that you can opt for after 12th.
Senior game developers might earn salaries ranging from ₹12,00,000 to ₹25,00,000 or more per year ($16,000 to $34,000 USD).
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