Game Development Courses

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Learn game development and video game programming with online courses from top universities and institutions around the world on edX.

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What Is Game Development?

Game development involves the effort of a game developer or the collective effort of a development team to create and program new video games. Many times, people mean video games, but this process includes a wide variety of games. Game design requires a knowledge of psychology, storytelling, and principles of gameplay. Video games also use programming languages for logic and UX best practices for user interfaces. The video game development process varies and depends on the overhead cost of cross-platform development. There are many modern game development tools to make the process easier. Open source products for graphics, sound effects, and even level design provide indie game designers the chance to get into the market more easily.

Learn to Program Games

The elements of game design are simple to learn and could provide years of enjoyment, whether you're a professional developer or a hobbyist. EdX offers courses designed in partnership with leading developers in the field of game design. You can take from the comfort of your home and on your own schedule.

Online Game Development Courses and Certifications

RITx offers an entire micro-series on developing video games. You'll learn how to build your game world, design the story, and the history of game development. You'll learn a variety of game styles from single player to multiplayer and first person to third-person gameplay. Both Harvard and MIT also offer introductory courses to video game design, where you'll learn the fundamentals that game programmers need to build new games. You'll learn the principles behind the game engine and be able to build your first game. You can also learn the basics behind building mobile games with W3Cx. Harvard also offers a series in programming specifically for game developers. All these courses provide you with the skills you'll need to build your own game or contribute to the video game industry.

Game Development as a Career

Game development is a big industry, but luckily with open source tools, just about anyone can design and develop a new game. Your creativity could inspire you to make the next biggest app or video game, or even give you the tools to create a classic game. Whether you're an animator, a game designer, or a player yourself, the collection of resources from edX provides you with the tools you need to build your game, understand game theory, and maybe even enjoy your favorite video games just a bit more. EdX can provide the tools you need without ever setting foot in a classroom.