Digital Game Design
The rapidly growing global digital game industry, which seems to be focused on software development, can actually be designed as holistically through the discipline of communication, as it is essentially an entertainment media / medium and requires the production of audio-visual content.
About
The digital game industry today is one of the main trends of the communication industry, which can be described as digital nativism and puts the generation born into digital technology into focus.
With this programme, ARUCAD focuses on this field of education that meets the future by foreseeing the future social position of the generation known as digital nativist. The Digital Game Design programme is also supported by the university profile and mission of ARUCAD in terms of being an educational field based on communication science and enriched by the design and art fields. The students of the department will graduate with an intense practical education where they can learn the fastest growing digital game design with all its components within the scope of creative industries which are considered an important production and consumption ecosystem in the digital society.
Programme Type
Bachelor Degree
Duration
4 Years
Head of Department
Asst. Prof. Dr. Yunus Luckinger
- info@arucad.edu.tr
- +90 (392) 650 65 55
- ARUCAD Main Campus
Academic Staff
Asst. Prof. Dr. Yunus Luckinger
Head of Department
Prof. Dr. Victor Grout
Prof. Dr. Murat Yakın
Asst. Prof. Dr. Burak Bardak
Sen. Ins. Masoud Moradi
| FALL | |||||||||||
| Course No | Semester | Course Code | Course Name | Course Category | Credit | Pre-requisite | |||||
| T | P | L | C | ECTS | |||||||
| 1 | 1 | GAME101 | Introductıon to Game Design | AC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 8 | ||
| 2 | 1 | GAME103 | Discrete Mathematics | AC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | ||
| 3 | 1 | GAME105 | Game History & Analysis | AC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | ||
| 4 | 1 | COMM101 | Fundamentals of Communication | FC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | ||
| 5 | 1 | PLAS111 | Drawing I | AC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | ||
| 6 | 1 | SOFL101 | Academic English I | UC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | ||
| Total Credits | 16 | 4 | 0 | 18 | 30 | ||||||
| SPRING | |||||||||||
| 7 | 2 | GAME102 | Sign, Representation & Symbols | AC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | ||
| 8 | 2 | GAME104 | 2D Character Design | AC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 9 | 2 | COMM102 | History of Communication | FC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | ||
| 10 | 2 | VCDE132 | Computer Graphics and Images | AC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 11 | 2 | FIDE212 | Storyboarding Techniques | AC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 12 | 2 | SOFL102 | Academic English II | UC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | ||
| Total Credits | 15 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 30 | ||||||
| YEAR 2 | |||||||||||
| FALL | |||||||||||
| 13 | 3 | GAME201 | Story Structure in Game Design | AC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | ||
| 14 | 3 | GAME203 | Introduction to Game Programing | AC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 15 | 3 | COMM201 | Theories of Communication | FC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | ||
| 16 | 3 | VCDE211 | Vectorial Drawing | AC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | VCDE132 | |
| 17 | 3 | TUDI/TURK 201 | Turkish Language I | UC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 18 | 3 | AIIT/HIST 201 | Atatürk’s Principles & History of Revolution I | UC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 19 | 3 | – | Departmental Elective I | AE | 3 | 5 | |||||
| Total Credits | 19 | 30 | |||||||||
| SPRING | |||||||||||
| 20 | 4 | GAME202 | Concept Art for Digital Games | AC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | ||
| 21 | 4 | GAME204 | 2D Game Animation | AC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 22 | 4 | GAME206 | 3D Character Modeling | AC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | ||
| 23 | 4 | COMM202 | Sociology of Communication | FC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | ||
| 24 | 4 | TUDI/TURK202 | Turkish Language II | UC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 25 | 4 | AIIT/HIST202 | Atatürk’s Principles & History of Revolution II | UC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 26 | 4 | – | Departmental Elective II | AE | 3 | 5 | |||||
| Total Credits | 19 | 30 | |||||||||
| YEAR 3 | ||||||||||
| FALL | ||||||||||
| 27 | 5 | GAME301 | 3D Modeling, Texturing & Lighting -I | AC | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 5 | |
| 28 | 5 | GAME303 | Game Coding I | AC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | |
| 29 | 5 | GAME305 | Project and Portfolio I: Game Design | AC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | |
| 30 | 5 | GAME307 | Composition with Sight and Sound | AC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | |
| 31 | 5 | – | Departmental Elective III | AE | – | – | – | 3 | 5 | |
| 32 | 5 | – | Faculty Elective I | FE | – | – | – | 3 | 5 | |
| Total Credits | 18 | 30 | ||||||||
| SPRING | ||||||||||
| 33 | 6 | GAME302 | 3D Modeling, Texturing & Lighting –II | AC | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 5 | GAME301 |
| 34 | 6 | GAME304 | Game Coding II | AC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | GAME303 |
| 35 | 6 | GAME306 | Project and Portfolio II: Game Design | AC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | |
| 36 | 6 | GAME308 | Interface with Game Engines | AC | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 5 | |
| 37 | 6 | – | Departmental Elective IV | AE | – | – | – | 3 | 5 | |
| 39 | 6 | – | Faculty Elective II | FE | – | – | – | 3 | 5 | |
| Total Credits | – | – | – | 18 | 30 | |||||
| YEAR 4 | ||||||||||
| FALL | ||||||||||
| 40 | 7 | GAME401 | Project and Portfolio III: Game Design | AC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7 | |
| 41 | 7 | GAME403 | Preliminary Senior Project | AC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 8 | |
| 42 | 7 | – | Departmental Elective V | AE | – | – | – | 3 | 5 | |
| 43 | 7 | – | Faculty Elective III | FE | – | – | – | 3 | 5 | |
| 44 | 7 | – | University Elective I | UE | – | – | – | 3 | 5 | |
| Total Credits | – | – | – | 15 | 30 | |||||
| SPRING | ||||||||||
| 45 | 8 | GAME402 | Psychology for Game Design | AC | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | |
| 46 | 8 | GAME404 | Senior Project | AC | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | GAME403 |
| 47 | 8 | – | Departmental Elective VI | AE | – | – | – | 3 | 5 | |
| 48 | 8 | – | Faculty Elective IV | FE | – | – | – | 3 | 5 | |
| 49 | 8 | – | University Elective II | UE | – | – | – | 3 | 5 | |
| Total Credits | – | – | – | 14 | 30 | |||||
FIRST YEAR/FIRST SEMESTER
GAME 101 – INTRODUCTION TO GAME DESIGN
This course examines the active role of game designers by breaking down game ideas into discrete, functional, and logical systems. Since designers are responsible for all features of any given game, such as player goals, choices, and game rules, students will observe and analyze different game designs to understand how these elements interact.
GAME 103 – DISCRETE MATHEMATICS
Students will explore propositional and symbolic logic, sets and relations, sequences, functions, algorithms, matrices, number theory, combinatorics, and probability in game.
GAME 105 – GAME HISTORY & ANALYSIS
The course deals with the history of video games through game analysis. The course, designed as a modular, will handle 7 generations of video games and consoles starting from the 60’s with a historical perspective and bringing them to the present day. The course discussions include references to the market, youth culture, gender and similar sociological phenomena in relation to video games (both as entertainment and as an art form). Discussions will be enriched by reading and observing / playing the games in the lesson. The Game types (MMO, FPS, TPS, platform, RPG, RTS, adventure, jigsaw, etc.) and television and handheld consoles will also be covered in detail. Students will have a better understanding of the whole field of game and its history.
COMM 101 – FUNDAMENTALS OF COMMUNICATION
This course aims to teach students communication theories and the elements, modes and forms of communication. The aim of this course is to introduce students to the field of communication and basic concepts of communication. The course starts from the foundations of communication; and includes language, discourse and representation problems.
PLAS 111 – DRAWING I
At the end of this course; student can have effective skills of observing, analyzing, have the skills to define, detect and solve problems in the process of creating artistic work.
FIRST YEAR/SECOND SEMESTER
GAME 102 – SIGN, REPRESENTATION & SYMBOLS
This course focuses on the theoretical part of Sign, Symbols & Representation. Teaching the basics of Semiotics and preparing the student for their future projects with a better understanding and how and what can work and create a meaning. It focuses on Sign and mainly the creating of meaning to sign, symbols and representations.
GAME 104 – 2D CHARACTER DESIGN
This course offers all the essential and basics for creating a 2D character with interesting personalities and shapes to be used in the stories. The course also includes expression theories as well as drawing techniques to develop a character.
COMM 102 – HISTORY OF COMMUNICATION
This course aims to teach students the history of communication studies and the elements, modes and forms of communication. The aim of this course is to introduce students the field of communication from basic concepts of communication. The course starts from the history the communication; and includes language, discourse and representation problems.
FIDE 212 – STORYBOARDING TECHNIQUES
This course covers all the details of storyboarding. Students will learn all the rules and techniques both theoretical and practical and also they will learn the process of transforming stories into cinematic form, through traditional drawing and digital tools.
SECOND YEAR/THIRD SEMESTER
GAME 201 – STORY STRUCTURE IN GAME DESIGN
In this course students will learn about storytelling mechanism and its elements in different video game genres. Students will also explore traditional narrative storytelling (the 3 act story structure) to use it in their game ideas.
GAME 203 – INTRODUCTION TO GAME PROGRAMMING
This course covers the basics of data use as well as storage, operation, and control flow. Focus is placed on problem-solving and encouraging students to apply and translate the concepts taught in this course to resolve issues across various programming and scripting languages.
COMM 201 – THEORIES OF COMMUNICATION
The purpose of this course is to introduce you to the major communication theories and their histories that are the foundation to understanding the discipline of communication. These theories can be applied to interpersonal, group, organizational, intercultural, and mass communication contexts. You will be expected to understand the key concepts of each theory.
VCDE 211 – VECTORIAL DRAWING
This course introduces students to the Vectorial drawing techniques. The course starts with training on drawing basic geometric forms using varying tools for creating vector shapes. Throughout the course as students learn to create more complex shapes, they will be asked either to re-draw or to create original graphic design elements like; patterns, icons, symbols, emblems, logos, perspective drawings and vector character designs. Creating state of art vector illustrations is the main objective of this course.
SECOND YEAR/FOURTH SEMESTER
GAME 202 – CONCEPT ART FOR DIGITAL GAMES
This course offers the students details and explanations about game art techniques and their importance. Also it covers necessary knowledge on how to create a visual representation to tell a student, how to create a look for a game.
GAME 204 – 2D GAME ANIMATION
Introducing concepts like sprites and frame by frame animation. This course will be a practice through the 12 principles of animation by introducing the related software and going through various animating techniques. Along with, an introduction concept like sprites and frame by frame animation students will learn to use their animations in Unity and make them ready for game environments.
GAME 206 – 3D CHARACTER DESIGN
This course aims at digital sculpting, three-dimensional organic shapes using Zbrush. By understanding the 3-dimensional aspects of an organic object in real and virtual space students will learn how to make polygon and mesh models.
COMM 202 – SOCIOLOGY OF COMMUNICATION
This course aims to facilitate a sociological way of understanding mass media in the current society. This course will provide students with a foundation in various sociological theories of communication from the early 20th century up to today.
THIRD YEAR/ FIFTH SEMESTER
GAME 301 – 3D MODELING, TEXTURING AND LIGHTING – I
This is a studio course which gives both theory and technical lessons of the three dimensional (3D) modeling software. It will cover all the basics such as creating shapes, different polygons, lights, colors and texture. As an in-depth introduction to creating 3D objects and structures. Teaching the Modeling process and texturing of 3D object in a computer environment. Student will learn How to model and create textures for 3d objects as well as being able to model in 3D Software.
GAME 303 – GAME CODING I (PRE-REQUISITE GAME203)
In this course students will learn how to create a basic game programming using code. Through this course, students will gain experience with procedural logic in a gaming language, linear thinking, and data-driven behavior.
GAME 305 – PROJECT AND PORTFOLIO I: GAME DESIGN
In this course students will create a Digital Game in combination of courses taken before. The main focus will be on creating 2D games that utilize the techniques learned in animation and programing. This course builds an understanding on how the systems work in sync with each other and furthers the development of the student’s portfolio.
GAME 307 – COMPOSITION WITH SIGHT AND SOUND
This course is designed to introduce the students to the world of motion pictures and time based media. Motion pictures and videos are now dominating the entire social media and internet from advertisements to public services and influencers. The sight, sound and motion course will teach the students how to shoot, edit, record and design sound and publish technique video and motion graphics to be used in their future career as an effective tool in visual communication.
THIRD YEAR/ SIXTH SEMESTER
GAME 302 – 3D MODELING, TEXTURING AND LIGHTING – II (PRE-REQUISITE GAME301)
This course in the continuation of 3D Modeling, Texturing and Lighting I. It will lead the students to the advanced level of using the 3D software by practicing different modeling techniques and also focusing on 3D camera and render engines.
GAME 304 – GAME CODING II (PRE-REQUISITE GAME303)
In this course students will look at Networking and procedural instructions and the use certain game engines to create multiplayer game system. Through this work, students will gain experience in Networking and solving time delays.
GAME 306 – Project and Portfolio II: Game Design
In this course students will create a Digital Game in combination of courses taken previously. The main focus is on the progression of working in a team and managing creating 2D games that utilize the techniques learned in animation and programing. This course builds an understanding on how the systems work in sync with each other and furthers the development of the student’s portfolio.
GAME 308 – INTERFACE WITH GAME ENGINES
This course focuses on the development of User interfaces & User experiences in games, teaching the theoretical with the pragmatic solutions. Students will be able to Understand common trends and techniques of Interface design and implement these into their future projects with a clear understanding on how the user navigates interfaces with different input mediums.
FOURTH YEAR/ SEVENTH SEMESTER
GAME 401 – PROJECT AND PORTFOLIO III: GAME DESIGN
In this course, students will use knowledge gained from previous courses and integrate those findings to build an interactive original design that reflects sound level and systems design.
GAME 403 – PRELIMINARY SENIOR PROJECT
This course is a preparation course for the senior project which focuses on preparing a complete documentation and timeline of their senior project. The course focuses on guiding student to create a digital game that is suitable as a project and create the foundation of their Senior.
FOURTH YEAR/ EIGHTH SEMESTER
GAME 402 – PSYCHOLOGY FOR GAME DESIGN
This Course focuses on theoretical aspect of psychology and digital games. Teaching the different digital game phenomena. This course allows student to understand why how and what is play and how it affect us as Humans.
GAME 404 – SENIOR PROJECT
This course focuses on the Senior project and assessment of techniques and abilities of the student. The students refine and develop the project they started in the preliminary course and have to submit their refined publishable Digital games as a product.
FACULTY ELECTIVES
COMM 103 – MEDIA LITERACY
In the course, media literacy, media literacy in the world and media literacy in Cyprus will be examined. Answer to the question of “why is media literacy necessary?” will be sought. In the course, the impact of mass media and presented content on social, cultural and economic life depending on the consumption habits of the target audience will be examined.
DIME 203 – DIGITAL MEDIA MARKETING
The aim of the Digital Media Marketing Course is to provide students the new approaches in marketing through emerging media channels. Students will be equiped with the knowledge about business advantages of the digital marketing and its importance for marketing success; to develop and execute a successful digital media marketing plans.
DIME 206 – SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT MANAGEMENT
This course is designed to help you understand how business is done around the world in almost every industry and have (and have not) changed due to the rise of social media and changes in various underlying contextual factors, such as dramatically increased speed of information dissemination across consumers and brands.
ANIM 252 – STOP MOTION ANIMATION
This course is a full introduction to stop motion animation. Students will experience the process from its basic steps to advance, all they need to know to continue the subject as a profession will be covered in this course.
COMM 308 – CREATIVE WRITING
Creative Writing is a class activity course that discovers many different genres of literary writing. Students supposed to write every day and work on their writing assignments each weekly. Students will read selections from well-known, appreciated writers and follow their style and specific genre. Students supposed to be imaginative enough to write and create characters and settings. Moreover, students will learn to write in a multiplicity of styles, such as analysis essays, subjective narratives, creative fiction, short stories, and poetry. Projects are anticipated to arrange for more practice with specific writing techniques that can be applied to many other literary genres.
COMM 314 – CREATIVE INDUSTRIES
The aim of this course is to provide students with a detailed understanding of how the knowledge is produced and distributed, and it aims to introduce the verity of the media industries in which students might work in the future. Also this course is a study on how human creates and transforms the information.
COMM 312 – MEDIA, LAW AND ETHICS
Media Law and Ethics is a main course for Faculty of Communication students, which aims to understand the ethical concepts including freedom, democracy, truth, objectivity, honesty and privacy. The course examines the ethical issues both in philosophical and practical ways to help maintaining the quality of information. Also, the course introduces students to the basic legal concepts on media industry and media content relating to legal regulation of the telecommunications industry, information technology, broadcasting, advertising, the entertainment industry, censorship, and internet and online services among others.
ADVE 302 – PERSUASION AND PERCEPTION
This course is about the persuasion and effectiveness of the advertorial presentations. The aim of the course is to study techniques of persuasion from the perceptual psychology point of view. Students are expected to create effective communication solutions with and persuasive presentations with varying target audiences. Subjects like planning for presentation, presentation techniques, creation resonance among the target audience, empathy, body language, and overcoming stage fear will also be covered during lessons.
Please find below recommended supplies/materials you will need for the department of study:
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Unity 3D
- Blender
- PC: Minimum 16 GB RAM, minimum 500 GB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX4050 graphic card Wacom tablet or similar