How to Make the Most of Your Games Design Degree

Level up your game design degree with these tips!

Game design at university can be a competitive space, especially at postgraduate level when your modules are geared towards graduate employment. Once you’re out there, the competition doesn’t stop either. If you want to be one step ahead, embrace every single part of your training and make your portfolio stand out.

Here are some tips for making the most of your game design degree, and preparing yourself for your first game design jobs in the real world!

Be a team player

According to Game Developer, the most important skill for game design jobs is collaboration. And as the publication explains, the art of working together isn’t rocket science…it’s harder!

Unfortunately, the traditional way of working has taught us to be autonomous creatures in the workplace, but if you really want to make your game design course go further, collaborating effectively with other students is a must. Because this is exactly what will be expected when you get hired by professional companies.

Brush up on networking skills

Building industry connections is vital, particularly for students embarking on their master’s. At the University of Bolton, we put you and your career ambitions first, leveraging our industry connections to help students gain much-needed exposure.

We have affiliations with Rockstar Games, Codemasters, Travellers’ Tales and Cloud Imperium Games. And through them, we can offer testing of pre-release titles, which is a great way to learn more about the industry. Many of our lecturers are from the industry too, and have worked at these reputable game companies, which is hugely beneficial for your little black book.

To make the most of your degree, make sure you get involved in as many events and extra-curricular activities as possible, and don’t forget to network any chance you get.

Embrace game jams and competitions

Not only are game jams fun, but they are essential to nurturing our powerful gaming community. This is a great time to showcase your skills, as well as a chance to check out other people’s work.  

Another way to make the most of your training is to enter competitions. Our courses include a number of events and mini competitions to get your creative juices flowing, inspire innovation and keep everyone motivated towards their goal.

Let your imagination loose

Being successful in your game design degree is about more than just technical skills. Yes, technical ability is important, but your knack of telling a good story is just as key. From character development to producing compelling plot lines, your storytelling talents need to be top notch when designing games.

Don’t be too bogged down by technical aspects to begin with. First, let your imagination run free and allow yourself to experiment with different ideas.

The best game designers have to be inspired. So make sure you have a great balance in your personal life, which allows you to soak up the world around you.

Ready to apply for a game design course? We offer undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at the University of Bolton, and as a leading Greater Manchester university with impressive industry connections, there’s nowhere better to study this subject.

We were one of the first universities to introduce game design and development in the UK, and our £13 million facility, which houses the Centre for Games Development, is an established and vibrant hub that unites the entire gaming community.

To find out more about applying in 2022, see our available courses.