Top 5 Game Design Courses to Learn Online in 2023 – Best of Lot

Game designers have to use creativity and skill to design interesting games for entertainment or educational purposes. They are expected to create compelling characters and develop unique storylines to aid in the development of video games. Game designing can be defined as a multi-disciplinary job that requires an understanding of different gameplay systems, mechanics as well as other features. Game design is a unique field in that, in addition to being a highly creative endeavor, you also need a strong understanding of the basics of programming and other technical aspects.
The job responsibilities of a Game Designer may vary from creating and developing the characters and storylines of the game to programming, digital editing, image rendering, and testing.

Game design is a unique mix of creativity and technical expertise. You need both to make it as a successful game designer. You need to create the characters, the plot, design the level, and the aesthetics of the game.

You also need to understand the mechanics of the game and package it in a way that is fun and interesting. On the technical side, you need to know a bit about programming, computer science, and math. You should also be able to find the correct target audience for your game to be successful.

As a game designer, you will be involved from the start of the process of game development. You will have a hand in the process of script or story writing, and then planning and creating the art required for the game.

There are plenty of online courses that will give you the necessary tools to succeed as a Game Designer. There are courses for beginners, but also for intermediate or experienced programmers looking to break into the field of game development. All of these courses will equip you with the conceptual and technical knowledge needed to succeed as a Game Designer.

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5 Best Game Design Online Courses for Beginners in 2023

If you are wondering how and where you can learn Game Design in 2023 then don’t worry. We have created a list of the best Game design courses from popular online learning platforms like Udemy, Coursera, Pluralsight, and edX  for you. You can Check out the top Game Design courses that are available online to learn Game Design in 2023

1. Become A Game Designer The Complete Series: Coding To Design [Udemy]

This is a full-length MOOC course led by some expert instructors and is a great place to start for beginners who are curious about the field of Game Design. This course will introduce students to the complexities involved in working in a multi-disciplinary game development team. 

Students will learn about creative designing and production methods and will be finally able to test their video games. There will be a focus on design iteration across all the aspects of game development including game design, visual aesthetics, audio design, and programming.

Course Duration: 85 hours

The coursework includes plenty of video lectures, reading materials, projects, and other activities that students can participate in. This is one of the most comprehensive courses for Game Design on the internet.  There are many other additional resources available to further your education

2. World Design for Video Games [Coursera]

This MOOC is offered by the highly-rated California Institute of the Arts through the Coursera platform and is one of the best game design courses on the internet right now. Students will be able to explore the game worlds of already existing games as well as study their themes and styles.

This course is part of Game Design: Art and Concepts Specialization by CALARTS and features 26 video lectures, 15 reading materials, in addition to a quiz after each module. Students will learn about navigation and other key elements that make a game world more realistic. Students will gain a foundational understanding of the art and design of the game worlds.

Course Duration: 11 hours

Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5  

Students will be challenged to explore styles and inspirations for possible game worlds before learning about effective ways to communicate their ideas concisely. This is a great course for gaining a foundational understanding of the art and design used for game development.

By the way, If you are planning to join multiple Coursera courses or specializations, then consider taking a Coursera Plus subscription which provides you unlimited access to their most popular courses, specialization, professional certificate, and guided projects. It costs around $399/ per year but is worth it because you get access to more than 7000+ courses and projects, and you can also get unlimited certificates.

5. Game Design Fundamentals [Pluralsight]

This is a beginner-friendly course for learning the basics of Game Design as well as building a game. Students will be able to create their timeline and resources as well as build a Technical Design Document.

Course Duration: 2 hours
Rating: 4 stars out of 5

This course is designed by Thomas Winkley, who is a gamer, podcast producer, and programmer, and Joshua Kinney, who is a creator of games at Pluralsight. 

This course is perfect for absolute beginners and is highly engaging.

Though, you would need a Pluralsight membership to join this course which costs around $29 per month or $299 per year (14% discount). I highly recommend this subscription to all programmers as it provides instant access to more than 7000+ online courses to learn any tech skill. Alternatively, you can also use their 10-day-free-pass to watch this course for FREE.

4. Introduction to Game Development [edX]

This course is offered by the famous Harvard University through the edX platform and will serve as an introduction to game development. The students will learn about the development of 2D and 3D interactive games as well as explore the game design of famous video games like Super Mario Bros and Angry Birds.

Course Duration: 12 weeks

The students will gain hands-on experience with the principles of 2D and 3D graphics, animation, sound, etc. This course is led by David J Malan who is the Gordon Mckay Professor of the Practice of Computer Science at Harvard University, and Colton Ogden, who is a technologist at Harvard University.

You will get the valuable experience of being taught by 2 Harvard Professors. This course is part of the Computer Science for Game Development Certificate Programme offered by Harvard University.

5. Code Your First Game: Arcade Classic in JavaScript on Canvas [Free Udemy Course]

This course will enable students to program a complete arcade game with no special software installations, and just by using a text editor and a web browser. Students will be taught about the fundamentals of programming a game in JavaScript on Canvas.

This is a short and free course that can easily be completed in one sitting. Students will become familiar with the hands-on process of creating a game from scratch; by learning about gameplay fundamentals and writing and executing real code on their computer.

Course Duration: 2 hours

Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5 

Price – FREE Tutorial 

Over 330,400 students have completed this course and have given it a 4.7-star rating on Udemy. Although students will not be eligible for a certificate of completion after completing this free course, interested students can move on to the certificate eligible for How to Program Games: Tile Classics in JS for HTML5 Canvas.

Both of these courses are designed by Chris DeLeon, who is an independent game developer and has more than 23 years of experience in the industry. This course is highly rated by all the students who have completed the course and is easy to understand for beginners interested in the field of game development.

That’s all about the best Game Design courses for Beginners in 2023. By learning the Game Design courses listed in this article, you will be able to improve your imagination and spark your creative side. There is a huge demand in the market for competent game designers, and you will be able to tap into that demand.

By taking these courses, you will be able to create a game from scratch, including the story, plot, characters, and overall layout. You will also pick up many skills, like designing a variety of game assets, sound effects, and presenting the story of your game engagingly.

Game designing is a challenging job, which requires a lot of time, creativity, hard work, and patience. In today’s world, you need to have more than one skill to prove yourself, and these courses will help you do that. If you liked this list of Top 5 Game Design Courses, why not share it with your friends and family. Feel free to drop in the comments section if you have any questions.