This course aims to foster games’ analysis from a comprehensive variety of angles and applications, from a conceptual and critical approach, targeted for a deep understanding on the games’ role in society. 
 

Syllabus 

1. Theorising Play and Games 
2. Forms and Genre 
3. Games through semiotic and rule systems 
4. Linear and Interactive Narratives  – Space and Time in Games  
5. The Player’s Mind  
6. Avatars, Characters and Agency 
7. Players and Fans 
8. Representation, Identification, and Inclusion 
9. Platforms and other Materialities of Games 
10. Entertainment and Serious Games 
11. Games Beyond Entertainment  – Gamification Techniques 

This course aims to provide the knowledge, the methods, and tools to create engaging and effective video games. Through systematic design techniques, students will learn how to effectively build and communicate new game ideas.  

Syllabus 

1. Game Concepts 

1.1. Video Games for Usability and Playability 

1.2. The Game Development Life Cycle 

1.3. Storytelling and Narrative Pacing 

2. Game Design 

2.1. Fundamentals of Game Design Theory 

2.2. Design Choices Based on Design Theory 

2.3. Conceptualising Game Mechanics and Gameplay 

2.4. Player Feedback Mechanisms 

2.5. Creation of Game Design Documents 

3. Level Design 

3.1. Level Design Workflow 

3.2. Fundamentals of Composition in Level Design 

3.3. Efficiency in Level Design 

4. Video Game Prototyping 

4.1. Methods for Prototyping Game Concepts 

4.2. Visual Scripting Languages Within a Game Engine 

4.3. Developing Game Mechanics Within a Game Engine 

This course aims to enhance proficiency in advanced game audio techniques, focusing on spatial audio and sound synthesis. 

Syllabus 

1. Spatial Sound 

1.1. Ambisonics reproduction and recording 

1.2. Binaural and advanced acoustics for digital games 

1.3. Binaural and Ambisonics for Virtual Reality 

2. Interactive sound and sound synthesis 

2.1. Audio file playback control 

2.2. Sound synthesis and sound processing 

2.3. I/O: MIDI, OSC, Sensors 

2.4 Sound synthesis and processing applied to digital games 

2.5 Sound synthesis and processing for interactive installations. 

3. Audio for digital games 

3.1 Music Systems 

3.2 Ducking 

3.3 Optimization 

This subject is focused on user-cantered design methodologies applied to the digital creation process of user interfaces for digital games. Students will understand how to conceptualise and create user interfaces by following best practices of user experience design (UX) and user interface design (UI) as well as providing consistency and usability to the UI, bringing the best experience possible – visual and audible. New frontiers of user interface design for digital games will be explored trying to discover new opportunities for increasing the digital experience of a player while playing a game, exploring new technologies and critical topics. 

Syllabus: 

1. User Interface Design for Digital Games: Theories and Practice 

2. New Frontiers of User Interface Design 

3. Immersive User Interfaces 

4. Immersive Tutorials  

5. User Research 

6. Inclusive UI/UX in Digital Games 

7. User Experience Design (UX) 

8. Mockups, Flow and Interaction Prototyping 

9. User Interface Design (UI) 

10. Visual Design – UI Kit 

11. Animation and Sound for User Interfaces 

This course aims to dwell on the latest immersive technologies to explore a wider view of games and society. Using immersive technologies such as AR/VR, students will learn the basics on how to create games for a variety of purposes. 

Syllabus 

1. Immersive Interactive Experiences 

1.1. The Human Senses 

1.2. Immersive Game Design 

1.3. Immersive Narratives 

2. VR Technologies 

2.1. VR Equipment 

2.2. Visualization Techniques 

2.3. VR Experience Design 

2.4. Interaction in VR 

2.5. Critical Analysis and Evaluation 

3. AR Technologies 

3.1. Tools for AR Development 

3.2. AR Experience Design 

3.3. Key Aspects of AR for Game Creation 
 

This course aims to combine the students’ artistic abilities with the technical skills of computer graphics. This course is a practical approach to facilitate the teamwork between game designers, programmers, and artists in the game production pipeline, as well as to increase proficiency in the graphics pipeline. 

Syllabus 

1. Technical Art Fundamentals 

1.1. The Roles of a Technical Artist 

1.2. Production Pipeline from Concept to Engine  

1.3. Workflow Guidelines across the Production Process 

2. Fundamentals of Graphics Pipelines  

2.1. Real-time Visual Effects Techniques  

2.2. Shader Fundamentals 

2.3. Introduction to Scripting 

3. Technical Tools 

3.1. Technical Art Procedures and Methodologies 

3.2. Procedural Tools for Real Time Game Mechanics 

3.3. World Building Techniques 

4. Optimization and Efficiency 

4.1. Automating the Asset Pipeline 

4.2. Human Error and Redundant Task Analysis 

4.3. Optimal Performance of the Game’s Assets 

This course intends to provide solid knowledge of the basic pillars of game development, u supported by the use of a contemporary 3D game engine. 

Syllabus 

1.Contemporary Game Engines 

2. Game Engines Lifecycle 

3. Games Physics  

3.1. Collisions and Triggers 

3.1. Rigid Body Dynamics 

4. Notions of Event-Based Programming 

5. Multimodal Input Systems 

6. Programming Character Animation  

6.1. State Machines 

6.2. Blend Spaces 

6.3. Rigged Meshes 

7. User Interface 

8. Audio 

This course intends to provide knowledge in more advanced game development topics, focusing on building game networks to support multiplayer games. Also, this course intends to provide knowledge in the use of C++, as programming language applied to game development. 

Syllabus 

1.Game Programming with C++ 

2. Procedural Animation  

2.1. Ragdolls 

2.2. Inverse Kinematics 

3. Performance Analysis 

3.1. Games Profiling  

3.2. Optimization Techniques for Games 

4. Plugin Development 

5. Multiplayer Game Development and Networking 

6. Anti-Cheat Engineering 

This course intends to provide knowledge for the creation of games for different development platforms, such as mobile and XR, supported by the exploration of advanced game programming topics using a contemporary game engine. 

Syllabus 

1.Multiplatform Game Development  

2. Notions of Game Programming Design Patterns 

3. Notions of Mobile and XR Development 

4. Programming Standards and Best Practices 

5. GameObject Component System  

6. Entity Component System 

7. Code Architecture 

7.1. MonoBehavior based 

7.2. Scriptable Objects based 

8. Immersive Audio 

This course aims to provide knowledge in the use of Artificial Intelligence applied to game development. Students will utilize a contemporary game engine, its tools, and C++ as the programming language for game development. 

Syllabus 

1.AI Technologies for Games 

2. Intelligent agents 

2.1. Sensing and Perception 

2.2. Decision Making 

3. Pathfinding (Nav Mesh Navigation) 

4. Behaviour trees and Blackboards 

5. Search Algorithms 

6. Minimax algorithm and alpha-beta pruning 

7. Genetic Algorithms and Neural Networks 

8. Notions of Flocking and Herding Behaviours 

In this subject the student will get a thorough understanding of the creation of environments for digital games, getting a deeper knowledge of texturing, scale, perspective and lighting. The student will get the necessary skills to create complex backgrounds, layouts, props, and environments. 

Syllabus:  

1. Introduction and Blocking Out  

2. Concept Art – Environment and objects 

3. Greyboxing and Modeling Composition Techniques 

4. Game Engine – Lighting: Artificial and Real  

5. Tileable Textures 

6. Baking and Unwrapping 

7. Details 

8. Blender and Environment Art 

9. Photogrammetry 

10. Decals and Their Uses 

11. Post Process Effects 

In this subject the student will get a thorough understanding of animation for digital games, getting a deeper knowledge of how to apply animation theories, knowing the working process to implement them in a game engine at the same time as making a character feel alive and dynamic though animation techniques that can be applied to other game objects.  

Syllabus: 

1. Animation and Games 

2. Animation Theories and Game Design: Weight, Timing and Spacing 

3. In-Game Animation Workflow  

4. Script, Storyboarding and Animatic 

5. Body Mechanics 

6. Character Animation 

7. Rigging for Game Engines 

8. Keyframe vs. Motion Capture Animation 

9. Adding Animated characters to a Game Engine 

10. Performance Optimization, Interaction and Refinement 

In this subject the student will get a thorough understanding of the creation of 3D high-quality characters for digital games, getting a deeper knowledge of proportions, anatomy, personality, sculpting, texturing, and lighting. The student will get the necessary skills to create complex characters and putting them into a game engine. 

Syllabus: 

1. Introduction to Character Art Workflow for Digital Games 

2. Character Concept Art – Adapt to Different Visual Styles  

3. Character Sheet 

3. Hi-res Sculpting 

4. Adding Details: Hair, Clothing 

5. Retopology / Low Resolution modelling, UV Layout 

6. Assembling / Baking  

7. Painting / Texturing / PBR workflow 

8. Camera setup, Lighting and Rendering 

9. Apply to a Game Engine 

In this subject the student will get a thorough understanding of the animation of high-quality characters in 3D for digital games, getting a deeper knowledge of personality, weight, charisma, emotion and choreography through animation methods. The student will get the necessary skills to animate complex characters and using them in Unreal Engine. 

Syllabus: 

1. Posing for Games 

2. Real-World Weight, Physics and Object Interaction 

3. Dynamic Motions – Rhythm, Balance 

4. Advanced Body Mechanics, actions and reactions performances 

5. Animation Asset Creation for Gameplay  

6. Animation Combos – Combining a Sequence of Animations 

7. Choreography for Multiple Characters: Combat, Takedowns 

8. Pantomine Animation  

9. Facial Animation Setup and Lip-sync Animation 

10. Camera setup, Lighting and Rendering 

This course aims to promote the development of skills such as scientific writing, methodological design, scientific communication, and research opportunities. Also, this course rises awareness of the relevance of the ethical dimension and in developing standards of practice consistent with the best research practices in the game development area. 

Syllabus 

1. Scientific Writing and Communication 

1.1. Structural Components of Scientific Documents 

1.2. Bibliographic Citation Procedures and Techniques 

1.3. Critical Review in Games Research 

1.4. Game Research Project Communication 

2. Methodological Design and Research 

2.1. Research Objectives, Questions, and Hypotheses 

2.2. Methodological Designs 

2.3. Research Validity 

3. Collecting, Analysing and Presenting Data 

3.1. Techniques and Instruments of Data Collection 

3.2. Questionnaire Formulation 

3.3. Data Analysis  

4. Reflection and Ethical Awareness 

4.1. Games in Research 

4.2. Ethical Considerations in Research 

4.3. Ethical Procedures in Games Research 

In this subject the student will apply the acquired knowledge to develop a project using a contemporary game engine that can be presented in their portfolio, focusing on game programming. 

Syllabus 

1.Production Pipeline for Game Programmers 

2. Notions of Game Project Management  

3. Notions of Post-Launch Games Research  

4. Conventions 

4.1. Project Structure 

4.2. Organization and Naming Conventions 

5. Source Code Management 

5.1. Version Control Technologies 

5.2. Integration and Cloud Platforms 

6. Development of a Digital Game Project 

6.1. Game Mechanics 

6.2. Game Systems 

6.3. Game Physics 

6.4. Animation Programming 

6.5. AI Programming 

6.6. UI Programming 

n this subject the student will apply the knowledge acquired in the course to reach a project that can be presented in their portfolio. The main goal is to create a Game Art Project including Concept Art, 3D Modeling, 3D Animation and Sound. The student has 2 options: 

1. Create a project for a digital game (possibility to work with student from the Programming Track, necessary to make a Game Design Document, Level Design and all the procedures to make the game “coming alive”);
2. Create a project for a digital game of a character in an environment in a game engine, animated with all the movements of the character (or other creatures), animating the environment, with or without interaction and it must have sound. 

The content will be related and adapted by the project of each student. Depending on the type of project the student choose, Game Design, Level Design and User Experience can be applied to the Syllabus – Pré-Production section; User Interface design can be applied to the Production Syllabus. 

Syllabus

1.Production Pipeline for Game Artists 

2. Notions of Game Project Management  

3. Pitch the idea, Define the Scope 

4. Pre-Production 

4.1. Narrative, Moodboards, Concept Art, Character Sheets 

4.2. Blocking Out 

4.3. Greyboxing and Modeling 

5. Production 

5.1. Character Modeling/Sculpting 

5.2. Texturing and Materials 

5.3. Prepare objects for Game Engine  

5.4. Storyboarding 

5.5. Rigging and Animation 

5.6. Effects and Particle Systems 

5.7. Sound Design 

5.8. Integrating in a Game Engine 

5.9. Lighting  

5.9.1 Testing