Exceptional Summer Pre-College Game Design Program for High Schoolers at University College London Campus

• The Career Insights timetable includes a fantastic social and cultural programme with the following excursions:
• Visit iconic London landmarks
• Explore a world-famous museum after dark
• Learn new skills at an indoor skate park
• Catch award-winning theatre on the West End
• Experience exceptional urban regeneration at the Olympic Park

• The Career Insights timetable includes a fantastic social and cultural programme with the following excursions:
• Visit iconic London landmarks
• Explore a world-famous museum after dark
• Learn new skills at an indoor skate park
• Catch award-winning theatre on the West End
• Experience exceptional urban regeneration at the Olympic Park

Participants should arrive between 2 pm and 5 pm on the first Sunday of the programme. Our team will be ready and waiting to welcome you, register you, and show you to your accommodation. Please note that your accommodation may not be ready until 3pm. 

If you are arriving at London Heathrow Airport, we are able to offer a shared airport transfer service. This is a chaperoned service departing from London Heathrow Airport Terminal 3 and travelling directly to the colleges in Cambridge/Oxford. Do not worry if you will be arriving to any other Heathrow terminal - our dedicated pastoral team will be there to meet you and escort to Terminal 3 for departure to your college

The transfers depart at 11:00, 14:00 and 17:00 on the Sunday of arrivals. On the final Saturday of the programme, the transfers to London Heathrow Airport depart at 07:00 and 12:00. This will be available to book for a fee per journey after enrolment.

Specific details, such as contact numbers, are shared with participants nearer the time of the programme.

If you are arriving at another airport, or by alternative means, further details about arrivals and departures are shared in your Welcome Pack, sent with your confirmation of enrolment.

To book the shared airport transfer service, which will cost £90.00 each way,

The game industry is currently worth a staggering 95 billion, and according to studies it could be worth up to 169 billion by the end of 2025. For participants that are fascinated by the technology of gaming and VR, this course will shed more light into working within this exciting field. Interactive projects and workshops offer the opportunity to engage with professionals from some of our fastest-growing gaming industries. Learning from those at the forefront of their field, participants receive practical feedback and personal career coaching to prepare them for future success. Based in the heart of London, internationally renowned as a hub for innovation, culture and opportunity. Participants experience living in University of London accommodation, with everything the city has to offer on their doorstep.

Learn from exceptional institutions and industry leaders changing the world of Game Design

One of the most exciting parts of the Career Insights programme is the unique opportunity for participants to attend inspiring industry visits whereby you can interact and learn from industry professionals in your field of study. Industry visits take learning out of the classroom and into the real world, where you can observe and explore how the skills and knowledge built throughout the programme apply to a career in your subject. This unique aspect of our programme ensures students also gain the chance to network directly with industry professionals who may share with you opportunities you hadn’t otherwise envisioned. 

Find out what it takes to work in the industry through real-world projects

You will explore concepts and share ideas in small groups of like-minded and ambitious peers from around the world. In classes averaging 7 students, you will be guided by expert project leads who offer an insight into their industry. Our rigorous vetting process guarantees that all participants are taught by engaging and supportive educators who are, most of all, enthusiastic about sharing their expertise to ensure our summer school teaching is of the highest quality. It is an unrivalled academic experience.

Example Modules

Introduction to Game Design: Over the course of this module, you will form an understanding of the foundational principles of game design and how to apply them to real-world game creation. You will learn how to design game scenarios and characters, create game mechanics and dynamics, observe and learn from different game genres, create games and code using Construct 2, and publish your final results so that others can access your game.

Introduction to Coding: Coding is the process of telling a computer what to do. You provide the computer instructions via ‘code’, the computer’s language, in order for it to perform a specific action - an integral part of the game design process. Using code can be as simple as adding a series of letters to change the background colour of your game to something more complex such as how a player progresses through the game narrative. The skill of coding is not only essential for game makers but it is now a highly sought-after skill in an array of industries, such as healthcare, business, and education.

Roblox Coding: Roblox is an online multiplayer game where you can create your own virtual world. In this module, you will practice applying coding skills in Roblox using a programming language named Lua. Over the course of this module, you will learn the basics of Lua, know how to use variables, loops and conditionals, understand how to store users’ information, and program simple games. Skills in this module lead to a foundational understanding of game design, a good building block for forming a more comprehensive understanding of the world of game creation.

Unity: In this module, you will encounter the world’s most widely-used game creation platform - Unity. You will learn to understand Unity’s interface, create a new project of your own, interpret visual scripting (and some C/C# knowledge), and manage the field. You will also learn how to interact with the different Unity environments and learn how to create 3D and 2D models. Knowing how to apply light and shadow effects as well as other materials, and manage images using GIMP to bring your game to life will also be an important part of your learning in this unit.

Introduction to Python: Python is one of the most widely used programming languages when it comes to game design. Popular games like Tic-Tac-Toe and Hangman were both created using Python. In this module, you’ll learn all about Python, discover basic programming concepts, and learn how to read basic Python syntax and interpret error messages. You’ll use your new game design skills built in previous units along with your understanding of Python to create your own game.

RPGMaker Masterclass: RPGMaker is a program which helps us to create 2D role-playing games without the need to code. RPGMaker uses Ruby or Javascript as programming languages and has an attractive interface which makes it user-friendly. The final results of using RPGMaker can be escalated to several platforms often it’s used in game design. In this module, you’ll discover how to install and run the TPGMaker environment, understand the RPGMaker games structure, and create game maps, characters, facilities and elements for the game.

Scratch Game Design: Scratch is a visual programming environment designed to create and share animated stories all the while learning how to code. Scratch offers an intuitive interface which is easy to understand, ideal for beginners just starting out in the game design world. You will use scratch to start building your own games, bring your ideas to life to create a functional prototype, and contribute and experience different solutions to game design problems.

Coding Languages: In this unit, we will take a brief look at the various coding languages available to use in computer programming for various purposes but closely in relation to game design. You will learn the differences between coding languages such as how some are easier to use and understand for programmers but may offer less control over computers. We’ll explore how some other languages are more machine-friendly, making them faster to execute and more memory-efficient, but harder for humans to understand. At the end of this module, you will have a firm understanding of the coding languages that are appropriate to use for different game design purposes.

Key Facts

• Average class size is 7
• Maximum class size of 10 students
• 1:1 Career Coaching
• Personal support and guidance for success
• Professional development workshops
• Building essential skills for success
• World-class experience

-Shared airport transfer service, which will cost £90.00 each way,