Master the skills and tools required to build indie and AAA games across all genres. From hyper-casual puzzles to immersive VR experiences, you’ll get the opportunity to develop games that entertain, inspire and challenge. You’ll dive into art, design, audio, visual scripting, the technical and theoretical aspects of game design and production.
With a hands-on approach and close industry connections, we’ll equip you with the skills to build a professional portfolio alongside a creative mindset to allow you to step into a role in the games industry. In fact, through our exclusive industry partnerships, you’ll have the opportunity to work in the games industry whilst studying towards a degree. Boomsatsuma’s Venture Studio offers you the chance to collaborate on commercial projects alongside industry professionals, building your experience and portfolio in a professional studio setting.
What you’ll learn
Course Breakdown
Our Game Design and Production curriculum is shaped to allow you to develop your skills in programming, visual scripting, 3D modelling, level design, and sound design. We have created the course around the workflows of the current games industry. Our degree course evolves alongside the industry to ensure your skills are always relevant.
Whilst studying for a degree at Boomsatsuma, you’ll be challenged through activities such as studio briefs, production sprints, playtesting, design workshops and game jams. Alongside this, you’ll learn through tech demos, spotlight seminars and specialist short courses. There is even the opportunity to work alongside our filmmaking course to try virtual production.
Equipment
Hi-spec Windows PC suite
Immersive devices
Motion capture suit
3D printing
Tabletop game collection
Unreal Engine 5
Maya
ZBrush
Substance Designer
Adobe Creative Cloud
Master game development fundamentals with Unreal Engine 5, bringing your ideas to life through Blueprints and interactive worlds. Build your skills in 3D modeling with Autodesk Maya and sound design with MetaSounds to create immersive environments. Work on hands-on projects like game jams and escape room creation, developing your design and prototyping abilities. As you dive into level design, learn how to create engaging player experiences, focusing on structure, pacing, and gameplay mechanics to craft fun and balanced levels.
Year 2
Build on the skills you’ve developed, diving deeper into game development. Focus on 3D asset creation–learning how to sculpt, model, and texture environments, items and characters. Advance your expertise in Unreal Engine 5, exploring areas like inventory systems, AI and narrative design. Through game production projects on educational and social impact games, you’ll gain practical experience while learning how games can address real-world issues. This year is about refining your technical skills and exploring how games can be used in diverse, meaningful ways.
Year 3
Focus on preparing for your career in the games industry. Gain essential insights into various roles, from game design to marketing, and learn how to present your work professionally. Explore industry pathways, including publishing and indie development, and create impactful materials like game trailers and developer bios. Push your creative boundaries by prototyping experimental game concepts and collaborate with peers to produce a polished, original game that is the highlight of your graduate portfolio.
Student Work
See the bold, original projects our students are creating. From concept to final cut, experience the talent and creativity at the heart of Boomsatsuma.
Dive into the art and science of game design and production through dynamic, hands-on activities like game jams and escape room creation. This module fosters essential game prototyping skills while encouraging a ‘test early and often’ mindset. Learn to develop game concepts that are not only fun and engaging but also grounded in compelling narratives, setting you on a path to becoming a versatile and innovative game designer.
Game Worlds
An introduction to the fundamentals of creating 2D and 3D assets for real-time engines. Through practical projects, you’ll learn core techniques of 3D modelling, digital sculpting and texturing, with a strong emphasis on optimising game-ready art. You’ll gain hands-on experience with industry-standard software whilst exploring how research can inform creative decisions, enhance design, and ensure quality.
Level Design
Learn how to craft compelling game levels. This module offers a deep dive into essential elements of level design, from structure and spatial design to game loops, mechanics, balance, pacing and progression. Explore tried-and-true methods for creating engaging levels that are as fun to navigate as they are visually captivating.
Game Engines I
The fundamentals of game development in Unreal Engine 5. Learn how to bring your game ideas to life using Blueprints – Unreal Engine’s powerful visual scripting system. Develop skills in building interactive worlds, controlling characters, implementing core game mechanics, and designing user-friendly interfaces.
3D Design and Immersive Play
Extend your skills in 3D asset creation. This module covers techniques and workflows for sculpting, modelling, and texturing – helping you produce environments, items, and characters that shine in any game world. Then take part in studio-led sessions focused on designing playful experiences for immersive technologies like virtual reality (VR). Whether you’re crafting intricate 3D objects or exploring the potential of VR, this module sets the stage for innovation and creativity in game design.
Game Engines II
Take your Unreal Engine 5 skills to the next level. Dive deep into the technical aspects of game development, including narrative systems, inventories, vehicles, and AI behaviours. Choose a specialist area to broaden your skills, such as Niagara FX for stunning visual effects, Chaos Physics for dynamic interactions, immersive audio for captivating soundscapes, or multiplayer mechanics for collaborative gameplay. This module is your gateway to mastering the tools and techniques that drive modern game development.
Games for Learning
Discover how games can be powerful tools for learning. Work as part of a production team to tackle a live brief to create a game that supports science communication, cultural heritage, training or problem-solving. Learn how to craft playful experiences that are both engaging and informative, while developing skills that help you understand unfamiliar topics quickly, design for specific audiences, conduct effective playtesting sessions.
Games for Change
Harness the power of games to inspire action, drive change and make a meaningful difference. This module encourages critical thinking and creativity as you explore how emerging technologies can address pressing societal issues in areas like public health and environmental sustainability.
The Games Industry
Prepare to launch your career in the dynamic and ever-evolving games industry. This module provides invaluable advice and guidance on building a successful future in games, whether you aspire to work in a top-tier studio or start your own indie development company. Explore professional roles and learn how to identify potential employers and game publishing routes. Gain essential skills to package and present your work effectively, including crafting compelling game trailers, teasers, promo materials, and developer bios. This module ensures you’re industry-ready, with a portfolio that stands out.
Imaginarium
Push the boundaries of your creativity with this innovative module. Imaginarium invites you to prototype an experimental game design concept that’s truly outside the box. Whether it’s a groundbreaking game mechanic, a unique interaction method, or an entirely new gameplay style, this is your chance to challenge conventions and bring your most imaginative ideas to life. Perfect for those looking to stand out in a competitive industry, this module encourages bold thinking and fresh perspectives.
Capstone Project
Showcase your skills and creativity with the Capstone Project, the ultimate culmination of your learning journey. Collaborate with fellow students to create an original, polished piece of game design and production that leads your graduate portfolio. With one semester and one dedicated focus, you’ll produce a standout project that demonstrates your technical expertise, creativity, and ability to work as part of a professional team. This is your opportunity to shine and leave a lasting impression on future employers or investors.
Prepare for Career Success
Future Skills is an innovative careers programme pioneered by Kingston University and tuned for Boomsatsuma that helps you develop the professional skills that creative businesses are looking for. Embedded within your course, Future Skills spotlights nine graduate attributes: creative problem solving, digital competency, being enterprising, having a questioning mindset, adaptability, empathy, collaboration, resilience and self-awareness.
Year 1 – Navigate
Meet students across courses during three creative challenges in film, photography and games. We’ll get you set up with a personal tutor that will help you shape a personal development plan.
Year 2 – Explore
Take part in a virtual design competition that explores the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Build skills in co-creation across disciplines, project planning, pitching and critical thinking. Revisit and refine your personal development plan.
Year 3 – Apply
Extend your professional skills by pitching a creative idea that has commercial potential. Continuing to work with your personal tutor, extend your personal development plan to life after undergraduate study.
Popular Roles
Step into roles like Level Designer, Game programmer, Game Producer or a 3D Artist. You could also explore careers as a Technical Artist, UI/UX Designer or QA/Game Tester. Each of these roles will allow you to apply your creative and technical skills to bring games to life.
Further afield, you could apply the learning to work in the surrounding fields such as medical training, or product visualisations.
taught by experts
Course Staff
HE Head of Game Design and Production
Dr Matt Deegan
HE Games Lecturer
Sam Curtis
HE Head of Higher Education
Dr Lee Scott
“Wow. All I can say is wow. This truly is a remarkable achievement, testament to your vision and research, and the dedication and creativity of the team. The images are incredible. It really gives a sense of the environment, the imposition, the integrated system and culture of it all.”
Guided By industry
Industry Collaborations
At Boomsatsuma, learning goes way beyond the classroom. From day one, you’ll be working on real projects with real industry partners
Here are just a few examples of how we collaborate with the creative world around us.
Venture Studio
Venture Studio is Boomsatsuma’s creative technology incubator that provides students and graduates with hands-on experience in a professional studio environment.
James Leach
Our Masterclass series continues with multi-talented and highly experienced games writer James Leach guiding students on a journey through his career progression.
What Our Students Say
Hear from the people living it – what it’s like, how it feels and why it matters
“Support from lecturers and working on projects with a team of my peers allowed me to specialise into my desired role while also allowing me to gain valuable insights into the roles my peers had.”
“Boomsatsuma offered me amazing industry opportunities, including paid studio work, which boosted my confidence and experience. The supportive staff genuinely care about helping students succeed, pushing me forward in both my creative and personal growth.”
“From my first year until graduation, I had many work opportunities—from designing and animating logos to supporting events and freelancing at the Venture Studio building 3D environments. These experiences helped me develop a strong portfolio and valuable skills I continue to use.”
Choose Your Future
Why Game Design and Production at Boomsatsuma?
Studio Model
Our Game Design and Production degree mirrors a professional games studio. You’ll collaborate, creative and innovate to build the skills needed for industry success
Personal Support
We keep our class sizes small so expert guidance is always available when you need it. Every student is unique, so we make sure their learning journey is too
Designed by Pros
Modules balance the creative and technical. We’ll help you become a well-rounded, adaptable games professional while supporting your path towards an art, design or development specialism
Applying?
We welcome applications from imaginative and motivated people from all backgrounds.
A range of qualifications are accepted, with common ones listed below. Applicants are also considered on an individual basis. So even if you don’t have the grades, you can contact us to talk about your options.
UCAS Tariff: 96 Points
A Level: CCC
BTEC Extended Diploma: MMM
T Level: M
Access to HE Diploma: M – 45 Credits
We interview for this course. Please see the Course FAQs below for details.
Fees and Funding
Annual fees for UK full time students studying an undergraduate degree at Boomsatsuma, awarded by Kingston University London, are as follows:
2024/25: £9,250
2025/26: £9,535
For more information about tuition fees and funding, see Kingston University’s Guidance.
If you have questions about student finance, or need some help, call us or enquire at an Open Day.
Where Are We?
Tobacco Factory
Raleigh Road, Southville, Bristol, BS3 1TF
Course FAQs
This course is validated by Kingston University London and is supported closely by Kingston School of Art. Kingston University has been recognised with a TEF (Teaching Excellence Framework) Gold award for their commitment to high quality teaching.
Kingston University awards our degrees, meaning that you’ll graduate with a degree certificate from Kingston University. Boomsatsuma follows Kingston University quality assurance and enhancement processes, including those related to assessment, course monitoring, and student feedback.
We interview for this course to make sure that you’re a great fit for Boomsatsuma and that Boomsatsuma is the right place for you. We think it’s essential to meet everyone who wishes to study here, both to get to know you better and to give you a chance to experience our approach first hand.
Interviews are in person where possible, and cover topics such as your interest in the subject, your goals, and your motivations for studying with us. You may also have the opportunity to share any recent work with our staff during the interview.
We are currently accepting transfers directly into Level 5 (year 2) of this course. If you have successfully completed, or expect to complete 120 credits at Level 4 (year 1) of your undergraduate course at another university, you may be eligible to apply.
If you’d like to transfer to Boomsatsuma, please contact us using the phone number or email address at the bottom of this webpage. We’ll talk to you about your situation, run through the details of this course, and outline the options available to you.
Whatever you’re facing – academic challenges, mental health, finances or planning your next steps – we’ve got your back. Our Student Support team is here to listen, guide and help you make the most of your time at Boomsatsuma.
We offer academic advice, wellbeing sessions, coaching and counselling, listening sessions and advice drop-ins. We can also help with applications for Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA).
Boomsatsuma doesn’t have its own halls, but we can help you with house-hunting. We provide links to trusted letting agencies and work in partnership with C J Hole to help you find the right place to live while studying.
If you’re facing financial challenges, we’re here to help. Our Student Support team can provide guidance on budgeting and exploring financial support options. Contact us at education@boomsatsuma.com to book a session with our Student Support Advisor.
While this course doesn’t include a formal placement year, it’s designed to provide industry insight at every level. We collaborate with partners to set live briefs, arrange freelance commissions and offer work experience opportunities. Industry professionals regularly visit Boomsatsuma to deliver talks and masterclasses, giving you direct access to expert knowledge and networking opportunities.
We’re well connected within Bristol’s Creative Industries and beyond – and we’re here to help you build your own connections too.
Students studying this course enrol with Kingston University and become members of Kingston Students’ Union automatically. There are also a range of Boomsatsuma clubs and societies that you can join, run by our students, alongside opportunities to participate in boom socials, trips, and networking events.
