About this course: If you love games and want to learn how to make them, then this course will start you down that path. Making games is a creative and technical art form. In this course you will familiarize yourself with the tools and practices of game development. You will get started developing your own videogames using the industry standard game development tools, including the Unity3D game engine and C#. At the end of the course you will have completed three hands-on projects and will be able to leverage an array of game development techniques to create your own basic games. This course is for individuals interested in becoming a game designer, game artist, or game programmer.
Created by: Michigan State University
Taught by: Brian Winn, Associate Professor
Media and Information
| Basic Info | Course 1 of 5 in the Game Design and Development Specialization |
| Commitment | 4 weeks, 2-5 hours/week |
| Language | English |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
From Game Player to Game Developer
The only thing more fun than playing games is making them. You can make games. All it takes is some time, a willingness to learn and a passion to create. You don't need to be a "coder" to make games. Part of the beauty of games is that they take a variety of skills to make. Art, creativity, and systems thinking are just as important as code. Join us in this journey into game making!
17 videos, 7 readings
- Video: Course Overview
- Video: Meet the instructor: Brian Winn
- Video: Who is taking the course?
- Video: About MSU
- Video: Game Development Overview
- Reading: Additional Resources
- Video: Intro to Unity3D
- Reading: Troubleshooting Tips
- Reading: Download and Install Unity3D
- Video: Setting Up Your Workstation
- Video: Unity3D Editor Configuration
- Reading: Unity3D Editor Quick Reference
- Video: Unity3D Editor Walkthrough
- Reading: Additional Resources
- Video: Game Graphics Concepts - Part 1 of 3
- Video: Game Graphics Concepts - Part 2 of 3
- Video: Game Graphics Concepts - Part 3 of 3
- Video: Creating Game Graphics
- Video: Game Audio Concepts
- Video: Creating Game Audio
- Reading: Asset Creation Tools
- Reading: Asset Acquisition Resources
- Video: The Asset Pipeline
- Video: End of Week 1
Graded: Game Development Concepts
Graded: Game Engines and Unity Editor
Graded: Game Asset Concepts
WEEK 2
Intro to Unity3D Development
One of the reasons we use Unity3D is its visual editor which makes creating interactive games accessible to both creative and technical individuals. In this module, you will create your first Unity3D project from start to finish. Using a variety of graphical and audio assets and a library of scripts, you will create a simple model of our solar system. By the end of the module, you should have a good understanding of the Unity3D editor and the workflow for creating games.
12 videos, 3 readings
- Video: Project Overview
- Reading: Download Project Assets
- Video: Getting Started
- Video: Working in 3D Space
- Video: Setting up the scene
- Video: Adding Behaviors
- Video: Materials
- Video: Lighting
- Video: Audio
- Video: Cameras
- Video: Build & Deploy
- Reading: Testing WebGL locally in a Browser
- Video: Finishing Up
- Video: End of Week 2
- Reading: Additional Resources
Graded: Working in 3D Space
Graded: Materials, Audio, and Lights
Graded: Cameras, Building, and Deploying
Graded: Solar System Project Peer Review
WEEK 3
Creating Games in Unity3D
Unity3D is a powerful tool for creating games. In this module, you will create your first actual game from start to finish, called Roller Madness. This ball rolling game will introduce you to the concepts of physics, health and damage, pickups, enemies, spawners, a user interface, and a variety of visual and audio effects. This is your right of passage into game development!
17 videos, 3 readings
- Video: Project Overview
- Reading: Downloading Project Assets
- Video: Getting Started
- Video: Setting Up the Scene
- Video: Camera Setup
- Video: Project Organization
- Video: Physics
- Video: Player Control and Appearance
- Reading: Using Game Controllers
- Video: Health and Damage
- Video: Pickups
- Video: UI Basics
- Video: Game Manager
- Video: Enemies
- Video: Particles and SFXs
- Video: Animation
- Video: Spawners
- Video: Finishing Up
- Video: End of Week 3
- Reading: Additional Resources
Graded: Game Objects, Prefabs, and Standard Assets
Graded: Physics, Player Control, and Health & Damage
Graded: Pickups, UI, Game Manager, and Enemies
Graded: Particles, SFX, Animation, and Spawners
Graded: Roller Madness Project Peer Review
WEEK 4
Designing and Coding Gameplay Systems
Now, don't get scared, but games need code. Code is the canvas upon which game systems are painted. However, that doesn't mean you need to be a C# ninja. In this module, you will start to learn the ins-and-outs of programming C# in Unity. You will apply this knowledge to build a first person shooter game, called Box Shooter. By the end of the module, you will have the tools to begin to develop your own custom games!
21 videos, 3 readings
- Video: Learning to Program
- Video: Unity Programming Concepts
- Reading: Unity3D Scripting Quick Reference
- Video: Project Overview
- Reading: Downloading Project Assets
- Video: Getting Started
- Video: Movable Targets Part 1
- Video: Movable Targets Part 2
- Video: Movable Targets Part 3
- Video: Player Setup
- Video: Camera Setup
- Video: Projectile Setup
- Video: Shooting Projectiles
- Video: UI Setup
- Video: Game Manager
- Video: Play Again
- Video: Particles and SFX
- Video: Target Prefab Setup
- Video: Spawner Setup
- Video: Animated Targets
- Video: Animator Setup
- Video: Finishing Up
- Video: End of Week 4
- Reading: Additional Resources
Graded: Programming Concepts 1
Graded: Programming Concepts 2
Graded: Player, Camera, Projectiles, and Shooting
Graded: UI, Game Manager, Play Again, Particles, and SFX
Graded: Targets that Spawn and Animate
Graded: Box Shooter Project Peer Review
FAQs
How It Works
Coursework
Each course is like an interactive textbook, featuring pre-recorded videos, quizzes and projects.
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Creators
Michigan State University
Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 150 years.
One of the top research universities in the world, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery and forges enduring partnerships to solve the most pressing global challenges while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.
Pricing
| Audit | Purchase Course | |
|---|---|---|
| Access to course materials | Available | Available |
| Access to graded materials | Not available | Available |
| Receive a final grade | Not available | Available |
| Earn a shareable Course Certificate | Not available | Available |
Ratings and Reviews
Great first course to get basics down, the classes and the projects are really well thought out.
very good
Basic to intermediate course on game development.
Gives you strong knowledge on Unity based game development.
Can be completed in 1 week.
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KD
Nice course, i really like teachers lessongs, but sometimes it's kinda getting borring. I think it should be tougher.