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Bachelor of Arts GDS 101 – Principles of Game visual content. The course begins paper prototypes, with a focus on addresses effective email and GDS 232 – 2D Game Design Project
Design
calendar management, notification
with an introduction to the Adobe
iterative testing and refinement.
Credit Hour: 5
in Video Game Credit Hour: 3 Suite, followed by foundational skills Students will also be introduced to management, and advanced calendar Prerequisite: GDS 121, GDS 223, GDS
in Illustrator, including document
production planning, component
functionalities. Students will also gain
Design In this course students will explore creation, workspace navigation, creation, and quality assurance insights into cloud storage solutions 100, GDS 201
the fundamentals of game design,
with Google Drive and OneDrive.
and the use of various design tools.
through comprehensive testing
In this hands-on course, students
including game rules, components, Students will engage in practical and feedback. Upon completion will engage in the design and
and player-centric design principles, exercises to design logos and game of the course, students will have GDS 201 – Game Mechanics development of a 2D video game
while gaining an understanding of objects. This will be followed by practical experience in board game Credit Hour: 3 prototype using the popular game
Program Core neurological factors that influence hands-on lessons in Animate that development, along with improved Prerequisite: GDS 101 engine Unity. The course begins with
gameplay. Through practical
skills in teamwork, creativity, and
cover keyframes, object rigging, and
an introduction to the Unity interface
workshops and assignments, character animation principles such project management. This course focuses on the essential and essential functionalities, including
Compulsory Courses students will analyze various game as breathing and running. The course role of game mechanics in game asset retrieval and instantiation.
types, develop a game concept, and will also introduce students to the GDS 223 – Introduction to Unity design, guiding students to create, As students explore their creative
GDS 131 - Escape Game Project learn to present their ideas effectively. essentials of Photoshop, focusing Credit Hour: 2 explain, and justify their unique game concepts, they will develop a
Credit Hour: 3 The course emphasizes hands-on on layers, selections, and retouching This introductory course on mechanisms. Students will explore comprehensive game design
experience with design frameworks, techniques to enhance images innovative mechanics from various document and prepare a pitch for
This course introduces students such as the MDA Framework, and effectively but also ethically Unity provides students with a games and engage in designing their project. The course emphasizes
to the design and development develops the students’ ability to comprehensive foundation in video their own. Communication is also iterative development, featuring
of escape games, focusing on structure, define, and communicate GDS 102 – Prototyping Techniques game development using the Unity emphasized, with discussions and playtests to evaluate prototypes
storytelling, puzzle creation, and game concepts with clarity Credit Hour: 3 engine. Students will familiarize exercises on effectively conveying key and refine gameplay mechanics,
production. Students will work in Prerequisite: GDS 101 themselves with the Unity interface, concepts like gameplay, rules, core controls, and visuals. Through a cycle
teams to conceptualize a game GDS 132 – Level Design Workshop learn to create basic projects and gameplay, gameplay loops, objectives, of testing, feedback, and adjustment,
theme, narration, design locations, Credit Hour: 3 This course introduces students to scenes, and grasp essential concepts resources, and rewards to production students will polish their prototypes
and develop engaging puzzles. Prerequisite: GDS 100 game design prototyping techniques, such as GameObjects, components, teams and editorial decision-makers and finalize their presentations.
Through iterative prototyping, testing, starting with non-engine methods and C# scripting. Over the duration
and refinement, they will produce This course offers an in-depth study such as paper prototypes, tokens, of the course, students will engage GDS 211 – History of Video Games GDS 212 – Mobile Game Culture
a fully functional escape game. of game level design. Students and post-its, before progressing in hands-on projects which will cover Credit Hour: 3 Credit Hour: 3
Emphasis will be placed on practical will learn to structure level design to simple digital prototyping using critical skills like asset integration,
skills, including the creation of game by evaluating game elements and tools like spreadsheets and Figma. user interface design, animations, This course explores the history, This course explores the evolution
components and solving gameplay considering the macro structure of Students will conceptualize, design, and debugging tools. By the end, development, and key milestones of mobile video games from their
of the video game industry, from its
creation challenges. The course levels, with an emphasis on design test, and refine their prototypes students will have the knowledge and inception to the present day,
concludes with final playtesting and intentions and gameplay progression. through iterative processes, experience necessary to develop a origins to the modern era. Students focusing on gameplay mechanics,
will examine the industry’s major
evaluation of the completed games Students will create a comprehensive learning to apply mathematical small 2D or 3D game, utilizing Unity’s technological advancements,
level design strategy document concepts such as probabilities and core features and best practices players and technological innovations, economic models, and cultural
GDS 100 – Level Design which outlines the direction and balancing to enhance gameplay for project management and error starting with early experiments implications. Beginning with the
Credit Hour: 3 gameplay elements for each level. systems. The course emphasizes handling. through the first consoles and arcade early days of mobile gaming in
Throughout the course, students will hands-on practice, critical testing, machines. The course covers pivotal the 1990s, students will analyze
This course introduces students to develop and refine their designed GDS 222 – Office Tools and moments such as the 1983 market iconic titles, examine technological
the fundamentals of Level Design levels, incorporating feedback from and adaptation, culminating in Applications crash, the revival led by Nintendo in limitations of the era, and discuss
through hands-on exercises and testing. The course concludes with the creation and presentation of a Credit Hour:1 the 1980s, the Sega-Nintendo rivalry the role of mobile games in driving
collaborative workshops. Students will the modification, enhancement, and finalized game system prototype as of the 1990s, and the technological phone sales. The course discusses
explore the roles of a level designer, completion of a full game prototype, part of their final assessment. This course introduces students to advancements of the 32-bit and the transformation brought by
learn key concepts such as rhythm, providing students with practical GDS 231 – Board Game Project essential office tools used in modern 3D eras. Topics include gameplay smartphones, emphasizing the
variety, pacing, and progression at experience in crafting engaging and Credit Hour: 5 companies, focusing on both Office innovations, challenges in 3D design, impact of app stores and touch
both micro (within a level) and macro cohesive game levels 365 and Google Workspace. Students the maturing console market of the technology on game distribution and
(across the game) scales, and create This course offers an in-depth will explore word processing with 2000s, the rise of e-sports, online monetization strategies, including
cohesive and challenging game levels. GDS 121 – Introduction to Adobe exploration of board game design, Word and Google Docs, learning gaming, and new economic models. the rise of freemium models. The
By designing, testing, and refining Suite guiding students from the initial about interfaces, document creation, By the end of the course, students will course investigates also social and
their levels based on peer feedback, Credit Hour: 3 concept to a fully developed formatting, and collaborative features gain a comprehensive understanding competitive mobile games from 2015
students will develop practical skills prototype. Students will analyze such as headers, footers, and table of how video games evolved into onward, highlighting innovations
in level architecture, player guidance, In this course, students will explore existing games, brainstorm themes, of contents. The course also covers a global cultural and economic such as augmented reality and
spatial design, and narrative the fundamental functions and and collaborate in teams to create spreadsheet applications with Excel phenomenon cross-platform play while considering
integration, preparing them for more interfaces of Adobe Illustrator, original game ideas. The course and Google Sheets, emphasizing the influence of the Asian market on
advanced game design courses and Photoshop, and Animate, equipping covers pitching concepts, designing data entry, formulas, charts, and global trends.
applications themselves with the skills necessary game mechanics, and developing conditional formatting for data
to create, edit, and animate simple analysis. Additionally, the course
Abu Dhabi University | Undergraduate Catalog 2026 - 2027 Abu Dhabi University | Undergraduate Catalog 2026 - 2027