Game design is enclosed under a very broad field of video game development. It refers to the use of creativity and design to develop a game for entertainment or educational purposes. Game design includes creating compelling stories, characters, goals, rules, and challenges that aim to drive interaction with other characters, users, and objects. Below you can find the list of Best + Free Game Design Courses with Certificates for further learning.
| # | Course Name | University/Organization | Ratings | Duration |
| 1. | A Complete Guide to Game Design | HP | — | 20 Hours |
| 2. | Video Game Design and Development: Video Game Character Design | Abertay University | ★★★★★ 4.6 | 04 Hours |
| 3. | The Game Design and AI Master Class Beginner to Expert | Udemy | ★★★★☆ 4.4 | 85 Hours |
| 4. | CS50’s Introduction to Game Development | Harvard University | — | 108 Hours |
| 5. | Game Design: Art and Concepts Specialization | California Institute of the Arts | ★★★★★ 4.7 | 01 Month |
| 6. | Game Design and Development with Unity Specialization | Michigan State University | ★★★★★ 4.7 | 02 Months |
| 7. | Design Board Games for Socio-Political Change | Abertay University | — | 09 Hours |
Best + Free Game Design Courses with Certificates
A Complete Guide to Game Design
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- HP via edX
- 4 weeks (3–5 hours) of effort Required!
- Course Type (Self-Paced)
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In this engaging class, you will dive into the fundamental principles of game design. You will explore concepts like aesthetics, dynamics, and mechanics along with processes and vocabulary used in the field.
- The reason why we chose this class is its focus on explaining how to dissect and critically analyze existing games. You will learn to decipher their mechanics, and design elements, and understand different storytelling techniques.
- This class is for those who wish to trace the evolution of games and learn about gaming as we know it today. With that, all those who wish to understand how to research past games can also join this class.
Video Game Design and Development: Video Game Character Design
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- Abertay University via FutureLearn
- 15,577+ already enrolled!
- ★★★★★ (46 Ratings)
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| Online Course Effectiveness Score | |||
| Content | Engagement | Practice | Career Benefit |
| Excellent ★★★★★ |
Excellent ★★★★★ |
Good ★★★★☆ |
Good ★★★★☆ |
In this course, you will understand how and why video gamers identify the characters they control. You will get a detailed introduction to character design here.
- The best thing about this course is its focus on explaining how to assess how fundamental visual, narrative and game design principles can inform the development of characters. You will develop skills that are helpful in analyzing and prototyping character design concepts.
- This course is for those who are interested in game design and development and wish to know all about it.
The Game Design and AI Master Class Beginner to Expert
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- School of Game Design via Udemy
- 69,724+ already enrolled!
- ★★★★★ (8,277 Ratings)
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| Online Course Effectiveness Score | |||
| Content | Engagement | Practice | Career Benefit |
| Excellent ★★★★★ |
Good ★★★★☆ |
Good ★★★★☆ |
Fair ★★★☆☆ |
In this course, you will be taught what AI design is and how to create incredible AI images and videos for your game and VR experiences.
- The reason why we chose this course is its focus on explaining how to create advanced 2D and 3D games, apps, and websites. You will understand how to develop for Nintendo, Xbox, PS4, PC, Mac, iPhone, and Android.
- This course is for those who wish to understand how to work in game design, visual effects, and software development.
Continue with more Free Game Design Courses with Certificates…
CS50’s Introduction to Game Development
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- Harvard University via edX
- 704,545+ already enrolled!
- 12 weeks (6–9 hours) of effort Required!
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In this class, you will learn about the development of both 2D and 3D interactive games and explore the design of games such as Super Mario Bros, Pokemon, Angry Birds, and more.
- The best thing about this course is its focus on explaining the principles of 2D and 3D graphics, animation, sound, and collision detection using frameworks like Unity and LOVE 2D. You will also understand languages like Lua and C#.
- This course is for those who wish to learn to program their own games and gain a thorough understanding of the basics of game design and development.
Game Design: Art and Concepts Specialization
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- California Institute of the Arts via Coursera
- 45,434+ already enrolled!
- ★★★★★ (2,493 Ratings)
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| Online Course Effectiveness Score | |||
| Content | Engagement | Practice | Career Benefit |
| Excellent ★★★★★ |
Excellent ★★★★★ |
Good ★★★★☆ |
Good ★★★★☆ |
In this specialization, you will learn ways to create and describe a game concept. You will be taught how to evaluate and interpret different story styles.
- The best thing about this specialization is its focus on explaining the concepts and approaches involved in creating successful character designs.
- This specialization is for those who wish to understand the foundational concepts for successful character design.
Game Design and Development with Unity Specialization
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- University of Michigan via Coursera
- 17,712+ already enrolled!
- ★★★★★ (454 Ratings)
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| Online Course Effectiveness Score | |||
| Content | Engagement | Practice | Career Benefit |
| Excellent ★★★★★ |
Excellent ★★★★★ |
Good ★★★★☆ |
Good ★★★★☆ |
This is a beginner-level specialization where you will learn the theory and practice of game-making using Unity 2020.
- The best thing about this specialization is its focus on explaining how to develop the ability to design and develop 2D and 3D games.
- This specialization is for those who wish to understand the game design and development process.
Design Board Games for Socio-Political Change
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- Abertay University via FutureLearn
- 427+ already enrolled!
- 09 Hours of effort Required!
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In this class, you will understand how to foster and support important social and political change through innovative board game design.
- The reason why we chose this class is its focus on exploring and reflecting on the wider social, political, and cultural aspects of games.
- This class is for those who wish to understand how to develop documents that transform ideas into game design concepts.