The Art of Gaming

8 week and 4 week courses starting from Tuesday 22nd October.

The gaming industry is booming and there are no signs of that changing as technological advances mean that virtual worlds are becoming an ever present and exciting part of our lives.
A whole generation has now grown up with the opportunities to digitally create and learn in the palm of their hands.

But what makes a good game?
This courses focuses on creative processes of game design from concept development, to character art and animation. We will look at what makes certain games so popular by exploring storytelling, characters, adventure and escapism.

We will dive into the history of video games and classic games of the past, the different genres that exist and how the way we have played has changed. We will also look to the future and think about what gaming might look like 20 years from now.

Please note this course will be art and design focused and we may touch on coding but the main projects will be based on creative art + design techniques.

We will be playing games in the Submarine studios using our large screen and projector, creating an immersive environment where students can present the games they love. From Tetris and Super Mario to Minecraft or Roblox. What kind of games do you want to design?

The technology is available to everyone to build games but can we create the ideas that will make them good.

Projects will include:

Concepts
Creating a simple game concept and making it playable - beginning with board game design techniques.

Character Design
Hero’s and Villains - What makes a great rivalry. Mario and Bowser, Sonic and Dr Robotnik, Link, Zelda and Ganon. We will design a hero and a villain character of our own. (using hand drawn and digital art techniques)

Other Worlds
Creating backgrounds and settings for your characters - learn how to layer assets and create a scrolling background.

Storytelling
Understanding how to write and link up an interactive story.

Animation
Learn how to apply movement to characters and make them move within a space - (using Procreate and Procreate Dreams apps)

Gameplay
Create your own game using Pixicade app. Bring your own game idea to life and play them together.

All games we play or explore will be age appropriate.

Each group will have its own online gallery page (and individual pages for each student too) where they can download and share all the digital work they create.

All equipment and materials included.
Students will receive digital prints of their best work and can take away all completed projects.

Submarine Terms of Service

VENUE: SUBMARINE

36 HENDERSON ROW, EDINBURGH

Class Dates 2024

1st Half
Tuesday 22nd Oct
Tuesday 29th Oct
Tuesday 5th Nov
Tuesday 12th Nov

2nd Half
Tuesday 19th Nov
Tuesday 26th Nov
Tuesday 3rd Dec
Tuesday 10th Dec