Game design & your first playable
A fun repeatable loop gives your world a reason to exist.
- Player promise & scope
- Rules, feedback & iteration
- Production planning
Learn to make games.
By making your game.
Start with an idea. Learn the design, code, art and testing behind it. Each lab turns a concept into something you can build, explain and test in your own Unreal project.
12 practical modules36 study sessions1 original game project
Create your account →Included in Creator ($29/month) and Studio ($59/month). Your AI credits, software requirements and assets are separate.Programming & debugging
Predictable states prevent AI and mission logic from contradicting each other.
- Values, types & functions
- Events, objects & state
- Debugging & source control
Story, missions & narrative systems
Story beats remain coherent even when players explore out of order.
- Character goals & scenes
- Mission graphs & branching
- Persistence & narrative testing
Level design & world production
You can test navigation, sightlines and scale while changes are cheap.
- Scale, routes & landmarks
- Encounters & pacing
- World streaming & content budgets
3D modeling, UVs & materials
Clean UVs make textures readable and reduce seams and wasted detail.
- Geometry & collision
- UVs & physically based materials
- Import, budgets & licensing
Rigging & animation systems
Animation libraries can work across characters when proportions and poses are handled correctly.
- Rigging & deformation
- Retargeting & motion
- Animation graphs & gameplay timing
Genre mechanics & player controls
A description or AI response cannot prove that driving, football or combat works.
- Inputs & game rules
- Physics, sport & simulations
- Network authority & save systems
AI-controlled characters
NPCs need reachable paths, not just a direction toward the player.
- Perception & navigation
- Decisions & behavior trees
- Dialogue & bounded AI
Music, voice & sound design
Important cues should remain intelligible during loud action.
- Recording, editing & formats
- Spatial sound & adaptive music
- Mix, captions & player controls
Interface, accessibility & feedback
The same game can support controller, keyboard and accessible remapping.
- Information & feedback
- Widgets & focus
- Accessibility & onboarding
Lighting, performance & QA
Beautiful scenes must still run smoothly on the target hardware.
- Lighting & visual intent
- Profiling & optimization
- QA & release criteria
Packaging & shipping your game
An Unreal source folder is editable work, not yet an installable game.
- Compile, cook & package
- Access your files & run the game
- Delivery, portfolio & graduation
A finish line you can actually play.
The final assessment requires your completed labs, a current packaged Unreal game, recorded playtest evidence and clear instructions for downloading, running and editing your files. Work at your own pace; your progress stays saved.
Duke Forger’s original curriculum is a practical learning program, not an accredited qualification. For optional university material, explore MIT OpenCourseWare’s Creating Video Games. Duke Forger is not affiliated with MIT.