Games Design and Creative Writing BA

This course will help you to develop your creative writing skills and focus on how they relate to games design and game play. You’ll learn about the application of traditional story and narrative design and how it applies to games design and gameplay.

Your learning will come through lectures, workshops, seminars, play sessions and tutorials. You’ll also use the online forum to discuss, share and develop your knowledge. You’ll gain confidence in sharing your ideas, giving and receiving feedback and working individually as well as in a multi-disciplinary team.

The teaching team are experts in nurturing games talent and you will benefit from their insight into the industry. You will be introduced to ideas at the forefront of the discipline as well as sharing their knowledge and understanding of professional practice. This will help to keep you up-to-date with industry developments and show you how the skills you learn on this course are applicable to the world of work.

Of course the best teachers of writing are writers and Creative Writing at Brunel is taught by successful, published writers, many of whom have international reputations. You will draw on their experience across a range of genres and you will have the opportunity to study Creative Writing to a high level.  You will develop your knowledge, understanding, and analytical and creative skills through the analysis, interpretation and creation of literary texts.

All games students will have 24-hour access to the games lab, where high spec PCs are available for you to work on and play games. You will also use the Design room, where an impressive collection of board games is available for you to learn and understand the principles of games design. This room also serves as a wonderful, collaborative space where you can play and generate ideas, work, relax and have fun.

You’ll finish this course with a skillset that will allow you to develop a game from scratch and be ready to work and thrive in the games industry.

Should you need any non-academic support during your time at Brunel, the Student Support and Welfare Team are here to help.

The combination of Games Design and Creative Writing produces ever more exciting games. Studying this course and gaining the skills and knowledge within it will give you the chance to see your narrative come alive in games of your making.

The following types of modules are offered throughout the course:

• Design modules which will help you to create strategies for generating game design ideas and projects – leading to a practical understanding of creative design
• Theory modules to help you to understand the cultural and social significance of games and their historical contexts – which will lead you to develop formal design perspectives
• Application modules which cover the communication tools used in the games industry such as presenting and prototyping skills

The Games Design and Creative Writing BA consists of compulsory and optional modules, a typical selection can be found below. Modules can vary from year to year to keep up-to-date with the games industry, but these offer a good idea of what we teach.

This course can be studied 3 years full-time, starting in September.

The games design industry is booming and it offers an excellent career path with plenty of opportunities for development and innovation. You will learn how to design and prototype your own games, write games design documents, pitch games and develop skills in digital asset creation, image manipulation and 3D modelling relevant to design roles.

The skills you’ll gain from this degree - effective communication, leadership, self-management, initiative and personal responsibility, as well as design methodology and systems - are all applicable to other sectors too. You could pursue a career in a variety of sectors, including project management, marketing and web design.

Previous students have also found roles in a variety of games studios and organisations including Rovio, Rockstar and Ubisoft. They work as junior game designers,animators, games artists and operations executives.

• GCE A-level AAB-BBC.
• BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma DMM in any subject.
• BTEC Level 3 Diploma DM in any subject, with an A-level at grade C.
• BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma M in any subject, with A-levels grade BB.
• International Baccalaureate Diploma 29 points.
• Obtain a minimum of 112 UCAS tariff points in the Access to HE Diploma with 45 credits at Level 3.
• T levels : Merit overall

A minimum of five GCSEs are required, including GCSE Mathematics grade C or grade 4 and GCSE English Language grade C or grade 4 or GCSE English Literature grade B or grade 5.

Brunel University London is committed to raising the aspirations of our applicants and students. We will fully review your UCAS application and, where we’re able to offer a place, this will be personalised to you based on your application and education journey.

Please check our Admissions pages for more information on other factors we use to assess applicants as well as our full GCSE requirements and accepted equivalencies in place of GCSEs.

• IELTS: 6.5 (min 5.5 in all areas)
• Pearson: 59 (59 in all subscores)
• BrunELT: 63% (min 55% in all areas)
• TOEFL: 90 (min R18, L17, S20, W17)  

Assessment is through practical and theoretical, group and individual, project coursework.

This way of working and assessment will give you a firm foundation and preparation for your entry into the creative industries.