Duration:
2 years full-time
Entry requirements:
- 5 GCSEs grade 9-4 (A*-C)* including English and maths
- An appreciation of and a passion for games with a level of practical experience and/ or a Level 2 qualification in the subject area
Fees & funding:
Visit our fees & funding page for more information
How to apply:
When you're ready to apply, there's a few ways to start the process.
- Apply online - Start your application now!
- Call us on 0115 952 2075 and start your application over the phone or we can post you a paper application form
- Come and visit us at an open day and fill in your application on the day
Introduction to the course
The UK Games Industry was valued at £7.16 billion in 2021 (UKIE, 2021) with approximately 2,286 companies across the country (UK Games Map, 2022), and is one of the most competitive markets within the creative media industries.
Our Level 3 Games Technology course focuses on the creation and production of Games, 2D and 3D, using the most relevant and up to date industry standard software to bring those ideas to fruition.
Throughout a two-year programme you will be required to learn both the theoretical and practical techniques required to design, practice and produce game ready components and sequences. You will also apply industry standardised methodologies and principles into your projects.
Through individual, and group based, projects you will explore, refine and apply your skillset across the industry roles through regular feedback opportunities to allow you to develop the skills required to be successful. Not only will you have the opportunity to build your portfolio, demonstrating your technical and cognitive skills, of work but also to expand your industry contacts where appropriate.
This will culminate in presenting your work professionally as portfolio pieces to demonstrate your comprehension, advancement of skillset and application to showcase your desire to work within the games industry within the appropriate fields. Be prepared to make, and break, games.
100% of students on this course feel the teaching they receive is of a good standard. (QDP Student Survey Results 2022)
You’ll learn how to:
- Develop, and enhance, your interpersonal skills to be able to effectively, and articulately, pitch and present your ideas and projects at an industry required standard within a wide variety of roles
- Develop a comprehensive understanding of the games industry through its structure to direct and develop future career paths and opportunities
- Develop, practice and refine practical developmental skills in industry standard applications such as the Autodesk Suite and Epic Games’ Unreal Engine
- Develop a practical knowledge across a broad spectrum of Games Development tools, practices and techniques to be able to collaborate effectively with others on projects.
- Develop cognitive and problem solving skills in game design and implementation to see products from concept to production phases
- Develop, and enhance, intrapersonal skills to show adaptation and resilience to the ever changing world of games.
What you'll study:
Term 1 & 2 - Skills Development
Term one and two focus on developing your skillset in a variety of Industry Standard applications through three short, bespoke, projects. These projects look at the learning outcomes and allow you to demonstrate your approach to solve the problems set in front of you. These three bespoke projects will allow you to generate formative feedback, in the form of a working towards grade, which can collectively be used to generate your formal Skills Development grading. You will be able to focus upon each of these projects in our dedicated studio spaces to develop your skillset from the very start of the academic year.
Term 3 - Creative Project
Term three focuses upon your Creative Project. With your skillset development behind you you are set a small project brief to address the problem in front of you. You will work over the term to generate your solution and present your findings at the conclusion. This project brief will focus upon all of the practices you've learnt in your first two terms to generate your final first year piece
Term 4 - Professional Practice
Term four introduces you to your next steps and where you want to potentially progress to and will give a focus to higher education (university) and alternative options. Alongside this you will start work on developing your Industry portfolio to help you with those future job opportunities and to show your trade.
Term 5 - Creative Industry Response
Term five focuses on the largest project piece that you will work towards and account for 50% of your overall course grading. You will be set a brief and using all your experience and skillset you will need to generate your response to that brief adhering to all practices and conventions. You will push your technical skills to continue to advance your practice.
Term 6 - Personal Progression
In your final term you will focus upon finalising your portfolio pieces and getting ready for your next steps. Your portfolio will be polished and you will be in a position to take this either to university or onto your next steps.
Maths & English
Depending on your prior English and Maths attainment, you may need to improve your grade as part of your course.
You’ll have access to the latest technologies inside Confetti HQ - our digital media hub - throughout your time with us.
Our dedicated games suites have access to the software you require to complete the course, and to level up your skills, ranging from the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, Autodesk applications including Maya through to release candidate builds of Industry standard Game Engines.
Facilities can be booked outside of your studies upon the successful completion of the competency test that will be issued by your teaching team.
Student work
Celebrate
Every year we welcome family, friends and industry professionals to watch, listen, test and play the fantastic work of our college students.
Industry Week
Like no other, we go off timetable and invite some of the biggest names in the games industry (and creative industries) to deliver talks, workshops and seminars for our students. It’s a great opportunity for our students to gain invaluable insights and industry connections.
Past Industry Week guests have included:
- John Romero: The visionary behind Doom!
- Steve Austin: Animation Pillar Producer II at Cloud Imperium Games – the studio behind Star Citizen!
- Sir Ian Livingstone: The godfather of games himself – responsible for bringing Games Workshop to the United Kingdom and working at EIDOS on Tomb Raider!
- Hollie Bennett: Previously of PlayStation Access and CD Projekt Red but now at Frontier Developments
- Neil Gorton: Senior Community Manager at Bethesda UK
Continue your studies
Your time at Confetti doesn’t have to stop once you finish your college course. Choose to continue your studies on our range of foundation and full honours degrees that can help you further develop your skills and obtain the experience you need to get a head start in your career:
Future careers:
- Games Designer
- 3D Modeller
- Level Designer
- Scripter / Programmer
- QA Tester
