Introduction To Game Design And Development Stanford

best game development programming course class certification training online

20+ Experts have compiled this list of Best Game Development and Programming Course, Tutorial, Training, Class, and Certification available online for 2021. It includes both paid and free resources to help you learn Game Development and Programming and these courses are suitable for beginners, intermediate learners as well as experts.

8 Best Game Development & Programming Courses, Certification, Training, Tutorial & Classes Online [2021 NOVEMBER] [UPDATED]

1. Unreal Engine C++ Developer Course (Udemy)

In this comprehensive course, you will learn the game industry standard language, C++ from the fundamentals. Explore the design principles, sound effects, and audio to add depth to your development process. Along with this, the practical lessons give you the opportunity to develop multiple video games that will give you an overview of how the development process works in the industrial scenario.

Key USPs-

– Learn to navigate Unreal Engine interface and editor to create epic landscapes.

– Write code that is clean and easy to understand.

– Gain the best practices and advice from the instructor.

– Incorporate artificial intelligence behavior to enhance the final output.

– 337 Lectures + 9 Article + 11 Downloadable resources + Full lifetime access

– Attempt sectional chapter quizzes to check your grasp on the topics covered.

Duration: 59.5 hours

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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2. Learn C++ for Game Development (Udemy)

Udemy offers a professional course on game development with C++ to help students upgrade their coding skills. The course covers the basics and provides the practical implementation of all the functions, loops, and data structures required to build a game's coding structure. From studying the Input / Output Streams, Variables, to Static, virtual, Dynamic Memory, and Header Files, you'll cover all the crucial aspects of game development. Moreover, the course includes video game development in Unreal Engine, Lumberyard, and other frameworks with the help of C++. The course is a perfect fit for beginners as well as experienced individuals. Don't forget to check our list of Best Game Design Courses.

Key USPs –

– Get an overview of C++ fundamentals that include functions, loops, libraries, and other crucial aspects of the game development.

– Learn to do programming with Unreal Engine using C++ and implement the functions, variables, scopes, and other tools.

– Learn and adapt the theoretical and practical aspects related to C++ game development along with real-time sessions.

– Understand the working of various C++ programming concepts and hierarchy while compiling the code structure for building games.

– Be able to program video games in Unreal Engine, CryEngine, Lumberyard, and other game engines.

Duration: 12-13 Hours

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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Review: It is a great course; I really did not know anything about programming and this course really help me to learn and understand it. – Dayne.

3. C# Programming – Unity Game Development Certification (Coursera)

Coursera bring you this specialization for programming Unity games using C#. The initial videos are designed in a way so that they do not need any coding experience. Throughout the duration of the series of lectures, you will gain an understanding of the basic concepts before using them to develop robust games using object-oriented designs. You will also explore topics such as event handling, adding menus and more. At the end of the program, you will implement your acquired skills on the capstone project from developing the initial idea to implementation.

Key USPs-

– The course guides you through the nuts and bolts of this essential language along with additional necessary topics.

– Perform testing on the final product as well as different levels of development to analyze the response and efficiency.

– Familiarize yourself with the tools and software to enhance performance.

– The final project can be used to enhance your resume and attract potential organizations.

– Complete all the graded assessments and assignments to earn the completion badge.

Duration: 5 months, 5 hours per week

Rating: 4.8 out of 5

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4. Game Design and Development by Michigan State University (Coursera)

Designing games is a crucial part of the complete process of putting the final product out there in the industry. In these lessons, you will take a look at the theoretical and practical aspects of video game production using the Unity 3D engine. Explore the techniques to develop your ideas into tangible concepts, prototype and test them. The videos also talk about the method for navigating licensing, marketing and other business considerations. Upon the completion of the specialization, you will be able to apply for profiles such as gameplay designer, technical artist, programmer, producer and more.

Key USPs-

– As this is an intermediate level class, therefore, some relevant understanding of the basics may come in handy.

– The complete material is broken down into 5 parts.

– The instructor explains the concepts at the perfect pace which makes it easy to follow along.

– There are plenty of quizzes and assignments for practice and measuring your grasp of the topics.

– For the capstone project develop an original game and get feedback from industry professionals.

– Attend guest talks from experts to gain best practices and advice.

– Complete the projects and regular assignments to mark the course as complete.

Duration: 6 months, 5 hours per week

Rating: 4.6 out of 5

You can Sign up Here

Review: Very great course. The instruction is spot on, allowing me to listen while I work without the need to actually watch the video. Definitely worth it for novices and even intermediate level developers. – Dayne.

5. Complete C# Unity Developer 2D Course (Udemy)

With the advancement in technology, gaming has come a long way and development of gaming product has become one of the most sought-after profession. Learn to create video games using Unity. Commence the lessons with simple concepts and build a solid foundation before progressing towards complex ones. As the course is project based so there are plenty of chances to practice the topics and techniques covered in the videos.

Key USPs –

– No prior experience is required to enroll in this certification.

– Learn C# from scratch, work on design and development and develop highly transferable coding problem-solving skills.

– Be a part of an amazing and supportive community of people similar to you.

– Build several games such as Laser Defender, Glitch Garden, TileVania and more.

– 380 Lectures + 18 Articles + Full lifetime access + 66 Downloadable Resources

– By completing this program you will be able to go freelance or apply to relevant profiles.

Duration: 62 hours

Rating: 4.6 out of 5

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6. Become a Game Designer: The Complete Series Coding to Design (Udemy)

It is one of the successful courses on Udemy that is prepared to help you learn 3D game design, Master Unity, 2D game design, coding, game development, 3D animation, programming, level design, and much more. This course will extensively train you on segments like Maya, Unity, Mudbox, 3-DS Max, and Photoshop. It is specially curated for people who want to create & publish their games and are fascinated with working in the game design industry. It is created by instructors of The School of Game Design, and they offer 16 downloadable resources with lifetime access along with a certificate once you finish the course.

Key USPs –

– Learn to create advanced 2D/3D games and applications and develop games for Nintendo, Xbox, PS4, PC, Mac, iPhone, and Android.

– Gain knowledge from an expert perspective of the Unity game engine along with Maya, 3DS MAX, Mudbox, digital painting in Photoshop.

– Grab the opportunity to work in game design, film, or software development and build & publish your games and apps once you finish the course.

– Get access to downloadable materials, practical exercises, and other study material to test your knowledge with lifetime access to course content.

Duration: 84 hours

Rating: 4.3 out of 5

You can Sign up Here

Review: That course is really good for beginners, would definitely recommend. – Sid Karthik.

7. Learn To Create An RPG Game In Unity (Udemy)

Created by an excellent professor, James Doyle, this game development course will provide you the skills required in the game development process. Taking up this progression will help you learn C# – a modern & versatile programming language, develop strong solving skills, understand 2D development in Unity, and much more. The instructor will help you learn full character movement, develop a dialog system, stat-tracking & leveling up, shop system, creating tile-based maps in Unity, and other techniques required to make a game from scratch. You will get access to downloadable materials, practice exercises, graded assignments, lifetime access, and completion certificates during the classes.

Key USPs –

– A beneficial course for individuals who want to make 2D games, create their own gaming graphics or have an interest in learning game development.

– Learn how to create and program a classic RPG game with the fundamentals of C# and Unity.

– Know how to make a full top-down character movement, create tile-based maps in Unity, turn-based battles with enemies, boss battles, quest management.

– Gain knowledge about the game development process, object-oriented programming work in practice, and capabilities of 2D development.

Duration: 18 hours

Rating: 4.6 out of 5

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Review: This course was a great way to build my beginner knowledge of c# programming as well as game development. There were a few obstacles, but it gave me satisfaction when I figured it out. – Chris Lewandowski.

8. Unreal Engine Blueprint Game Developer (Udemy)

This is a step-by-step video tutorial that can help you code your first video game in 100 minutes with the help of Visual Scripting. The course is created by Ben Tristem, Sam Pattuzzi, and GameDev.tv Team in collaboration with Epic Games. It is designed to help you cover the concepts that you need to learn to make games without writing traditional code using Unreal Engine 4 and Blueprints. During the classes, the instructors will teach you the foundations of a successful game development process, show Unreal and Blueprint featured needed, and challenges in applying and re-applying your knowledge while creating a game. Do have a look at our compilation of Best Game Music Courses.

Key USPs –

– Know how to develop a game using the Unreal Engine 4 editor and program using Blueprints without needing to write code.

– Learn to create and package playable game projects, model basic levels in BSP, and understand how to use the Unreal Editor interface.

– Learn to model basic levels in BSP by editing geometry and using Unreal powerful lighting system.

– Populate your levels with characters that are fully coded through blueprints like pickups, cannons, projectiles & more.

Duration: 10.5 hours

Rating: 4.7 out of 5

You can Sign up Here

Review: Great course with a lot of interesting topics. I got a good starting point, how to start developing with blueprints in the Unreal Engine. – Markus Petz

9. Game Development/Art – Create a 2D Action Game with Unity/C# (Udemy)

This comprehensive game development course will provide you with all the concepts that'll help you create a 2D top-down shooter using Unity, C#, and Ps/Gimp in this course. Enrolling in this curriculum will help you learn to sketch and paint 2D game actors, import them inside Unity, rig them, and animate them, such as attack animations, run cycles, ideal animations, and much more. The course is designed by Noa Calice, who had made a dozen games using Unity and C# in both 2D and 3D. He will help you throughout the course to offer assistance and build your concepts for the game development process.

Key USPs –

– Learn to sketch and paint 2D game characters and create exceptional 2D game animations using Unity.

– Know how to make a player character that moves around an environment and shoot projectiles and learn to program AI behaviors for several enemy game characters using C#.

– Get to code a customizable enemy wave spawner, create a multi-staged boss fight using state machine behaviors.

– Know how you can create epic particle systems & sound effects and learn to make a whole game from scratch using Unity, C#, and 2D application like Ps or Gimp.

Duration: 10.5 hours

Rating: 4.7 out of 5

You can Sign up Here

Review: I am really enjoying this one. loving it. Thank you 🙂 – Koushika Vasudevan.

10. Make your First 2D Game with Unity & C# – Beginner Course (Udemy)

If you want to learn 2D game development with the help of Unity framework and C#, this course on Udemy is an excellent choice for you. To begin with this program, you need a basic understanding of Unity and the fundamentals of C# programming. The course will present you with an overview of C# basics that will help you code for a 2D game, manipulate objects, and utilize key programming tools. You will also learn to implement variables, loops, arrays, and other Unity features of the user interface. Beginners can quickly kick-start their careers after adopting this course while achieving objectives.

Key USPs –

– Grasp a complete understanding of C# fundamentals and while exploring the critical areas of coding to implement them.

– Understand the purpose of different features in the Unity game development framework before implementing them in 2D game development.

– Learn how to make game art and animations, create a simple game in Unity from A to Z, and make simple UI and add sounds to your game.

– Learn the creation of animations and other creative graphics in the game development using different tools of Unity.

– Enhanced learning experience with fun programming challenges based on Unity game development C# programming language.

Duration: 4-5 Hours

Rating: 4.4 out of 5

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Review: Great duo! Smooth transitions and digestible chunks per lesson. Would recommend it to anyone who appreciates quick visual results from scripts. – Joshua Kidu.

11. Computer Science for Game Development by Harvard University (edX)

This professional certificate introduces you to the common programming languages and all the key topics required to design and develop your game. After you have a built basic knowledge you will get introduces to game programming itself. Explore the design of classic games as well as newer ones such as Angry Birds and Portals to get an in-depth understanding of how video games are built. In addition to all these, you will also learn about 2D and 3D computer graphics, animation, sound, and collision detection and use frameworks like Unity and LÖVE 2D, as well as languages like Lua and C#.

Key USPs-

– Concepts like abstraction, algorithms, data structures, encapsulation, resource management, security, software engineering, and web development

– Work on including C, Python, JavaScript, SQL, CSS, and HTML

– The hands-on lessons give you the chance to put your theoretical knowledge into action.

– Complete guidance is provided to perform the necessary installations of the software and tools.

– You can learn at your own pace with the flexible schedule.

– Earn the certification by completing the projects, assessments, and assignments.

Duration: 2 courses, 11 weeks per course, 8 to 16 hours per week

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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12. Professional Game Development Training (Game Institute)

If you want to become a skilled game developer with advanced training, then these course from Game Institute is all you need. There are multiple courses on this platform that can help you enhance your game development skills while developing a strong foundational knowledge of the basics. Enrolling in these courses will allow you to take advantage of the most extensive collection of instructional material, tools, and source code available throughout each class. You'll learn about multiple programming languages and tools for game development such as C#, C++, Photoshop, Art and Animation, etc. After course completion, you can earn a digital certificate from the top universities that offer this game development program.

Key USPs –

– Comprehensive game development courses prepared with step-by-step instructions across a wide variety of subjects involved in gaming.

– Get the absolute top-level of the educational content in the industry while keeping everything in your budget.

– Download commercial-grade game projects, assets, and source code to work with and integrate into your own games and experiences.

– Work with commercial-level game projects that will help you develop real games with tech demos.

– Study from your home with no pressure, and whatever time you need to work your way through the lessons.

Duration: Self-paced

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

You can Sign up Here

13. Online Game Development Classes (Skillshare)

Skillshare is another excellent e-learning platform that can help you begin your journey in game development. It offers multiple classes and tutorials on game development to help you cover the basics and core concepts. For instance, you can learn to create games from scratch with Unity, Roblox scripting, and other essential applications of game development. Some of the best classes available on the platform are C# for beginners, The absolute beginner's guide to learning unreal engine 4, Ultimate guide to C# and Unity 3D, and many more. Each class is equipped with high-quality video demonstrations, quizzes at the end of the session, and practical assignments to improve your learning experience.

Key USPs –

– Get access to the best game development classes prepared by some of the best instructors in the industry.

– Learn the essential of C#, how to code C#, and how to utilize it to create compelling and dynamic games.

– Understand and gain knowledge of essential tools required for game development, such as Blender 3D, Unity 3D, Roblox, C#, and many more.

– Learn how to make a Minecraft mod, a 2D platformer video game with Unity and PlayMaker, 3D models with Blender, etc.

Duration: Self-paced

Rating: 4.4 out of 5

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14. Free Online Game Development Courses (Alison)

This is another valuable e-learning platform to learn game development. Alison offers multiple free game development courses focused on improving your tactics and existing knowledge. Taking up these classes will help you learn the skills required to become a competitive player in the online gaming industry. With these courses, you'll get access to HTML5 Game Development classes that will help you create non-player characters for your game and inventories. The courses are prepared with step-by-step instructions while keeping end-user requirements in mind. Once you finish the course with given practicals, you'll earn a digital certificate that can be shared with employers to display your skills.

Key USPs –

– A list of free game development courses and training sessions to help you begin your journey in developing excellent online games.

– Learn about HTML5 fundamentals and how it can be used to develop multiple characters, run and debug web browsers, and more.

– Learn how to build bots with Microsoft Bot framework, Windows 10 app development, and work with inventory system.

– Enroll yourself in additional training courses to learn and understand how to program bots to run automated tasks over the internet.

Duration: Self-paced

Rating: 4.4 out of 5

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15. Game Design: Art and Concepts Specialization by California Institute of Arts (Coursera)

Offered in collaboration with Calarts, this specialization will help you upgrade your game designing skills with the latest concepts. The specialization consists of four courses that are entirely oriented towards the conceptualization of the games. It will introduce you to story building, developing multiple characters and their roles, aligning the design components, and determine loopholes. Students will know the key responsibilities of a gaming artist as they explore the methodologies of building attractive games. The specialization is conducted by the industry's best instructors and experienced professionals, who will guide you to choose the right step for conceptualizing game designs.

Key USPs –

– Understand the significance of conceptualization in game designing and gaining knowledge of different ways used to do it.

– Learn the art of storytelling while building video games based on intent and purposes using various designing tools.

– Be able to take conceptual risks and develop new modes of expression and form through gaming with continuous encouragement from instructors.

– Put your learned skills to work by generating an engaging game design document for a personal game project, aesthetic elements of a game while outlining the concepts.

Duration: 6 Months

Rating: out of 5

You can Sign up Here

16. Introduction to Game Design by California Institute of Arts (Coursera)

Coursera avails a professional course on introduction to game design, which is a part of the specialization mentioned above. The course is a perfect fit for individuals looking to start their career in game development. It includes the development of simple games, concepts used to make game objects, basic programming logic, and utilization of game development frameworks. You will also get all the expertise from the instructors and experienced professionals along with career guidance. The course underlines all the crucial factors that need to be utilized to build basic and advanced level games. You may want to check our take on Best Game Maker Courses.

Key USPs –

– Learn and discover the fundamental concepts and logic used to develop basic games and advanced-graphic gaming experience.

– Understand the significance of game development, like what defines a game, the mechanics, and the rules behind various types of games.

– Know about multiple rules involved in the story line-up of a game without affecting the overall structure.

– Understand the importance of storytelling in a game and aligning objects to complete the structure of the game design.

– Practical experience of structuring games using different development tools and frameworks by implementing learned skills.

Duration: 6 Hours

Rating: 4.7 out of 5

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Review: It was helpful as it showed me several tricks and tips on how to create a story and properly balanced a game. While also showing me how other people could complete something with different ideas. – Josue B.

17. Best Unity Courses & Training (Digital Defynd)

We bring you the top 10 compiled programs and tutorials on Unity to get you started with a career in game development. There are plenty of options for both new and experienced learners. Get familiar with the interface, C# scripting, AI pathfinding, animation, and programming workflow and more. The practical assignments accompanying the theoretical classes make sure that you 'learn by doing'.

Key USPs-

– Work on projects to understand the development requirements in real life scenarios.

– Exercises and interactive quizzes make the learning a fun experience.

– Taught by different experts, these lectures help you to gain an array of perspective towards the topics.

– Understand the different concepts of data structures and design patterns.

Duration: Self-paced

Rating: 4.7 out of 5

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18. Unreal Engine Training Bootcamp (Digital Defynd)

Unreal Engine is one of the most famous suites of integrated tools for game development among developers. Digital Defynd brings to you the compiled list of top 8 courses, tutorials, and training that are available on the e-learning platforms out there. There are options for both Windows and Mac OS. Cover the foundational topics of C++ in addition to building your first batch of video games.

Key USPs –

– Learn to build a realistic environment to create the perfect gaming experience.

– Cover additional topics such as importing 3D objects, packaging games and more.

– Clear instructions are provided for necessary installations and configurations.

– Work on projects like Pinball and Survival and get the latest versions.

– The lessons are updated regularly to keep up with the advancement in the field.

Duration: Self-paced

Rating: 4.7 out of 5

You can Sign up Here

19. Game Design Courses & Classes Online (Digital Defynd)

With the upgradations in the tools and software, character and story development have become key factors in deciding the success rate of gaming products. If you feel like that designing game is your calling, then choose from this list of choices compiled by numerous experts. Build a strong fundamental to use simple elements to run your code, balance the different components, and brainstorm ideas. Gain an understanding of digital painting, character design, sketching, blender among the top topics to complete your learning experience and enhance your skills.

Key USPs-

– Know how to design your first computer game with Stencyl.

– Learn about storytelling, character creation, 3D modeling, and prototyping.

– Complete instructions are given to navigate the tools and how to use them to write the code.

– Incorporate artificial intelligence and other modern technologies to create a smart and enhanced gaming experience.

– Take your pick from both free and paid options.

Duration: Self-paced

Rating: 4.6 out of 5

You can Sign up Here

So these were the Best Game Development and Programming Tutorial, Class, Course, Training & Certification available online for 2021. Hope you found what you were looking for. Wish you a Happy Learning!