Contact the Program Director, Joseph Manley
Email: manley@champlain.edu
Phone: 802.865.5477
Gameplay systems, narratives, levels, quests, puzzles, worlds: become an expert in the game design areas you're most passionate about.
In Champlain's Game Design program, you'll learn to map out, develop, and create the gameplay that defines a player's unique experience.
Game design encompasses several distinct areas of the game production process that they can focus on during electives and in class projects:
Systems Design - Establish the foundational logic and mechanical plan for how a game operates and build the mechanics that bring the game world into existence.
Technical Design - Build, script and prototype game ideas and mechanics by having a solid foundation in coding. Most technical designers will minor in Game Programming.
Level Design - Create the step-by-step experience and determine parameters of play in each area in the game world. Create levels and maps that guide the player's experience.
Narrative Design - Define how the overall story is experienced by the player, through traditional narrative, dialogue, characters, and environment.
Content Design - Build quests, experiences and interactions that leverage the game's desired game play. You are building the game's world!
Generalist - Use your Game Design electives to get a solid mix of level design, narrative design, system design, programming and art.
Indie Developer - Do you want to work at a small studio? Or maybe create your own indie studio? Use your game design electives on a mix of programming, art and business classes.
As a Champlain Game Design student, you will develop extensive game design skills in your area of interest and build an impressive portfolio of collaborative work as you prepare to enter the game industry.
WHAT SETS US APART
The unique Game Studio Experience at Champlain College gives you start-to-finish game-building experience in a professional environment. You'll collaborate with your peers in each of our game majors to create playable games in a studio that parallels the processes of the industry. By the end of your four years, you'll be ready to work in a professional studio.
You will have the opportunity to present the game you create with your Game Studio team—as well as your own demo reel—to recruiters from all over the United States and Canada. Recruiters often come to the Senior Show to scout new talent, from companies like:
Insomniac | Activision/Vicarious Visions |
Behaviour | Hidden Monster Games |
Otherside Entertainment | Sony Bend |
Trivium Interactive | Ubisoft |
Velan |
Champlain College sends a cohort to the world's largest game developers conference each year in San Francisco. Game Studio faculty, students, alumni, and the Game Studio Career Coach attend the conference for professional development and networking. The Career Coach facilitates exclusive networking meetings for Champlain students with top recruiters from companies such as Ubisoft, ArenaNet, Crystal Dynamics, Survios, Insomniac, Rockstar, and Sony.
JUST THE FACTS
The 2021 Fiske Guide to Colleges selected Champlain as one of the "best and most interesting schools" in the United States, Canada, and Great Britain.
Champlain was named a "Most Innovative School" by U.S. News & World Report (for the seventh consecutive year!) in its "America's Best Colleges" 2022 rankings.
Burlington, Vermont, our hometown, is ranked the #1 Best College Town by Travel + Leisure magazine.
Champlain College graduates have so much production experience, it's like they've been in the game industry for years. I couldn't have built ‘Days Gone By’ without hiring seven game designers from Champlain College!
GO ALL IN
You'll be analyzing gameplay, exploring game development, and creating rapid game prototypes in your very first semester—so it's no wonder you'll be well qualified for career-relevant internships by your second year.
If you want to design the world's most popular video games, you'll need to understand an international audience. Studying abroad is an ideal way to explore different cultures and develop your global perspective.
YOUR FUTURE
Through our Upside-Down Curriculum, you'll start taking courses in game design in your first semester at Champlain. This early hands-on knowledge in the major is a distinct advantage, giving you more time to take on internships and soak up industry experience. Graduate with a head start on the other candidates in this competitive field—your professional portfolio and four years of relevant experience will impress employers.
Generate innovative ideas and go beyond the obvious and predefined.
Explain and justify the elements of your own presented argument, creative work, or process.
Identify various audience segments and show evidence of being able to adapt to those audiences.
Identify and anticipate new technology and rapidly adapt to the changing technological landscape.
Explore all Game Design program learning outcomes.
Game Design graduates from the Class of 2019 have accepted positions such as:
Let us know you’re interested so we can keep in touch!
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