M.A. in Game Design

Start your career in the digital industry and become a game designer, scripter, writer, Q&A lead, Community Manager, Associate Producer or Gameplay designer

A Rising Bond, students’ project winner of the PlayStation Award for Best Narrative in 2019.

Designed for all those gamers who have always dreamed of making their vocation viable professionally.

Description

Designed for all those passionate about video games who have always dreamed of turning their passion into a professional career.

Create, design, and prototype.

At U-tad, we focus on developing independent designers who are capable of conceptualizing and documenting solid game systems and incredible environments and prototyping them in the most sought-after development engines in the industry: Unity 3D and Unreal Engine 5.

Our designers will actively participate in the implementation of the development processes and stages. Our training is primarily practical, culminating in the final project of the master’s degree, where together with students from other video game master’s programs, you will form your own development studio. You will live (and suffer) the experience of creating your first video game from start to finish. This will allow you to enrich yourselves with the knowledge of your peers and gain skills like those of a professional in the industry.

Career opportunities

Game Designer
Level Designer
Gameplay Designer
Scripter
Writer
Gamification Designer
Mechanics Designer
Game Journalist
Project Manager Assistant
Associate Producer

Admission Requirements

Ideal Student Profile:

Professionals looking to specialize in video games and interactive digital entertainment.
Individuals interested in creating and developing video games, eager to gain deep knowledge of game rules, mechanics, and internal workings.
Self-taught designers and game conceptualizers.

Where our alumni work

Our students are highly valued by the industry.

We have a Professional Development Service that helps facilitate their incorporation into various companies that contact us looking for highly specialized professionals. Our students work at companies such as Reflections, Rockstar North, Ubisoft, Novorama, Mediatonic, Tequila, Ericsson, Genera Games, King, Mercury Steam, PlayGiga, Splash Damage, Purple Lamp Studios, Rebellion Developments, Elite 3D, Pendulo Studios, Gameloft, Saber Interactive, Smartick, Black Forest, and more.

Partner companies

Study plan

Location: U-tad
Modality: On campus
Schedule: Monday-Friday (6:00 PM – 10:00 PM) until February 28 / March 1 to June 15 Monday-Thursday (6:00 PM – 10:00 PM) CET
Duration: 1,000 hours: October-October
Language: Spanish

Course 1

COURSE NAME

FUNDAMENTALS

Video Game Analysis

Video Game Logic

Production Fundamentals

Publishing

Graphic Fundamentals

Art Direction

VIDEO GAME DESIGN

Mechanics

Dynamics

Video Game Design

Level Design

TECHNICAL BASICS

Scripting Fundamentals

Programming Fundamentals

Unreal Engine

Unity

SPECIALIZATION

Gamificación

Narrative Direction

WORKSHOP

Professionals Skills Workshops

PROJECT

Master’s Thesis

The content of the curriculum and faculty may be modified according to academic needs

Competencies

Visualizing, designing, planning and developing the design of a video game, from its conception to its completion.
Tackling interactive product design on any platform or medium in the interactive entertainment industry.
Controling the production process, from the conceptualization to the marketing.
Mastering the narrative, usability and user experience, and methodologies to create and maintain the emotional experience of a video game.
Implementing the mechanics and features of product design using the core techniques and tools of video game development, including tasks such as: level creation, interface, characters, progression and difficulty curves, economy and monetization.
Conceiving, conceptualizing and communicating all aspects of video game design, from the fundamental building blocks to the finer details.
Designing and transfering video game concepts to other industries (Gamification).
Understanding game design techniques and mechanics for problem solving in other domains.

Faculty

Guillermo Jiménez Ortiz

Director of the Master’s in Game Design
Lead Game Designer at Tequila Works

Víctor Cerezo Olmo

Video Game Dynamics and Mechanics Teacher
Senior Game Designer at Electronics Arts

Belen Gómez

Serious Games, Gamificación and Publishing teacher
Serious Games Evangelis at Lingo Kids

Students' projects and awards

Your Project: Your Best Professional Presentation

The audiovisual entertainment sector, and video games in particular, is an industry that requires highly skilled professionals. The best way to showcase that preparation is through a high-level portfolio. Since U-tad replicates the practices and workflows of a professional studio, the students will not only gain knowledge but also adopt the working mechanics of the industry. The Master’s Final Project is a group project developed alongside students from other master’s programs, forming a real studio within the university. Creative decisions are made by the students, but they receive continuous and constant assistance from a team of professionals with proven industry experience.

Intruders Hide and Seek

BlackStorm

Disembodied

Greyfall

Awards for Talent

U-tad is the Spanish educational centre with the most PlayStation Awards, with no less than fifteen in the last seven years. The first to achieve this was Rolling BOB, which won the “Innovation Award” and became U-tad’s first game to be sold on the PS4 Store. We’re now aiming for our sixth award. Among these awards stands the renowned Intruders: Hide & Seek (also available on Steam), along with Khara, Inglorious (known as Tribute of Rage during its university stage), Rascal Revolt, and Windfolk, one of the stars of Sony’s 2020 Gamescamp. All of these can be downloaded from the PS4 online catalog (both Rolling BOB and Intruders also have physical copies in stores). No other university in Spain can produce projects of such a high level. At the Titanium Awards of the BIG/Fun&Serious Festival, Europe’s reference in the industry, we have been distinguished with the award for Best University Project for seven consecutive years. We have also triumphed at prestigious events such as Gamelab, Gamingfest, Gamepolis, IndieSummit, Game JamOn, and Indie (Mad), competing not only against other university projects but also against commercial projects from established studios. Internationally, we have earned four awards at the world-renowned SXSW Creative Festival in Texas, making us the only Spanish educational centre to not only win but also be nominated multiple times.

Students' feedback

In short: I am where I am thanks to the master's project I developed with my teammates. We learned a lot in the process and not only on a technical level. We learned how a real videogame studio works, dealing with production issues and all it entails, as well as teamwork between different departments, achieving objectives and milestones, etc.

Jorge Gómez Povedano Cloud Imperium Games

Without my year at U-tad, it's hard to imagine that I would have had access to top studios in the industry. During the master’s program, I learned to work in a development team under the supervision of the experienced teaching team. This enabled me to develop my professional and personal skills.

Enkeo Orio Game Designer at Asobo Studio

The work you do alongside peers at U-tad, guided by experienced faculty, gives you a great perspective and an advantage when it comes time to look for a job in the industry. Everything I learned was fundamental in securing my first job Tequila Works, and still sticks with me at my job at CI Games.

Gustavo Alurralde Technical Designer CI Games

My time at U-tad: A year in which "going to class" meant meeting with teachers as nerdy as I am and learning as much as possible. I would absolutely do it again. What contributed the most to my career: graduating from my master's degree with a commercial project for PS4 already in development.

Pablo Lafora Rey Mission Designer at Black Forest Games

The Master's degree was the push I needed to break into the industry. The Master's thesis was the perfect showcase of my skills and an incredible opportunity to meet people.

Antonio Villaescusa Martín Technical Game Designer at Digital Extremes.

During my studies at U-tad, I took part in a project through which I learned the basics necessary to work in the industry.

Dámaris Herrera Game Designer at Saber Interactive

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Frequently Asked Questions

What do you study in the M.A. in Game Design?

You will learn to design and prototype video games from scratch, creating solid game systems, balanced mechanics, and engaging interactive experiences. You’ll master industry-standard tools such as Unity 3D and Unreal Engine 5, and gain the skills needed to become a well-rounded designer capable of contributing to all stages of development—from concept to implementation.

What career opportunities does this program offer, and where do graduates work?

The master’s program prepares you to work as a Game Designer, Level Designer, Gameplay Designer, Scripter, Narrative Designer, Gamification Specialist, or Project Manager Assistant. Our graduates have been hired by international studios such as Ubisoft, Rockstar North, Splash Damage, Mercury Steam, Gameloft, Tequila Works, King, Digital Legends, and Reflections, and are actively involved in globally recognized game development teams.

Who is the Master's in Game Design for?

It is designed for creatives, designers, writers, or digital entertainment professionals who want to specialize in video game design. It’s also ideal for self-taught individuals and game design enthusiasts who are eager to master the rules, mechanics, and dynamics that define the inner workings of a professional video game.

How much time does it take to study the M.A. in Game Design?

It has a duration of 600 hours, delivered in-person from October to June. Classes are held Monday to Friday, from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM CET, on the U-tad campus, making it easy to combine with other professional or academic activities.

What is the program's methodology?

The methodology is based on practical and collaborative learning, with a strong focus on the real-world environment of video game development. Students work in teams alongside programming, art, and animation profiles, replicating the structure of a professional studio, under the supervision of a faculty composed of senior designers from companies such as Electronic Arts, Stage Clear Studios, and Lingokids.

What kind of projects do students develop?

You will develop a complete video game as your final project, working collaboratively with peers from other master’s programs. This experience will replicate the workflow of a real studio, allowing you to build your professional portfolio and face the same challenges encountered by industry developers. Many of these projects have been recognized and awarded in industry competitions and festivals.

Can I study the master’s program and work at the same time?

Yes, the program offers flexible schedules (Monday to Thursday, from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM CET), allowing you to study and work simultaneously