Game Art & Design II

Overview

Game Art & Design II is the capstone year of the pathway. Students work in teams to design, build, and deliver a polished vertical slice of a game level. This year emphasizes collaborative production, advanced Unreal workflows, optimization, and professional presentation.

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Looking for lessons and assignments? See the Modules Page.

Recap — What You Should Know

Before starting this course, you should already be confident with:

  • Blender Workflows — modeling clean low-poly props, UV unwrapping, baking, and creating PBR textures.
  • Unreal Engine Basics — importing assets, setting up materials, organizing projects, and blocking out scenes.
  • Environment Design — assembling props into layouts, sculpting landscapes, adding foliage, and lighting for mood.
  • Blueprint Fundamentals — setting up simple interactions like doors, switches, or particle effects.
  • Portfolio Practices — documenting work with renders, process notes, and clear project files.

If these skills feel weak, review your Game Art & Design I environment project before moving forward.

What We Cover

Step 1 — Narrative Design & Game Design Document (Unit 1)

Draft and refine a Game Design Document (GDD).
Outline narrative, mechanics, art style, and scope for your vertical slice.

Step 2 — Team Pitch & Pre-Production (Unit 2)

Present your GDD in a pitch deck.
Form teams, assign roles, and create production schedules and asset lists.

Step 3 — Prototyping & Learning Objectives (Unit 3)

Build small prototypes to test mechanics, art style, or workflows.
Define team learning objectives and set milestones for production.

Step 4 — Vertical Slice Alpha (Unit 4)

Assemble an Alpha build in Unreal Engine.
Integrate assets and core gameplay into a playable, start-to-finish slice.

Step 5 — Vertical Slice Beta + Marketing (Unit 5)

Polish and refine systems into a Beta build.
Add lighting, audio, effects, and create marketing materials: trailer, cover art, and press kit.

Step 6 — Final Vertical Slice & Showcase (Unit 6)

Deliver a polished Final Vertical Slice.
Present your game and marketing package in a public showcase event and finalize portfolios/resumes.