Game Art & Design II
Modules
Unit Five

Unit Five

Vertical Slice Build (Beta + Marketing)

In this unit, teams refine their Alpha builds into Beta builds — projects that are feature-complete, playable from start to finish, and beginning to show polish. In addition, students create the marketing materials that will support their showcase: trailer, cover art, and press kit.

ℹ️
The Beta stage proves that your game slice is ready for outside playtesting. You must also learn to present your game professionally with marketing content, just like studios preparing for a pitch or release.

Topics Covered

  • Refining core systems and fixing Alpha build bugs
  • Adding polish: improved lighting, textures, effects, audio
  • Balancing difficulty and pacing for playability
  • Preparing external playtests and gathering feedback
  • Basics of game marketing: creating a short trailer, designing cover art, writing a one-page press kit
  • Packaging Beta builds for testing

Assignments

(A5.1) Beta Build Submission (A5.2) Playtesting & Feedback Report (A5.3) Trailer Draft (A5.4) Cover Art Design (A5.5) Press Kit Outline & Portfolio Upload

Learning Report

Objectives

  • Deliver a feature-complete Beta build ready for external playtesting
  • Polish visuals, audio, and interactivity for professional presentation
  • Collect and analyze playtest feedback to refine the slice
  • Produce basic marketing materials (trailer, cover art, press kit)
  • Document progress and upload builds and materials to portfolio

Materials

  • Unreal Engine project files
  • Screen capture tools for trailers (OBS, Unreal Sequencer)
  • Graphic design tools for cover art (Canva, Photoshop, Krita)
  • Word processor or layout tool for press kit

Assessment
Students are evaluated on whether they can deliver a working Beta build, demonstrate improvements from Alpha, and produce all required marketing materials. Builds must be packaged for testing, and materials must meet professional presentation standards.

Activities
Teams polish gameplay features, refine assets, and run internal/external playtests. They design a short trailer (30–60 sec), create cover art that reflects their game’s identity, and draft a press kit with screenshots, descriptions, and credits. All outputs are submitted and added to portfolios.

Education Standards

The following standards are drawn from the 2024 AME Industry Skills Framework:

  • 2.5 — Speak and present professionally when pitching work
  • 13.2 — Effectively pitch an original concept with a visual presentation
  • 15.7 — Use music and audio to enhance storytelling and player experience
  • 16.9 — Track tasks and deliverables using project management strategies
  • 20.1 — Investigate how real-time engines are used in virtual production and marketing
Unit FourAssignment 5.1