Computer Games Development BSc Honours

This module provides the fundamental concepts and mathematical methods required in the Computer Games Development, Smart Computer Systems, Data Science and Analytics and Computer Network Security degrees. It aims to strengthen your mathematical skills and improve your fluency in algebraic manipulation, equation solving, matrix algebra, vectors, geometry, trigonometry, transformations, calculus and statistics. The lectures will be made interactive and interspersed with hands-on worked examples and demonstrations to consolidate your understanding of a variety of problems that relate to your courses.

The module works in a group work-based learning frame, supporting you to develop your practice within an environment that functions as a small development company. It also supports you if you wish to tailor your learning to your own specialism. Using proven industry simulation techniques and collaborative practices, this module emulates team-based activity as used within the industry. Teams will develop a simulation version of an online 2D multiplayer game project in a board-game version that has robust documentation, detailed business strategy, testing functionality, ethics understanding and approval, marketing plan, and dissemination (using oral, video and written forms) to a professional stakeholders panel for acquiring production rights.

This module introduces you to how modern 3D game engines support the creation of interactive digital experiences. You will learn the core concepts, architecture and workflows behind real-time environments, focusing on how rendering, physics, audio, and event systems work together. Through a combination of lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on activities, you will gain experience using an industry-standard engine such as Unreal Engine to create small-scale interactive scenes. The module also introduces ethical, legal, and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) considerations relevant to game design and production.

The module provides a comprehensive exploration of game design by integrating theoretical concepts with practical skills crucial for the dynamic digital games industry. It equips you with a multi-disciplinary skill set, encompassing game design principles, rule creation, proficiency in asset creation tools, and a deep understanding of game art and narrative.

In addition, this module introduces Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), ethical considerations, social awareness, and Intellectual Property (IP) aspects into the curriculum applicable to game design and considerations on final project documentations. You'll not only develop technical prowess but also cultivate a strong sense of responsibility. Moreover, the module emphasises teamwork, fostering collaboration and preparing you for industry scenarios by exposing you to pre-determined requirements, mirroring the conditions you are likely to encounter post-university.

This module introduces the core concepts of programming using C++ for developing small scale CLI (Command Line Interface) games. You will build practical programming skills through hands-on coding exercises and enhance your problem-solving abilities by implementing a playable game that demonstrates your understanding of C++ fundamentals. Assessment will include both practical coursework and an in-class test to evaluate theoretical understanding of programming concepts.

This module provides practical introduction to computer programming using a high-level programming language. It covers the fundamentals of programming by introducing the basic methodology for problem-solving and program development. You will learn how to use appropriate libraries, syntax and semantics for creating and compiling source code using relevant development tools and environments. The module content includes developing skills for designing basic algorithms, datatypes, expressions, control structures, and input/output. You'll gain initial practical experience with the problem solving methodology and will be expected to implement it for writing simple computer programs.

This module covers object-oriented principles from a games development point of view. This includes object-oriented analysis and design, from the initial problem description to the creation of UML class diagrams. The designs are implemented using a standard object-oriented language, chosen according to trends in games development; the module introduces the necessary aspects of object-oriented programming, including features such as encapsulation, sub-classing, and templates/generics. Design patterns and design principles such as SOLID will be introduced and used to show how to create a robust and versatile solution. More advanced topics such as thread-based concurrency will also be touched upon.

You are offered an opportunity to learn new skills and workflows critical to professional games development, develop your subject specific skills and your broader professional skills. The deliverable is a game designed and implemented by a team based on a given brief. The module introduces you to professional software used for developing games and the required digital assets. The instruction focusing on related theories, principles, algorithms, and applications. The module demonstrates best practices and preferred workflows in using the prescribed suite of software to realise your game in the same manner as professional developers. This module is a Work Based Learning (WBL) module.

This module covers the core physics and mathematical principles that are typically required for the creation of games or other scientific applications that implement realistic physical behaviour of objects. The module covers the necessary classical mechanical principles and mathematical techniques required to simulate the physics of games objects in a high-level language. It also relates this material to the utilisation of game-based physics engines.

This module introduces students to the technical and creative skills needed to design, prototype, and evaluate the systems and mechanics that define engaging gameplay experiences. It explores how design ideas are translated into interactive prototypes using modern game engines such as Unity, focusing on rapid iteration and experimentation to refine gameplay concepts.Through practical exercises and design challenges, students learn to plan, develop, and test game mechanics that demonstrate clear functionality and player feedback. The module also examines how progression, resource management, and achievement systems influence player experience and engagement. By the end of the module, students will have produced a range of playable prototypes that demonstrate their ability to design and implement responsive, data-informed game systems in Unity.

This module provides an understanding and hands-on experience in the fields of machine learning and data mining, covering the full life-cycle from preparing data to validating and optimising the learned model. The module covers different algorithms and approaches to machine learning and data mining, and the issues of using them on data sets of different sizes and complexity.

This module provides an entry point into mobile game development, covering key aspects applicable across diverse platforms such as mobile phones, tablets, handheld consoles, and wearables. Focusing on fundamental principles, it explores UX/UI considerations, constraints imposed by smaller devices, and the development of interfaces and gameplay features optimised for mobile usage. Topics include networking, persistent storage, multi-threading, device profiling, and application deployment, offering a platform-independent understanding of essential concepts in mobile game development, ensuring a versatile skill set that is transferable across various mobile platforms.  

This module introduces you to concepts of XR (Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality) interaction, and uses an industry-standard games engine to develop assets, properties, controllers and scripting for creating interactive rich media content. This is part of the Usability and Interaction and Games and Computer Graphics Development themes for Computer Science, but is open to all courses with no pre-requisite. Supported coursework path is the production of a VR interactive media product.

The project allows you to demonstrate in applied, written and oral forms the effective use of competencies required to achieve the degree of study. Your project should reflect your individual work under the supervision of an academic mentor. It requires you to combine previously acquired knowledge and techniques with new knowledge/ideas gained from investigation and research and produce an extended piece of work related to your degree of study. This module involves the conceptualisation, design, implementation and evaluation of a substantial piece of software, process, model or experimental study. Research trends will need to include trends behind UN SDGs that support project scope. The final deliverable will include research trends and, where applicable, applied elements to support EDI in the form of end-user product accessibility, user privacy, IP, data protection and ethical considerations.

Creating robust game world environments and model individual components using logic and mathematical modelling to replicate human behaviour is one of the greatest challenges for game developers, yet the commercial success of a game is often dependent on the quality of its intelligent modelling. This module introduces an engagingly realistic and immersive experience in modern videogames for creating game terrains and simulating complex behaviour of game objects. The main focus of the module is to learn how to create an automatic random game world with metrics to generate human-like intelligent behaviours primarily in non-player characters (NPCs). The algorithms and logic covered in this module are also widely used in a variety of computing sectors which will make the module a great choice for CS students.

This module introduces you to the skills and knowledge required to build a functioning multiplayer network game and then secure it against malicious attack or data loss. You'll first explore the skills and theoretical knowledge needed to deliver a working network game that works across multiple clients. Your understanding of the subject is further enhanced by exploring the subject of Data Security and Data protection, both that of a player and the company itself. This includes understanding how the recent General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies to user data and how a business would need to manage it. Ultimately, you should complete the module with an understanding of what is required of them when handling data from a legal and ethical point of view.

Within this module, you will cover essential topics of advanced animation production (motion capture pipeline, data processing, animation blending, and incorporation of the animation in an industry-standard games engine). It also provides an understanding of the issues, technologies and concepts underlying the vision of pervasive computing infrastructure to create alternative interaction styles. The supported coursework path involves the production of an interactive, rich media product with motion capture.

This module offers an exploration of shader programming and visual effects (VFX) within the context of game development and modern digital media. You'll be introduced to shader languages, the fundamentals of HLSL or GLSL, and acquire knowledge in writing shaders to enhance graphics and lighting. In parallel, the course introduces the powerful visual scripting capabilities of Unreal Engine 5 and Niagara, empowering you to create captivating and immersive VFX for games. Through the seminar sessions, you'll be able to gain a deep understanding of shader techniques and how to integrate VFX into gameplay, creating an immersive and visually compelling gaming experience applicable to modern digital media.

The module is an individual, project-based module focusing on the application of artificial intelligence-based and innovative tools in interactive software applications. You will independently create technical demonstrations utilising generative AI, avatars, and machine-learning tools. Emphasis is placed on hands-on experience, practical application of emerging technologies, and self-directed learning. Industry trends will guide project development, fostering real-world development skills. You will refine problem-solving skills, address professional considerations, and gain insight into the ethical and legal aspects of artificial intelligence. Upon completion, you'll possess a solid understanding of the field of generative technologies and their practical applications within immersive software applications.