Games Art with Foundation BA Honours

Critical thinking is fundamental to our ability to progress in an increasingly complex and changing world. It is an essential skill across a range of academic and practice-based disciplines.

This module helps you understand the importance and function of critical thinking both at university and beyond. By working in partnership with academic staff and peers, you will explore how critical thinking aligns with disciplinary practices, shapes scholarly knowledge, and addresses inequalities. Through problem-posing education and anti-racist practices, you will engage with real-world problems, fostering the ability to create a more just and sustainable world.

This module provides you with an opportunity to develop a broad understanding of the key working methods, concepts and principles of the Art and Design disciplines within the Foundation course. You will be challenged to complete a sequence of short projects, working across a range of techniques within the subject disciplines. Self- evaluation and documenting your learning are both important elements of this process, and you will be learning by doing.

This Semester 2 module deepens and consolidates the fundamental skills, approaches and processes of Art and Design research and practice developed in Semester 1 through a practical Extended Project. It helps you to develop your creative practice, based on iterative practical, technical and contextual research, and undertaken through a negotiated project. With an overarching theme set across disciplinary pathways, you will work within a chosen discipline, with group and individual tutorial support, to develop a project proposal in response to the initial brief that after approval is realised through a body of work aimed at presentation in a public exhibition.

This Semester 1 module introduces fundamentals of Art and Design practice and research. It helps you to develop your individual creative practice based on an understanding of visual and contextual research processes through structured studio, research and technical activities.

This module introduces you to the key academic, professional, and personal skills essential for success at university. It encourages good practices in writing, presentation, and time management, while also fostering reflection to help you build confidence as you transition to higher education. Open to all students enrolled in courses delivered through Westminster Foundation Pathways, the module provides a creative and supportive environment where you can reflect on and develop your academic and professional journey. You'll work with specialist facilitators who play a crucial role in guiding your academic and professional development.

With a focus on managing academic choices in a higher education setting, the module emphasises the importance of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), using methodologies that prioritise equality, diversity, and inclusion. Through these lenses, you'll explore topics that prepare you to address real-world challenges as highlighted in the SDGs in a socially conscious, inclusive, and responsible manner.

Following the Art and Design modules of Semester 1, this module provides you with the opportunity to engage with some of the key themes and practices of Art and Design disciplines. You will be challenged to complete several projects of approximately one month’s duration, selecting techniques and working methods from the available disciplines. Self-evaluation and documenting your learning continue to be important elements of this process, and you will be learning by doing.

This module introduces you to the practice and production of 3D computer and video games art. You will consider some of the principles and methods used to create objects as assets for game environments. To do this, you will look at simple briefs and consider the different ways in which a brief for a game can be interpreted creatively. You will then learn how to use 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional tools to create 3D game assets in response to a brief.

This module introduces you to the creative and professional practice of concept art across games, film, and related creative industries. You will develop your ability to communicate visual ideas through a range of traditional and digital techniques while exploring the role of research, iteration, and presentation in visual storytelling. You'll investigate how historical, cultural, and global perspectives shape visual languages and production contexts, and how awareness of inclusion, representation, and audience can inform creative choices. Through workshops, research-led visual studies, and iterative creative projects, you will produce original concept work that demonstrates both creative intent and contextual understanding.

This module introduces you to the foundational creative and professional principles of games art and design. It provides a shared understanding of how visual, structural, and interactive elements combine to shape player experience. You will analyse existing board and tabletop games to understand the relationship between aesthetics, mechanics, and narrative. You will then design, prototype, and document an original board game that responds to a UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), developing creative confidence through practical making and playtesting. Through this the module encourages curiosity, experimentation, and reflection on how games can communicate values and support positive social change. Alongside this the module will prepare you to engage with the professional environment of the games industry. You will explore the roles, skills, and career pathways within games, and develop early professional materials such as a CV, online presence, and reflective career plan.

This module introduces you to the design and implementation of mechanics within a game engine. You will consider the role of game design in the game development pipeline, and explore the principles and methods used to create mechanics within a game. To do this, you will look at a client brief and use this to develop a simple game-related artefact. You will also consider how to adapt a design to make it accessible for a diverse range of users.

This module introduces you to core game development concepts of level design and environment art. You will consider some of the principles and methods used to design a level for a game and then concept and develop the game assets used to build the environment. To do this, you will look at simple briefs and consider the different ways in which a brief for a game can be interpreted creatively.

This module is an introduction to working with 2D animation software. It will give you an overview of the various applications of 2D modelling and animation, as well as an understanding of 2D aesthetics. A series of workshops will introduce you to the skills needed to create your own 2D assets, and you will practice animating a 2D rig. These workshops will be the building blocks you need to develop your own concept for a 2D asset or animation. 

This module introduces you to the practice and production of 2-dimensional (2D) game development. You will consider some of the principles used to develop 2D games. Look at the concepts and methods used to create 2D assets to match a games design brief, including those used to create retro styles such as pixel art.

This module introduces you to the foundations of programming and computational thinking as creative tools for designing interactive experiences. You'll explore how logic, structure, and simple systems can support the development of playful, expressive, or exploratory digital work. Through guided workshops and creative tasks, you'll learn key programming concepts such as variables, functions, control structures, and events. These fundamentals will be used to develop small interactive behaviours and prototype ideas, enabling you to apply design thinking and iterative problem-solving to technical challenges. The module emphasises experimentation, play, and the creative potential of code. You'll develop confidence in applying coding principles to generate interactive elements, respond to user input, and refine work through testing and iteration. Seminars will also explore cultural, ethical, and accessibility considerations within computational design.

This module is designed to open up speculative enquiry and creative exploring of drawing approaches. Learning on this module is transferable and interdisciplinary offering a range of practical workshops and projects to widen the potential of possibilities in drawing practice and deepen your understanding of visual design and image-making.

This module builds on Typography as Image by focusing on typography as continuous text, information, and reader experience. It prepares graphic design students for industry-standard typographic understanding and application within professional contexts. Workshops explore typographic conventions through continuous-text exercises addressing both macro and micro typography, including reading, structuring, analysing and visualising text. You will work across analogue and digital processes, using conventional and experimental approaches to examine hierarchy, structure, typesetting, formatting, readability and accessibility in the organisation of long-form and complex content.

This module introduces you to the fundamentals of advanced game environment art and the professional workflows used within the modern industry to create it. You'll learn to develop ideas and designs in response to gameplay and narrative requirements, and then develop them from the concept stage through to full digital environments. This design will be developed through a combination of 3D methods, tools and technologies that can be aligned directly to industry standard game engine environments.

This module introduces you to the full development life cycle of video games, looking at the development and management processes required to create a computer game as a team. You'll work in a group to develop a game based on a live industry brief, utilising a carefully managed production cycle. This rigorous approach is central to the skill set of contemporary professional game designers and artists. This module is also designed to prepare you for life after graduation which includes building a sustainable career in the games and creative industries. From developing CVs and career portfolios to understanding intellectual property rights, this module equips you with the knowledge and professionalism required to thrive in their future careers. This work may also be used as a springboard to work experience or a work placement (also possible to take as a sandwich year). You will be given guidance and support in finding, and applying for, an appropriate work placement.  

This module develops your creative and technical understanding of character and creature design within the context of games and related creative industries. You'll explore how anatomy, form, silhouette, and visual style contribute to personality, narrative, and gameplay. Through research, sketching, and iterative design, you'll generate ideas that can be taken from concept art to a resolved visual piece. Working with both traditional and digital techniques, you will develop awareness of cultural influences, representation, and inclusivity in design practice. The module encourages critical reflection on how different artistic and cultural traditions inform the design of characters and creatures, and how concept artists contribute to visual world-building across genres and media.

This module introduces you to the practice and production of 3D playable characters for games. You will consider the pivotal role of characters in the games development pipeline, and explore the principles and methods used to create 3D character art. To do this, you will learn how to use 3-dimensional tools to develop a character, rig the character so it can be animated, and then move it into a game engine as a playable character.

Visual Identity and branding are key areas of engagement for visual designers. Branding employs design solutions to bring recognition to a wide range of companies, organisations, products, services and causes - providing users with meaningful ways to access and interact with them.In this module, you will consider some of the principles and methods behind visual Identity and branding. The module will introduce design research methods towards the construction of a brand identity and will look at branding from historical and contemporary positions. Through a combination of research, academic writing and design processes, you'll explore the dual sides of branding as both a generator of potent narratives and the impetus behind problematic consumerism, evoking related social contexts and the responsibility of the designer's role in this. As technologies and new user experiences are increasingly embedded within branding and visual identities, the module opens areas of creative exploration to complement physical, spatial and conceptual outcomes.

This module enables you to create a modern piece of interactive media in the form of a website or mobile application. You will engage with key concepts in UX and UI design, including visual and perceptual theory, user research, gamification, and the creative application of emerging technologies. Through definition and research, you will develop exciting and unique interactive media concepts using creative technologies to produce final professional products. The final prototype will be developed using current industry digital tools.

Through immersive technologies, creatives have new opportunities to create interactive and immersive experiences, exhibit work at any scale and bridge distances between audiences and artistic experiences. This module will focus on the different aspects of designing for extended reality, while learning about the development of immersive arts as a medium and exploring the ways in which emerging technologies are being utilised by contemporary artists for the exploration of new digital realms. Within this module, you'll be provided with an academic space to creatively explore a range of emerging technologies suited for producing immersive VR and AR experiences.

You'll be exposed to software and hardware relevant for VR and AR, and a selection of workshops will form the framework for creative enquiry and exploration. You'll have the option to explore either AR or VR-based production approaches in your final project, depending on individual interests, with both pathways supported in the workshop course. Within the assessment, there is scope to be experimental, speculative, or applied within the exploration of immersive technology.

This module introduces students to the narrative traditions of the video game industry, with a focus on the use of interactive stories and text-based games to give players a sense of agency. It compares the nature of these works with more traditional narrative forms, and introduces concepts of narrative mechanics, narrative choice and consequence, and audience agency. Students will learn to develop ideas and designs in response to gameplay and narrative requirements, and then develop them from the concept stage through to full digital artefacts.

This module provides you with the opportunity to explore stop-motion animation practices in practical, studio-based work, including puppet animation, sand or paint on glass, pixilation, cut-outs, time-lapse etc. You'll complete a self-negotiated animation artefact, working either individually or in a group. The resulting outcome is intended to act as evidence in support of application for employment, professional project commissions or further study.

This module gives you an introduction to the use of visual effects (VFX) for film and games. The module will explore digital aesthetics and creating digital workflows, and the software used to create VFX. Technical support will be available through live demonstrations and online support. When possible, external lectures by industry professionals will enhance your learning on this module. You'll have a varied set of digital experiences when you start the module, so teaching and learning activities will be adapted to suit both those who require extra support, and those who are already familiar with the core software and wish to improve their knowledge and experience.

In this module, you will explore key principles and theories of narrative. You will be invited to discuss a range of traditional and contemporary applications for visual narrative. Through practical projects, you will examine basic narrative structure, the role of character, environment, action, time, technology, culture and audience interaction in the storytelling process.

This module enables students to develop an industry-facing games art portfolio that demonstrates advanced creative, technical, and professional readiness. Students refine original game-ready work, applying advanced game art pipelines and creative technologies to produce a coherent body of work aligned to their artistic identity and future ambitions. Alongside portfolio creation, students engage in structured professional development focused on evaluating their abilities, identifying development needs, and establishing their own criteria for engaging with opportunities beyond university. Students take responsibility for addressing skills gaps and strengthening their practice through independent learning, targeted research, and reflective evaluation. Workshops, tutorials, and critiques support technical refinement, high-quality presentation, and professional awareness. The emphasis is on preparing students for future pathways by producing a refined, original, and professionally presented portfolio of game-ready artwork.

This module provides students with the experience of working collaboratively to produce a small, commercially releasable game. In defined specialist roles, students engage with advanced game production workflows, creative technologies, and professional communication practices that align with contemporary industry standards. Teams take a project from concept to release-ready completion, incorporating planning, documentation, prototyping, scheduling, testing, iteration, and final deployment. Students refine their specialist identity, evaluate their evolving practice, and develop professional communication and networking strategies in preparation for future employment or postgraduate study. The module emphasises teamwork, technical and creative confidence, critical evaluation, and an understanding of how individual contribution strengthens the game production pipeline and the quality of the final artefact.

The Major Project builds on your learning at Level 4 and Level 5, and is intended as a summative experience, bringing together all your learning across the programme into one project. You will reflect on your learning experiences throughout the course, to propose and develop a games art project that fully embodies your aims and ambitions within games art, leading to a set of concept art and games assets/game environment art.

This module gives you the opportunity to plan and produce a complete character performance (animated or sequential) to industry standards. The module puts a strong emphasis on self‐directed processes and developing your individual and personal creative approach to the visualisation of your character's performance. You are expected to expand your aesthetic range, make imaginative use of software/tools, and produce a character performance that will be a great asset for a showreel and/or portfolio.

This module offers the space for a research-led critical enquiry into a topic connected to your area of creative practice. Including a research presentation and a short academic essay, you will undertake a self-directed investigation into a key aspect of the discourse specific context that surrounds your visual output. Researching and writing about contemporary concerns that frame visual culture will provide a path to a more critical approach to studio practice. This module will be of particular interest to students who may be considering a postgraduate degree.

The module focuses on collaboration with others from different disciplines, to research, explore and experiment with possibilities for expanding storytelling. Through hands-on workshops and critical provocations, you will explore multi-sensory approaches to interactive storytelling, spatial narratives and installation design. Playfulness, speculation and experimentation are encouraged as you work individually or collaboratively to develop proposals and prototypes for a narrative experience.

This module will support you in researching and planning your postgraduate employment journey, whether as a freelancer or by starting a small business in the media, creative, and related digital industries. Through the module, you will develop an awareness of commercial opportunities and learn how to focus your entrepreneurial skills on a chosen field – learning how to develop business ideas and how to present and pitch them effectively. You'll develop a plan to create a start-up business or become a freelancer, learning about personal branding, marketing, project management, budgeting, sustainability, and building an online presence along the way.

This module encourages you to engage with experimental practice as a form of inquiry and research. You will explore creative processes that push beyond traditional subject-disciplined techniques and methods, embracing risk-taking, innovation, and interdisciplinary approaches. Through practice-based investigation, you'll be challenged to develop work that questions boundaries, explores new territories, and opens alternative ways of thinking about your subject discipline and its role in contemporary culture.

In this module, you will explore the opportunities and creative challenges of publishing in various printed formats, ranging from low-fi to luxury, including zines, booklets, magazines, art books, and books. You will be required to pitch, design, and publish an outcome that incorporates writing, illustration, photography, design, typography, and layout, expressed across a range of possible materials and processes. Working in multidisciplinary groups, you will fill all roles needed to conceive, develop, populate, and produce a publication that channels your personal voice, complemented by an appropriate design and format for a specific audience. Skills covering technical, project management, writing, and creative branding components will be supported. The final publication will be an excellent addition to any portfolio.