Create Expressive Videogames (FutureLearn)

Create Expressive Videogames (FutureLearn)

Take your first steps towards constructing your own games by exploring game design, play, and experience creation. Explore the theory and practise of creative computer game design. Anyone who’s played videogames understands that designing them requires a complex blend of technical ability, creative skill, and theoretical knowledge.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see FutureLearn's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

On this course, you’ll learn both the artistry and technique needed to create brilliant games. You’ll discover how to critically analyse decisions in real games, and apply your knowledge to creating small games of your own after each lesson.
By the end of the course, you’ll have the skills to start constructing your own game project, or study videogame design further.

What topics will you cover?

  • Principles of game design
  • Game development in Unity
  • The process of creating a game
  • Diverse perspectives on working in and producing games

Learning on this course
You can take this self-guided course and learn at your own pace. On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

  • Discuss and analyse existent games and their design decisions
  • Design and refine game ideas
  • Develop a game in Unity
  • Explore and express ideas and emotions through the medium of games

Who is the course for?
This course is perfect for anyone looking to create games to express themselves and their experiences. It’s also for anyone who understands the important role games play in today’s society, and wants a critical framework for their cultural context. It acts as a starting point for someone wanting to make larger independent games - regardless of how much programming ability they have to begin with.
This course was made by the Code Liberation Foundation. You may be interested in our other workshops and projects too - news about which is available on our website or our twitter.
You might also be interested in the other courses in the Essential Creative Technologies collection from UAL Creative Computing Institute, Lancaster University and the Institute of Coding.

What software or tools do you need?
During the course we’ll be using Unity and Fungus. We’ll spend a bit of time on the Code Liberation Github, too.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Game Design and Development 3: 3D Shooter (Coursera) Coursera
Michigan State University

Game Design and Development 3: 3D Shooter (Coursera)

If you love games and want to learn how to make them, then this course is your third step down that path. In this course you will learn the fundamentals of game design, including an understanding of level design, game balancing, prototyping, and playtesting, as well as game asset creation techniques. You will continue developing video games using industry standard game development tools, including the Unity 2020 game engine. At the end of the course you will have completed a 3D First-Person Shooter game, and will be able to leverage an array of game development techniques to create your own basic games.

Jun 22nd 2026
4 Weeks
Low Poly Art For Video Games (Coursera) Coursera
Michigan State University

Low Poly Art For Video Games (Coursera)

This course is aimed to give you the tools and knowledge you need to start creating simple 3D art for video games made in the Unity game engine. Through the aesthetic of pixel art we will explore artistic principals like shape language, color theory, and composition as well as show you a step by step workflow for creating assets that you can use to make your own games.

Jun 15th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Introduction to Indie Games (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Institute of Coding,UAL Creative Computing Institute

Introduction to Indie Games (FutureLearn)

Explore the thriving independent video games industry, and develop the skills to kickstart your career in the sector. Learn how great indie games are made and what it takes to work in the industry. The video games sector is booming, employing more than 16,000 people in the UK. Moreover, 99.5% of all UK games companies are small and medium-sized independent enterprises.

Jun 29th 2020
2 Weeks
Video Game Design and Development: Introduction to Game Programming (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Abertay University

Video Game Design and Development: Introduction to Game Programming (FutureLearn)

Discover the essentials of video game programming and learn how you can start your own programming career. Learn the basics of game development to understand how great games are designed. Video games have become a multi-billion-dollar industry, even recently overshadowing cinema as the globe’s go-to entertainment medium of choice.

Jun 28th 2021
2 Weeks
Introduction to C++ Programming and Unreal (Coursera) Coursera
University of Colorado System

Introduction to C++ Programming and Unreal (Coursera)

This course is all about starting to learn how to develop video games using the C++ programming language and the Unreal Engine on Windows or Mac. This course assumes you have previous programming experience in some other language. Although we'll start at the very beginning for C++, hardly anybody learns (or teaches) C++ as a first language. Similarly, Unreal Engine is a commercial, industrial strength game engine. With great power comes great ... complexity, so it's important that you have the will to work hard to learn how to use C++ in Unreal Engine.

Jun 15th 2026
4 Weeks
How To Start Your Career In Games Development (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
BGI

How To Start Your Career In Games Development (FutureLearn)

Learn how to start a career in video games development by hearing from video games development recruiters and recruits. Kickstart your career in video games development. Follow the journeys of four people who recently got their first job in video games. You’ll learn what game development roles involve, and learn more about the skills you need, hearing from industry experts about what they hope to see in a candidate’s application.

Apr 27th 2020
4 Weeks
Data Structures and Design Patterns for Game Developers (Coursera) Coursera
University of Colorado System

Data Structures and Design Patterns for Game Developers (Coursera)

This course is the fourth course in the specialization about learning how to develop video games using the C# programming language and the Unity game engine on Windows or Mac. Why use C# and Unity instead of some other language and game engine? Well, C# is a really good language for learning how to program and then programming professionally. Also, the Unity game engine is very popular with indie game developers; Unity games were downloaded 16,000,000,000 times in 2016! Finally, C# is one of the programming languages you can use in the Unity environment.

Jun 22nd 2026
4 Weeks
Game Design and Development 5: Capstone Project (Coursera) Coursera
Michigan State University

Game Design and Development 5: Capstone Project (Coursera)

In the game design and development capstone course, you will create an original game from initial concept up to the first playable version! Along the way, you will have the opportunity to put your game ideas in front of your peers. The capstone experience gives you the opportunity to push your skills further and demonstrate your newfound skills as a game developer. The capstone also contains guest talks from game industry professionals at Riot Games, Blizzard Entertainment, Insomniac Games, Gearbox Entertainment, Iron Galaxy, Deep Silver Volition, Goodgame Studios, Stardock, GREE, Heart Shaped Games, and more.

Jun 22nd 2026
4 Weeks
3D Interaction Design in Virtual Reality (Coursera) Coursera
University of London,Goldsmiths, University of London

3D Interaction Design in Virtual Reality (Coursera)

This course will teach you about one of the most important aspects of VR, how you interact with a VR world. Virtual Reality is completely different from an on screen app or game. You are completely immersed in a VR world, so it doesn't make sense to interact only through buttons or menus. You will get the most out of VR if you can interact with the world just as you would with the real world: with your natural body movements.

Jun 22nd 2026
4 Weeks
Character Design for Video Games (Coursera) Coursera
California Institute of the Arts

Character Design for Video Games (Coursera)

In this course you will explore concepts and approaches involved in creating successful character designs that can be applied to video games. Following a first week delving into some foundational concepts for successful character design, each of the remaining three weeks are structured as a "master class" where you will observe three professional character designers at work in the studio: Andy Ristaino (Adventure Time), Jacky Ke Jiang (Journey), and Robertryan Cory (SpongeBob SquarePants).

Jun 22nd 2026
4 Weeks
Current Gen 3D Game Prop Production (Coursera) Coursera
Michigan State University

Current Gen 3D Game Prop Production (Coursera)

In this course you will learn to create a photo-real game prop using modern game art production techniques. You will gather reference, generate a base model, create a high polygon model, bake details onto a low poly model, and then texture and present a final portfolio piece. This course is aimed at students who have some knowledge in 3d and game art and would like to learn more advanced techniques employed in the creation of modern game assets.

Jun 15th 2026
5-12 Weeks
C# Class Development (Coursera) Coursera
University of Colorado System

C# Class Development (Coursera)

This course is the third course in the specialization about learning how to develop video games using the C# programming language and the Unity game engine on Windows or Mac. Why use C# and Unity instead of some other language and game engine? Well, C# is a really good language for learning how to program and then programming professionally. Also, the Unity game engine is very popular with indie game developers; Unity games were downloaded 16,000,000,000 times in 2016! Finally, C# is one of the programming languages you can use in the Unity environment.

Jun 22nd 2026
4 Weeks