Sorry, this page is no longer available

We may earn an affiliate commission when you visit our partners.

Game Design Document

Define the Art & Concepts

Théotime Vaillant

The Capstone project is a place for you to develop your game idea into a fully-fleshed proposal. A game design document is your game bible, the go-to document that defines the genre of your game, its look and feel, and the evolution of gameplay. This four-part capstone project guides you to distill and improve the foundational aspects of your game so that you may express your ideas in a clear and productive way.

Note: Only learners who have earned a certificate in the four previous courses in the Specialization are eligible to take the Capstone.

Enroll now

Or subscribe to Coursera Plus

And get unlimited access to Coursera

Here's a deal for you

Save money when you learn with a deal that may be relevant to this course.

All coupon codes, vouchers, and discounts are applied automatically unless otherwise noted.

Valid until August 30

Google AI App Builder

Learn how to use Gemini API and API Studio with a three-course series from Google DeepMind

What's inside

Syllabus

Week 1: Ideation

Welcome! In this first week we’ll lay out the structure of the course, and what milestones you will have to meet each week. At the end of this week is your first assignment: presenting your preliminary game idea to your peers.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Provides a strong foundation for beginners seeking to develop game proposals

Requires having taken earlier courses in the series, which can be limiting for learners who may want to take this course alone

Save this course

Create your own learning path. Save this course to your list so you can find it easily later.

Save

Reviews summary

Structured game design document creation

According to learners, this course serves as a culmination of the specialization, providing a structured, step-by-step approach to creating a comprehensive Game Design Document. Students appreciate the weekly milestones that help them stay on track and refine their game concepts into a formal proposal. The course content is seen as practical, with the visualization week noted as a particular highlight. However, a recurring point of feedback is the peer review system; learners report that the quality of peer feedback can vary greatly and the dependency on others for evaluation can be frustrating. Despite this, many found the course effective in formalizing their ideas.

Culminates prior learning into a practical document.

"A perfect culmination of the specialization."

"Overall, a solid capstone."

"Some parts felt a bit repetitive from previous courses, but that's expected in a capstone bringing it all together."

Helps formalize and detail your game idea.

"It pushed me to refine my concept and document it professionally."

"Needed this to finalize my project idea."

"Helped me distill and improve the foundational aspects of my game idea into a formal proposal."

Follows a weekly plan to build your document.

"This course was incredibly helpful in structuring my game idea. The weekly assignments built up perfectly to the final document."

"Good overview of creating a GDD. The structure is clear."

"It guides you step-by-step through creating a comprehensive GDD."

"Solid framework for building a GDD. The workload is manageable, broken down week by week."

Quality of feedback varies greatly in peer reviews.

"Peer reviews were mostly useful, though sometimes feedback was vague."

"The peer review system is hit or miss. Many reviews I received were low effort, just checking boxes."

"The peer review system is the main drawback; dependency on others for grades and feedback can be frustrating."

"Disappointed with the peer review part. It felt like I spent more time reviewing others' low-quality work than getting useful feedback on my own."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Game Design Document: Define the Art & Concepts with these activities:

Review basic programming constructs

Show steps

Refresh your understanding of fundamental programming constructs to strengthen your foundation for this game design course.

Browse courses on Programming

Show steps

Review variables, loops, and functions.
Practice writing simple programs.

Review 'The Art of Game Design' by Jesse Schell

Show steps

Gain insights into industry best practices and fundamental game design principles by reading and analyzing the seminal work by Jesse Schell.

View The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses, Third... on Amazon

Show steps

Read the book thoroughly.
Take notes and summarize key concepts.

Participate in peer review sessions

Show steps

Engage with fellow learners to provide feedback, critique, and collaborate on game design ideas, enhancing your understanding and perspectives.

Browse courses on Peer Review

Show steps

Join or form a peer review group.
Present your game design ideas.
Provide and receive constructive feedback.

Three other activities

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all six activities

Create a prototype of your game idea

Show steps

Put your game design ideas into practice by creating a playable prototype to test and refine your concepts.

Browse courses on Game Prototyping

Show steps

Identify the core gameplay mechanics.
Determine the necessary assets and resources.
Choose a suitable game engine or development tool.
Build the prototype with basic functionality.

Create a visual representation of your game's world

Show steps

Enhance your game design by creating visual representations of your game's world, bringing the environment and characters to life and solidifying your design choices.

Browse courses on Visual Representation

Show steps

Determine the aesthetic and visual style of your game.
Create concept art or sketches of your game's environment and characters.
Consider using 3D modeling or other tools to visualize your game's world.

Mentor junior game designers

Show steps

Reinforce your understanding and develop your communication skills by mentoring junior game designers, providing guidance and support to enhance their learning journey.

Browse courses on Mentoring

Show steps

Identify opportunities to mentor.
Prepare materials and resources.
Establish clear communication channels.

Career center

Learners who complete Game Design Document: Define the Art & Concepts will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Game Designer

A Game Designer creates the overall design of a game, including the gameplay, story, and characters. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of game design, as well as in developing the skills necessary to create a cohesive and engaging game experience.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Designer

Technical Artist

A Technical Artist creates the 3D models, textures, and other visual assets that are used in games. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of 3D modeling and texturing, as well as in developing the skills necessary to create visually appealing and technically sound assets.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Artist

Game Programmer

A Game Programmer creates the code that makes a game work. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of programming, as well as in developing the skills necessary to create a playable and enjoyable game.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Programmer

Level Designer

A Level Designer creates the environments and levels in which a game takes place. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of level design, as well as in developing the skills necessary to create immersive and engaging game environments.

See salaries and explore the career path for Level Designer

Concept Artist

A Concept Artist creates visual concepts for games, including characters, environments, and props. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of art and design, as well as in developing the skills necessary to create visually appealing concepts.

See salaries and explore the career path for Concept Artist

Art Director

An Art Director oversees the visual aspects of a project, ensuring that the art style is consistent and visually appealing. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of art and design, which can be applied to the creation of visual assets for games.

See salaries and explore the career path for Art Director

Illustrator

An Illustrator creates visual content for a variety of purposes, including books, magazines, and websites. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of art and design, as well as in developing the skills necessary to create visually appealing illustrations.

See salaries and explore the career path for Illustrator

Motion Graphics Artist

A Motion Graphics Artist creates visual content that is animated, such as for videos, commercials, and websites. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of art and design, as well as in developing the skills necessary to create visually appealing and engaging motion graphics.

See salaries and explore the career path for Motion Graphics Artist

Multimedia Artist

A Multimedia Artist creates visual content that combines a variety of media, such as images, videos, and sound. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of art and design, as well as in developing the skills necessary to create visually appealing and engaging multimedia content.

See salaries and explore the career path for Multimedia Artist

Graphic Designer

A Graphic Designer creates visual content for a variety of purposes, including marketing, advertising, and branding. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of art and design, as well as in developing the skills necessary to create visually appealing graphics.

See salaries and explore the career path for Graphic Designer

Game Producer

A Game Producer oversees the development and production of a game, ensuring that the project is completed on time and within budget. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of project management, as well as in developing the skills necessary to manage a team of developers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Producer

UI/UX Designer

A UI/UX Designer creates the user interface and user experience for websites, apps, and other digital products. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of user interface design, as well as in developing the skills necessary to create user-friendly and visually appealing interfaces.

See salaries and explore the career path for UI/UX Designer

Web Designer

A Web Designer creates the design and layout of websites. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of web design, as well as in developing the skills necessary to create visually appealing and user-friendly websites.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Designer

Product Designer

A Product Designer creates the physical or digital products that people use, such as cars, furniture, and websites. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of design, as well as in developing the skills necessary to create user-friendly and visually appealing products.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Designer

Visual Effects Artist

A Visual Effects Artist creates visual effects for film, television, and video games. This course may be useful in providing a foundation in the principles of visual effects, as well as in developing the skills necessary to create realistic and visually appealing effects.

See salaries and explore the career path for Visual Effects Artist

Reading list

We've selected 13 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Game Design Document: Define the Art & Concepts.

Game Design Workshop

Save

Provides a comprehensive overview of game design, with a focus on the playcentric approach. It covers the entire game development process, from concept to production, and includes exercises and case studies to help you learn the material.

Game Design Document

Define the Art & Concepts

Here's a deal for you

What's inside

Syllabus

Traffic lights

Save this course

Reviews summary

Structured game design document creation

Activities

Career center

Reading list

Share

Similar courses