Game Design (July)

The course includes three phases: the students should familiarise themselves with the required software before the two-week intensive course, after which there is additional time to prepare and polish the final assignments.

Alongside the lectures, students have independent work, either in groups or individually. Students can coordinate with their teammates to complete these assignments outside of teaching hours.

The total workload of the course includes both contact lectures and the estimated amount of independent work. Some of the courses also have pre- or post-assignments included in the independent working hours.

-> Find the total course workload below

Before the course: Preparation (online)

• Preparing the required software and completing basic tutorials
• Additional exercises on game design ideation

14 – 25 July: Intensive weeks on-site at Aalto University campus

• Daily lectures 13-16 (Monday-Friday)
• Individual or group work in workshops (Monday-Friday)
• Commitment to full-time studies during the intensive weeks is required

After the course: Final Assignments (online)

• Finalising a game prototype to be hosted online
• Additional reflective assignments relating to the design process and course experience

• Discover the potential of games as an expressive medium
• Learn about the art and craft of game design from the traditional to the contemporary
• Explore a range of accessible game design and development software
• Develop the ability to translate ideas into prototypes quickly
• Utilise digital assets to complement individual or group projects
• Understand the variety of roles within the games industry and the paths that lead there

The course is balanced around thematic lecture content and complimentary workshops exploring different game development software and tools. This includes both analogue and digital game design, incorporating various browser-based or cross-platform game engines such as Twine, Bitsy and GB Studio, and aims to cover something of the breadth of tools available, when making games as art.

The course aims to demonstrate the extent to which students can produce independent work when utilising digital assets and AI technologies. 

During the course, you will work in international, multidisciplinary teams on prototype projects and other hands-on exercises such as paper prototyping. 

This course values artistic experimentation over technical proficiency and will provide the students with much of the skills and theory necessary to continue their development as knowledgeable and original game makers.

Preparation Exercises 9h
5 x 3-hour lecture 15h
5 x 3-hour workshop 15h
Finalising Assignment & Learning Diary 15h
Total 54 hours (2 ECTS)

The course is graded as pass/fail. 

Please note that the undergraduate courses offered by Aalto University Summer School can not be included in Aalto degree studies. 

This course does not require previous experience in the topic.

You must have completed a high school or vocational degree or equivalent by the time the course starts. However, you do not have to be a degree student at a university to participate in our courses. 

Additionally, all summer school course students must be 18 years or older, as it is the legal age in Finland.

Please include a motivation letter or video in your application. The recommended length for the motivation letter is 150-250 words, and 1-2 minutes for the video. 

In your motivation letter or video, describe your motivation for taking this course: 

• What interests you about Game Design? What sort of games do you play (if any)?
• Do you have any experience making games or other forms of digital media?
• What would you hope to learn in the course?

Tuition fees for Summer School courses

One course: 1170€ (incl. VAT 25,5%) 

• The course fee includes academic course sessions and assignments, an official digital Aalto University certificate and support from the Summer School team. The fee does not cover accommodation, daily meals, or transportation during the course
• Unfortunately, Aalto University Summer School does not offer scholarships for participants.

Social program fee

-> Read more about the social program here

Learn about the Aalto University Summer School cancellation terms. You will receive the full terms before making the payment and confirming the course participation.

If you need a visa, we recommend applying by April 15th 2025.

• This is to ensure that we have enough time to process your application and that you have time to make the tuition fee payment, book a visa appointment and wait for the application to be processed.
• You can apply and be accepted to the courses after April 15th. In that case, we recommend that you pay at your earliest convenience so that we can deliver your invitation letter to you promptly.
• According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, the processing time for a visa application is 15 days. However, the processing time may be longer if a more detailed application examination is required.