Start From Day One

From Freshman Year, Faculty Encourage Students to Learn, Experiment and Grow. 

Students are involved in the process of creating and designing games from the very first day in their first Game Design class. Many students begin with GAME 210: Basic Game Design, where they create their own card or board game from scratch. 

While Computer Game Design focuses heavily on video games, students gain experience working with and developing games of all types, including board games. Here we see a student team getting ready to playtest one of their games (testing it for bugs and design flaws). Concept art for the final design of several cards can be seen in the foreground.
While Computer Game Design focuses heavily on video games, students gain experience working with and developing games of all types, including board games. Student teams playtest their games, i.e. test for bugs and design flaws. Concept art for the final design of several cards can be seen in the foreground of the picture above.

You don't need to be a master-level code writer or walk in with an extensive portfolio to study Game Design at Mason. Curiosity, willingness to learn, and a love for the power of games will lead to a student's success in the program. Our faculty and staff work hard to meet students where they are as they enter the program and help them grow. 

Expand Your Skills 

Students in the Game Design program enjoy a wide range of opportunities such as internships in quality assurance and game development with companies that work with our partner program, the Virginia Serious Game Institute. Teaching assistants in our Mason Game and Technology Academy are often current students, using their skills to help new generations of students to discover their love of gaming.

....Outside of game design, I have a wide range of interests ranging from history to conducting. I believe this has exposed me to multiple different perspectives and made me a much more versatile and creative individual when it comes to my work. I have used those different interests to influence how my games turn out, as well as inspiration for new game and character ideas....

Computer Game Design student, Nicolo Allado
Professor Seth Hudson working witih Game students in classroom
Assistant Professor of Game Writing, Dr. Seth Hudson, works with students in the classroom. Among his primary research interests are game writing and narrative design and reflective practice and identity. Hudson was honored as a Teacher of Distinction by George Mason University’s Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning in 2019. In 2017, he was nominated for the Office of Student Scholarship, Creative Activities, and Research Mentorship Excellence Award.