Game Design Courses: Fees, After 12th, Eligibility, Top Colleges, Syllabus 2026

Ishika Ray's profile photo

Ishika Ray

Updated 3+ months ago

Students willing to design games for the entertainment industry and have a career as game designers pursue game design courses. BSc Game Design, BA Hons Multimedia (Game Design), Certification in Game Design and Development, PG Diploma in Game Design, MA Multimedia (Game Design), and MSc Game Technology is the top game design courses after the 12th

The global gaming business is thriving, with an increasing number of students pursuing careers in gaming as a result of their passion for video games. With the worldwide expansion of the entertainment business, a variety of universities and colleges are providing excellent job opportunities for overseas students to recognize their potential skills and creativity in game design. 

LPU Jalandhar, UPES Dehradun, Presidency University Bangalore, NID Ahmedabad, Whistling Woods International Mumbai, VELS Chennai, etc. are top game design colleges. There are no fixed eligibility criteria to pursue game design courses; a diploma or bachelor’s in computer science or game design is beneficial to learning the basic concepts of game design. Game design course fee ranges from INR 2 – 15 lakhs per annum for a bachelor's or master's degree, INR 50,000 – 1 lakh per annum for a diploma in game design, and less than INR 5,000 for Game Design Courses Online on platforms like MasterClass, Udemy, and Coursera.

The starting salary of a game designer is INR 4.5 – 5 lakhs per annum. Sony Computer Entertainment, Gameloft, Tencent Games, Ubisoft, Rockstar Games, Microsoft Xbox Games, etc. are top game designing companies in India and abroad. Programming, database design, and software development are the top skills required to become a Game Designer.

All About Game Design Courses

Parameters Details
Courses Available Certificate, Diploma, Undergraduate, Postgraduate
Mode Regular/Full-Time/Part-Time/Online
Duration 6 months – 3 years
Course Fee (Average) INR 50,000 – INR 6,00,000
Eligibility 50% in 10+2 or graduation (whichever is relevant)
Top Colleges iLEAD Kolkata, Parul University, SRMIST Chennai
Top Job Profiles Game Designer, Video Game Designer, Game Developer
Starting Salary INR 4.5 – 5 lakhs annually

Game Design Courses After 12th

  • Certificate in Gaming
  • Diploma in Game Programming
  • Diploma in Production Gaming
  • Advanced Diploma in 3D Game Content Creation
  • Bachelors in Media Animation & Design (BMAD)
  • Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Design
  • BTech in Computer Science and Game Development
  • BSc Animation & Gaming
  • Master in Computer Graphics and Virtual Reality
  • MSc in Game Design and Development
  • MSc in Gaming
  • Integrated MSc in Multimedia & Animation with Game Art & Design

Types of Game Design Courses

There are various types of Game design courses available. A candidate can do a game design course either online or offline and has a plethora of options to choose from. Candidates can pursue a Certificate, Diploma, UG, or PG Game Design Course as per their own preference.

Game Design Certificate Courses

  • Game Design Certificate Courses will give you an idea about all the basic concepts of game design. 
  • These courses are self-paced short-term courses that mostly have a duration of 6 to 12 months. Few of the courses are for 2 to 3 weeks only.
  • After completion of the course, you will be able to design basic games having simple features. Your salary would be around INR 2 LPA to INR 3 LPA.
  • Certificate Game Design courses are mostly taken up by those students who are about to start their careers in game design.

Best Game Design Certificate Courses Online

Given below are some of the best Game Design Courses certificates that are available online:

Certificate Name Provider Fees
Game Design and Development Specialization Coursera INR 3,692 per month
Will Wright Teaches Game Design and Theory MasterClass INR 1,295 per month
Pixel Art Master Course - Beginner to Professional/Freelance Udemy INR 8,640
Learn to Create Pixel Art for your Games Udemy INR 3,200
Business Analyst: Game Design Processes Techniques Udemy INR 700

On-campus Game Design Certificate Courses

Few offline certificate Game Design courses have been given below:

Certificate Name Institute Offering Average Fees
Crash Course in Unity Game Development and Certification Seamedu School of Pro-Expressionism, Pune INR 2,000
3D Digital Game Art Design Arena Animation, Jayanagar INR 10,000
Program in Game Design and Integration MAAC, Ahmedabad INR 5,000
Specialist Certification Course in Game Development with Unity and AR and VR Frameboxx 2.0 Animation and Visual Effects INR 5,000
Certificate in Game Art Backstage Pass Institute of Gaming and Technology INR 4,000

Game Design Certificate Courses: Eligibility

The admission process is mostly simple and anyone can enroll themselves for a course of their choice.

  • If you want to enroll yourself in an online course, go to the website of the course provider and enroll yourself for that course.
  • For offline courses, admission can be done either online or offline. Filling up the application form is mandatory in both cases.
  • Although the courses have no prerequisites, you must know certain basic computer skills for taking admission to any of the Game Design certificate courses.

Game Design Certificate Courses: Top Institutes

Certificate Game Design courses are also taught in various foreign universities. Few such universities have been mentioned below:

College Name Average Fees
University of California-Irvine INR 15 lakhs
University of Texas-Dallas INR 6 lakhs
California State University-Monterey Bay INR 10 lakhs
Lewis University INR 5 lakhs
DePaul University INR 6 lakhs

Diploma in Game Design

Diploma and PG Diploma Game Design Courses are taught in offline mode. These courses mostly have a duration of around 1 year.

  • Diploma courses in Game Design will teach the candidates about the different software used in game design.
  • You will get to know about the implementation of animation and graphic design in game design. Most of these courses are specialized animation courses.
  • The salary of a diploma holder in Game Design is around INR 3 LPA to INR 5 LPA.

Diploma in Game Design: Eligibility

The admission process to the Game Design courses is mainly done on the basis of the marks acquired by the candidates in their 10+2 examination.

  • The candidates will have to complete their application form and apply for the institute of their choice.
  • Some institutes may also organize an entrance test for interested candidates.
  • Although there are no such eligibility criteria, some colleges give priority to students having prior knowledge of programming.

Diploma in Game Design: Top Colleges

Some of the most popular colleges in India offering a Diploma and PG Diploma in Game Design are given below:

Undergraduate Game Design Courses

  • The duration of the undergraduate Game Design Course is around 3 years. These courses will teach you all the different aspects of Game Design.
  • Bachelor Game Design students are hired by the gaming industry after completing their course.
  • The average CTC offered to the Game Design graduate students is around INR 4 LPA to INR 6 LPA. Your salary will depend on your technical knowledge.

The Bachelor Game Design course is meant for those students who wish to become a part of the gaming industry and develop excellent games for users.

List of Undergraduate Game Design Courses

The table below shows some of the best Bachelor's Game Design courses for interested candidates:

Course Name Duration Average Fees
BSc in Gaming Design 3 years INR 50,000
BDes in Game Design and Development 3 years INR 1,00,000
BSc (Animation Gaming) 3 years INR 60,000
BSc (Game Designing and Development) 3 years INR 60,000
BA (Game Design) 3 years INR 30,000
BA Hons Multimedia (Game Design) 4 years INR 1,06,000

Undergraduate Game Design Courses: Eligibility

The admission process for the Bachelor's Game Design courses is merit-based. Some institutes also conduct entrance tests.

  • The candidates who want to pursue a Bachelor's degree in Game Design will have to fill out the application form.
  • Few Game Design institutes may also conduct an admission test. 
  • The admission test is basically meant to test the design skills and innovativeness of the candidates.

Undergraduate Game Design Courses: Top Colleges

Given below are some of the best institutes for a bachelor's degree course in Game Design:

College Name Average Fees
Chitkara School of Art and Design INR 1,20,000
Era University INR 1,00,000
LPU Jalandhar INR 2,00,000
IIFA Lancaster Degree College INR 1,80,000
IACG Multimedia College INR 1,06,000

Postgraduate Game Design Courses

The Master Game Design courses are advanced courses in Game Design that have a duration of 2 years.

  • The Master's degree course in Game Design covers all the important topics related to Game Design and Game Development.
  • At the end of the course, you will be able to use the software Unity and develop interactive games for mobiles, tablets, and PCs.
  • The average salary for Master Game Design students is around INR 4 LPA to INR 8 LPA.

The Master Game Design Courses are studied by those candidates who wish to make themselves familiar with the advanced concepts of game design so that they can rule the gaming industry.

List of Postgraduate Game Design Courses

Given below are details of top Game Design courses after graduation:

Course Name Duration Average Fees
MSc (Game Technology) 2 years INR 50,000
MSc (Game Design and Development) 2 years INR 1,00,000
MA Multimedia (Game Design) 2 years INR 1,70,000

Postgraduate Game Design Courses: Eligibility

  • The admission process is done on the basis of the marks acquired by the students in their Bachelor Game Design course.
  • Some of the top institutes may also conduct an entrance test where basic aptitude and design-related questions are asked to the students.
  • Students who have completed any projects in Game Design will be given priority over others.

Postgraduate Game Design Courses: Top Colleges

The table below lists some of the supreme institutes for studying Game Design courses at the postgraduate level.

College Name Average Fees
ICAT Design and Media College INR 50,000
Gujarat University INR 30,000
BrainZ Institute of Design INR 80,000
IACG Multimedia College INR 1,70,000

Top Game Design Colleges

College Name Course Name Average Fees
SAGE Delhi Diploma in Mobile Game Development INR 75,000
Gujarat University, Ahmedabad MSc IT in Game Design and Development INR 2,60,000
Parul University, Vadodara BCA in Gaming Technology INR 2,40,000
iLEAD Kolkata BSc in Gaming Application and Development INR 3,20,000
School of Media Design, Pune Game Design and Development Course INR 1,69,000
Kalapurnam Institute, Ahmedabad Diploma in Game Design and Integration: Gaming INR 1,21,000
SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai BTech in Computer Science and Engineering (Gaming Technology) INR 14,10,000
Asian Institute of Design, Bangalore Diploma in Game Programming INR 1,99,000
Pearl Academy, Delhi UG Program in Game Design INR 20,83,000
Lovely Professional University, Punjab BDes in Gaming INR 6,72,000

Skills Required to be a Game Designer

Programming Skills Problem Solving Aptitude Database Design
Software Development User Interface Design Creativity & Time Management Skills

Also Check:

Game Design Courses: Jobs and Scope

Many students after 12th grade aim to work in the gaming industry, particularly if they enjoy playing video and online games and want to master game design, animation, and visual effects, among other things. Having a passion for games and the ability to turn new ideas and concepts into compelling games is more important than having an educational qualification for a career in gaming. To make an excellent game, you'll need a basic understanding of coding, programming, animation, visual design, and storytelling.

Let's look at some of the best gaming occupations you may pursue after 10th or 12th grade:

Job Profile Job Description Salary
Game Artists The objective of a game artist is to consider, plan and detail all the important elements of a particular game and put together all these concepts to develop different types of new games for the users. The game artists mainly work in collaboration with game designers and game developers and design different games for gaming enthusiasts. INR 2-6 LPA
Game Designer The main responsibility of a game designer is to produce new and advanced games. The game designers will design games that are easy to maintain and are also highly interactive. They will develop games for all kinds of platforms be it laptops or mobile devices. INR 3-5 LPA
Game Developer A Game Developer develops a complete game starting from scratch. They will conduct market research and develop new and advanced games for the target audience. The game developers may either work independently or for a particular company or organization. INR 6-8 LPA

Game Design Courses: FAQs

Ques. What is the best free online game design course?

Ans. A lot of game designing courses are available on platforms like Pluralsight and Lynda.

Ques: What future is there for a game designer or developer? 

Ans: Game designers and developers can become a part of the gaming industry and develop excellent games for gaming enthusiasts.

Ques. Can I study Game Design abroad?

Ans. Yes, various foreign universities offer certificate and degree courses in game design to interested candidates.

Ques. Is there any undergraduate course for Game Design in India?

Ans. Yes, a lot of Bachelor's degree courses are available in Game Design like Bachelor of Game Design, B.Sc. in Game Design, etc.

Ques. Do I have to apply for an entrance test to apply for Game Design courses?

Ans. In most cases, you need not have to sit for an entrance test. But some institutes do conduct an admission test for admitting the students.

Ques. What is the average salary of Game Design students?

Ans.  The average starting salary for Game Design students is around INR 2 LPA to INR 6 LPA.

Ques. What are the job roles of a game designer?

Ans. A game designer develops different types of video games for all types of platforms.

Ques. Which is the most popular course Game Design?

Ans. The most popular courses in Game Design are the certification courses which are available in online mode.

Ques. What is the average tuition fee for the Game Design courses?

Ans. The average tuition fee is around INR 5,000 to INR 2,00,000.

Ques. Is Game Design a good career choice?

Ans. Yes, as the gaming industry is continuously evolving, game design can be a really good career choice for the students.

Comments


No Comments To Show