Projects

Game development projects are a major component of the Guildhall curriculum. These projects take the form of individual assignments, team projects, and a major team capstone project. All projects are designed to reinforce new concepts, techniques, and skills in a way that helps you get the most out of the curriculum, and allows you to demonstrate mastery of the subject matter.

The initial projects focus on building fundamental skills within the scope of one term. As your skills mature, assignments become more complex, and the projects increase in scope. Teams are cross-disciplinary, including students specializing in art creation, software development, and level design. You'll experience the processes and dynamics of team-building several times during the program as teams are formed for each major project assignment. The capstone project is treated like an industry development project, with milestones, reviews, and outside evaluations.

You'll learn to work individually and in teams to produce digital games. The team will get a grade based on the project deliverables, and you'll receive an individual grade based on your contributions. In addition, you'll be building a significant foundation for your professional portfolio as you complete the project assignments.

You will be required to complete the following projects while attending The Guildhall at SMU:

1. Small teams develop a 2D game engine and game demo.
2. Formal, cross-disciplinary teams design and develop a basic 3D game mod demo using a provided game engine and development tools.
3. Formal capstone project in which cross-disciplinary teams design and develop an original 3D game demo.