11 Best + Free Game Development Fundamentals Courses & Certificates [2021]
- 1. CS50's Introduction to Game Development [edX] - Best Free Course
- 2. Unity Playground [Unity Learn] - Best Practical Course
- 3. Learn Unity Game Development in ONE HOUR - COMPLETE COURSE [YouTube] - Best Crash Course
- 4. Complete C# Unity Game Developer 3D [Udemy] - Best Paid Course
- 5. Unity Game Development Course [2021] [YouTube] - Best NEW Course
- 6. Game Programming Patterns [Game Programming Patterns] - Best Text Based Course
- 7. Game Development for Modern Platforms [Coursera] - Best Advanced Course
- 8. Game Development Masterpack [Eduonix]
- 9. Game Institute Courses [Game Institute]
As featured on Harvard EDU, Stackify and Inc - CourseDuck identifies and rates the Best Game Development Fundamentals Courses, Tutorials, Providers and Certifications, based on 12,000+ student reviews, public mentions, recommendations, ratings and polling 5,000+ highly active StackOverFlow members. Learn more
💻 Which Game Development Fundamentals Course Provider is best for me?
- Udemy and Eduonix are best for practical, low cost and high quality Game Development Fundamentals courses.
- Coursera, Udacity and EdX are the best providers for a Game Development Fundamentals certificate, as many come from top Ivy League Universities.
- YouTube is best for free Game Development Fundamentals crash courses.
- PluralSight, SkillShare and LinkedIn are the best monthly subscription platforms if you want to take multiple Game Development Fundamentals courses.
- Independent Providers for Game Development Fundamentals courses & certificates are generally hit or miss.
💼 What is Game Development Fundamentals used for?
Learn Computer Programming: The interesting world-view in a game is all created using Computer programming. So it stands to reason that you need to know programming in case you want to enter this world! Now if you have some basic knowledge about coding in programming languages like C++, C#, Python, Java, etc.
📃 Is a Game Development Fundamentals Certificate worth it?
Yes and No. Certified Game Development Fundamentals developers on average make more money. Having a Game Development Fundamentals certificate greatly increases the chance of landing an interview and can open otherwise closed doors. Coursera, Udacity and EdX offer excellent certificate options for impressing your future employers. Eduonix, Udemy and several other providers offer certificates, but they aren't as reputable. If you have a Computer Science Degree, certificates are not as important. Still, many employers won't care about certificates, but rather your interview skills, experience and/or skills assessment.
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11 Filtered Courses
Sponsored
Complete C# Unity Game Developer 2D (2022)
0.0
Udemy once again delivers a comprehensive look at learning to code in a unique presentation that is clearly distinguished from competitors. While most Unity introductions shy away from coding, this course embraces C# and uses game development as a tool to teach the vital skills of coding in C#.
Pros
Cons
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- One of the most practical courses in teaching object-oriented programming.
- Course truly does not rely on prior programming experience.
- Course is updated regularly to stay relevant with the latest Unity updates.
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- Course will take more time and effort for true beginners. Theyll have to lean into supplemental resources.
- Course does not even dip toes into more advanced uses of C# and Unity.
- Unity bugs can make it hard to know when a failure is yours or the platforms.
Best Free Course
1 )
CS50's Introduction to Game Development (2018)
4.7
This course by Harvard University is part of a professional certificate program, and the lessons are split into 12 weeks. You can complete the entire course with roughly 70 hours of application. It covers the fundamental designs of classic games that include Super Mario Bros. and Flappy Bird.
Pros
Cons
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- Course is the 2nd in a series. For a more complete learning experience, the entire series can be studied for free.
- Project-focused learning ensures that anyone who completes the course will have made their first video game.
- Course can be taken for college credit through Harvard University.
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- Professional certificate costs $150.
- Course is designed at an intermediate level. Beginners cannot start here.
- Course is only free if you do not want college credit.
Best Practical Course
2 )
Unity Playground (2018)
0.0
Developed directly by Unity, the Playground takes a modern approach to learning. Students master the platform by working through their own projects and just having fun with the resources. They will inevitably gravitate to valuable knowledge and become part of the Unity development community.
Pros
Cons
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- You can completely abandon structure and learn through games and other fun no-code experiences.
- The Playground is supported with courses, tutorials and live learning sessions, all included with the Playground.
- This is perhaps the most hands-on approach to learning that exists on the internet.
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- The lack of structure can be prohibitive. Finding the right course as a starting point is a guessing game.
- Going beyond the no-code experience and getting into C# will likely require external resources.
- Its easy to get overwhelmed. Without an abnormal drive or love of Unity, students are likely to hit dead ends and give up.
Best Crash Course
3 )
Learn Unity Game Development in ONE HOUR - COMPLETE COURSE (2018)
0.0
byZenva
This YouTube tutorial is one hour on the dot. It covers the basics of working with Unity and C#. It teaches students how to break into game development and gets them started on making their very own video game.
Pros
Cons
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- The short time investment is abnormally accessible, and it still delivers quality instructional content.
- This video provides just enough information to prevent students from getting lost in the Unity Playground.
- Every concept is demonstrated with actual game development.
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- This course alone is not enough to become a Unity developer. It is only the first step.
- Course may set bad expectations for how important C# is to Unity development.
- Course creator does not interact with comments and offers no updates to content that is aging quickly.
Best Paid Course
4 )
Complete C# Unity Game Developer 3D (2022)
4.8
Design & Develop Video Games. Learn C# in Unity Engine. Code Your first 3D Unity games for web, Mac & PC.
What You'll Learn
- Learn C# from scratch. A powerful modern language.
- Get experience using Unity 2017 - a very versatile 3D tool.
- Gain an excellent general knowledge of video game design.
- Make 2.5D and 3D games in Unity.
- Transfer your knowledge to .NET, other languages, and more.
- Learn how object oriented programming works in practice.
- Develop a positive attitude to problem solving.
- Practical exercises EVERY VIDEO to build actual skills.
- Learn good coding and design patterns.
- Learn to use source control, a valuable tool for working in small teams.
![Unity Game Development Course [2021]](../../programming/game-development-fundamentals/images/unity_crash_course.jpg)
Best NEW Course
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Overall Score : 99 / 100
Best Text Based Course
6 )
Game Programming Patterns (2014)
0.0
The biggest challenge facing many game programmers is completing their game. Most game projects fizzle out, overwhelmed by the complexity of their own code. Game Programming Patterns tackles that exact problem. Based on years of experience in shipped AAA titles, this book collects proven patterns to untangle and optimize your game, organized as independent recipes so you can pick just the patterns you need.You will learn how to write a robust game loop, how to organize your entities using components, and take advantage of the CPUs cache to improve your performance. You'll dive deep into how scripting engines encode behavior, how quadtrees and other spatial partitions optimize your engine, and how other classic design patterns can be used in games.
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Overall Score : 99 / 100
Best Advanced Course
7 )
Game Development for Modern Platforms
4.7
Break into the video game industry with theoretical, technical, and business knowledge from one of the world's best programs.This Specialization covers the theoretical and practical foundations of video game production using the Unity 3D game engine. The Specialization is taught by faculty at Michigan State University with over fifty years of combined experience building games and teaching game production. Michigan State University is one of the top-rated game design and development programs in North America. You'll learn to develop a game concept; prototype, test, and iterate on your ideas; and navigate licensing, marketing, and other business considerations. The specialization builds a solid foundation for industry roles as a gameplay designer, level designer, technical designer, technical artist, programmer, or producer. The capstone partner for the specialization is the online game portal Kongregate, which provides an avenue for distribution of the capstone project, as well as a pa
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Overall Score : 96 / 100
8 )
Game Development Masterpack
0.0
Learn to develop your own games with this Game Development Masterpack that comes with hands-on practice with Ruby, Unity and even VR Programming.
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Overall Score : 99 / 100
Sponsored
9 )
Unreal Engine C++ Developer: Learn C++ and Make Video Games (2022)
0.0
This Udemy course provides nearly 50 hours of instruction on using C++ and Unreal Engine to develop video games. It is a fun, yet serious approach to mastering one of the fundamental coding languages.
Pros
Cons
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- Course takes a unique, appealing approach to fostering excitement among students. It works.
- Course is built on a real-world project. It delivers skill development right alongside practical theory.
- Course covers the development of multiple classic games.
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- Some sections are behind schedule for updates, making them nigh obsolete.
- Course is too short in some game development areas.
- Pacing is inconsistent.
10 )
Game Institute Courses
0.0
Game Institute provides training in the field of video game design and development for learners of all experience levels. We teach the most important skills necessary for anyone interested in creating art or writing code for games. The company was founded by a team of artists, programmers, and teachers from the US and UK in 2001. We've trained thousands of designers and developers from all around the world since then, many of whom have gone on to industry jobs.After you join, you can train directly here at the website, totally at your own pace, and study any subjects in the catalog that interest you. You can also seek a more structured certification program, either here with us, or through one of over 3000 accredited education partners. We offer tracks for both game artists and game programmers. In addition to high school and college students and industry pros, a significant percentage of our members are amateur and hobbyist game developers working on independent projects. Quite a few of our members are also just gamers with a personal interest in seeing how certain types of games are made.
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Overall Score : 99 / 100