Game Development is focused on providing graduates with the skill sets needed to pursue careers in video game development. A foundational pillar of this program is to solve creative and technical challenges in a collaborative team-based environment, allowing students to build a relevant portfolio of work showcasing their skills. To learn about games, we make games!
Work Integrated Learning
Students will participate in a 12 week Work Integrated Learning term in their field of study. Co-operative education integrates classroom theory with related on-the-job-training by alternating terms of academic study and employment. It allows the student to gain valuable industry experience, make industry contacts, and attain a competitive advantage for job search upon graduation. The student will also gain practical knowledge about the workplace environment, including expectations, behaviours and ethics required to be successful.
For information on the program contact Chris Brower at cbrower@rrc.ca.
Graduate Profile
The Game Development advanced diploma graduate will learn to:
1. Create, edit and present game productions as part of a team while cultivating respectful and productive working relationships
2. Research, interpret and apply information to enhance project outcomes
3. Tell stories and create game projects
4. Create and edit game-ready assets
5. Create documents to meet game development objectives
6. Think critically, self-manage and learn independently
7. Manage projects by interacting with stakeholders while respecting timelines, workflow and production schedules
8. Demonstrate industry-ready skills in the chosen specialization streams of Game Art or Game Programming
9. Showcase abilities through professional portfolios, presentations, projects and work experience
DOCUMENT SUBMISSION
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If you do not have a Future Student Account or require assistance, please contact our Student Service Centre at 204-632-2327.
Internationally Educated Applicants - visit www.rrc.ca/credentials for credential assessment information.
| English Language Assessment | Minimum Scores for Certificates, Diplomas and Advanced Diplomas, and Post Graduate Certificates, Post-graduate Diplomas | Minimum Scores for Bachelor Degrees and Creative Communication | International Pathway to Nursing Program |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAEL Online or In-Person | Overall band score of 60 | Overall band score of 70 and Writing of 60 | Overall band score of 60 |
| IELTS Academic Level | Overall 6.0 and No band below 5.5 | Overall 6.5 and No band below 6.0 | Overall 6.0 and No band below 6.0 |
| Password Skills | Overall 6.0 and No band below 5.5 | Overall 6.5 and No band below 6.0 | Overall 6.0 and No band below 5.5 |
| Password Skills Plus | Overall 6.0 and No band below 5.5 | Overall 6.5 and No band below 6.0 | Overall 6.0 and No band below 5.5 |
| LINC Certificate | 7 | 8 | 7 |
| Duolingo Language Test | 115 and above+ with a min. of 95 in each section | 125 and above with a min. of 100 in each section | 115 and above+ with a min. of 95 in each section |
| New English for Academic and Professional Purposes | Successful completion of the program 5 (min 70%) | Successful completion of the program 5 (min 70%) | Successful completion of the program 5 (min 70%) |
| PTE | 54 overall Min 50 in each skill |
60 overall Min 55 in each skill band |
54 overall Min 50 in each skill |
| TOEFL iBT/iBT Home Edition | For tests taken before January 20, 2026 : 78 (no less than 17 per component) For tests taken on January 21, 2026 onwards: 4.0 overall (no less than 3.5 per component) |
For tests taken before January 20, 2026: 86 (no less than 20 per component) For tests taken on January 21, 2026 onwards: 4.5 overall (no less than 4.0 per component) |
For tests taken before January 20, 2026 : 78 (no less than 17 per component) For tests taken on January 21, 2026 onwards: 4.0 overall (no less than 3.5 per component) |
| Academic English Program for University and College Entrance Program (AEPUCE) | Successful Completion | Successful Completion | Successful Completion |
| CELBAN | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Location | Start Date | Apply Link |
|---|---|---|
| Manitou a bi Bii daziigae | Sep 01, 2027 | Apply Now |
Students may apply for financial assistance through the Manitoba Student Aid program. For general information on applying please call 204-945-6321 or 1-800-204-1685, or visit their website at www.manitobastudentaid.ca, which also includes an online application. For detailed information, please visit one of the RRC Polytech Student Service Centres or call 204-632-2327. Applicants requiring financial assistance should complete their student loan applications well in advance of the class start date.
This is the first of four Development and Narrative Design courses and is a shared course for both game artists and programmers. Development and Narrative Design 1 explores the foundational concepts of the game design process. Evaluating a game, and all its components, allows game developers to determine areas of strength, weakness, and opportunities for user experience improvement. Students will learn to create a variety of engaging gameplay scenarios with the aim of creating a balanced and rewarding gaming experience.
This is the second of four Development and Narrative Design courses and is a shared course for both game artists and programmers. This course explores the core concepts of the game design process. Evaluating a game, and all its components, allows game developers to determine areas of strength, weakness, and opportunities for improvement or new game elements. In this course students will learn to create concept art, mood boards, environmental designs, and concept art.
This is the third of four Development and Narrative Design courses and is a shared course for both game artists and programmers. Development and Narrative Design 3 explores the core concepts of the game design process. Evaluating a game, and all its components, allows game developers to determine areas of strength, weakness, and opportunities for improvement or new game elements. Students will explore topics such as designing for accessibility, gameplay conventions and genres, and the roles of AI and camera placement in game design.
This is the fourth and final Development and Narrative Design course and is a shared course for both game artists and programmers. Development and Narrative Design 4 explores the core concepts of the game design process. Evaluating a game, and all its components, allows game developers to determine areas of strength, weakness, and opportunities for improvement or new game elements. Students will explore the process of taking a game idea from pitch to promotion.
(No description available at this time)
This is the first of four courses that concentrate on developing texturing, material authoring and object lighting techniques as used in real-time game engines. Students will be introduced to the creative and technical aspects of analyzing and authoring the surface properties of game assets. Students will explore workflows for basic material creation and lighting techniques. The connections between digital content creation (DCC) packages and game engines will be explored. This course provides the base for Visual Artistry 2.
This is the first of four Game Studio courses and is a shared course for both game artists and programmers. Game Studio 1 is an introduction to the Unreal game engine. Students will develop strategies and workflows to create basic production workflows in a game engine. Working in teams, students learn to create small experimental gameplay prototypes. Students will also learn foundational Visual scripting techniques along with team-based version control workflows.
This is the second course of four which builds upon the knowledge covered in Game Content Creation 1. Students will continue to explore the creative and technical aspects of asset creation as used in the Games industry. Students will design and analyze workflows for procedural modelling as well as gain experience with modelling various modeling software. The connections between digital content creation (DCC) packages and game engines will be explored. Students will design, create and manage assets in a real-time game engine. This course provides the base for Game Content Creation 3.
This is the second of four Visual artistry courses. Visual Artistry 2 continues to build upon the foundational concepts previously covered. A focus on procedural material and texture creation will be covered. Students will explore the creation of photorealistic and stylized approaches to material and texture authoring. The links between lighting and material authoring will be explored. The use of various digital content creation (DCC) packages and game engines will be examined. This course provides the prerequisite knowledge for Visual Artistry 3.
This is the second of four Game Studio courses and is a shared course for both game artists and programmers. Game Studio 2 focuses on analyzing and designing games. Working in teams, students leverage skills, assets, and software applications to create small experimental gameplay prototypes. Foundational skills in game design workflow, automation, implementation, testing and debugging will be covered.
This is the third course of four which builds upon the knowledge covered in Game Content Creation 2. Students will focus on the creative and technical aspects of asset creation. Students will design and analyze advanced workflows for procedural modelling as well as gain experience with various modeling software. The connections between digital content creation (DCC) packages and game engines will be explored. Students will design, create and manage assets in a real-time game engine. This course provides the base for Game Content Creation 4.
This is the third of four Game Studio courses and is a shared course for both game artists and programmers. Game Studio 3 focuses on analyzing and designing solutions for creating games. Working in teams, students leverage skills, assets, and software applications to create experimental gameplay prototypes. Skills in game design workflow, automation, implementation, testing and debugging will be reinforced.
This is the final course of four which builds upon the knowledge covered in Game Content Creation 3. Students will focus on the advanced creative and technical aspects of asset creation. The connections between digital content creation (DCC) packages and game engines will be further explored. Students will be able to design, create, optimize and manage assets in a real-time game engine. This process will expose students to numerous cutting-edge game development technologies, while providing them with practice at being self-directed learners.
(No description available at this time)
This is the first of four Game Business management courses and is a shared course for both game artists and programmers. This course provides an overview of the Game Industry development process, with a focus on the principles of Project Management. Students will develop their own game industry project ideas. Students will also learn foundational skills relating to budgets, funding models, design documentation, and Agile management principles.
This is the second of four Game Business Management courses and is a shared course for both game artists and programmers. In this course students will analyze the Game Industry development process, with a focus on the principles of project development and management. Students will develop their own game industry project ideas and plans. Students will continue to develop skills relating to budgets, funding models, design documentation, and Agile management principals.
This is the third of four Game Business Management courses and is a shared course for both game artists and programmers. In this course students will analyze the Game Industry development process, with a focus on the principles of project development and management. Students will develop their own game industry project ideas and plans. Students will continue to develop skills relating to budgets, funding models, design documentation, and Agile management principals.
This is the fourth and final Game Business Management course and is a shared course for both game artists and programmers. Game Business Management provides students with a grounding in the three key areas of business associated with game development. The course focuses on legal considerations, funding, economics and the marketing of game projects.
This course reinforces skills in motion and animation developed by students in Motion & Animation 1. Students will continue to create animated assets using 3D software. There will be a focus on animating game characters and dialogue as well as creating rigs for characters. The depiction of emotional and physical forces using the principles of animation are examined and applied. In addition to creating and editing motion capture data, students will learn how to automate repetitive animation tasks. This course provides the base for Motion & Animation 3.
This is the third course of four which builds upon the knowledge covered in Motion and Animation 2. Students will focus on the creative and technical aspects of animating assets in a game engine. Students will analyze advanced workflows for managing and editing animation data inside a game engine. The connections between digital content creation (DCC) packages and game engines will also be covered. This course provides the base for Motion and Animation 4.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a process which documents and compares an individual's prior learning gained from prior education, work and life experiences and personal study to the learning outcomes in College courses/programs. For more information, please visit www.rrc.ca/rpl.
1. What you did or what your contribution was2. What software you used3. An estimate of time spent
1. At least 1 example of a "finished" 3D model textured, lit and rendered.
a. Good topology – be sure to show your wireframe along with the finished pieceb. UV layout screenshotsc. Final textures and materials visible on the finished pieced. Well-lit renders from multiple angles:
i. 1 full detail image of the modelii. 2 unique angles showing different features or details of the model
e. Be sure to include concept art of your own creation or sourced from online giving proper credit
2. At least 1 3D art piece such as a model or sculpt which doesn't need to include UV or textures
a. Well lit renders from multiple angles:
i. 1 full detail image of the modelii. 2 unique angles showing different features or details of the model
3. Resume and Cover Letter
a. The Resume should showcase and itemize your experience with art and games and other relevant skills and experiences you bring to a group or studio-like setting.b. The Cover Letter will demonstrate to us your personal history and relationship with art and games and whatever influences and inspiration compels you to create. We want to hear your voice and personality.
1. 2D or 3D animation2. Illustration examples3. Video or still images of relevant group work
• Asset: Any individual resource used to create the game, including 3D models, sound effects, textures, and animations.• Mesh (or Model): The 3D object itself, created by a collection of vertices, edges, and faces (polygons) that define its shape in 3D space.• Polygon (Poly): A geometric shape (usually a triangle or square) that acts as the building block of a 3D mesh. "Poly count" refers to how many of these make up a model; lower counts are better for game performance.• Texture: A 2D image applied to the surface of a 3D model to give it color, detail, or patterns (like wrapping a gift).• UV Mapping: The process of projecting a 2D image (texture) onto a 3D model. Think of it as flattening out a 3D box into a flat cardboard pattern so you can paint on it.• Material/Shader: Instructions that tell the game engine how a surface should look and interact with light (e.g., is it shiny like metal, dull like rubber, or transparent like glass?).• Rigging: The process of creating a digital skeleton (bones and joints) inside a 3D model so that it can be animated and moved.• Game Engine: The software framework (like Unity or Unreal Engine) where all assets, code, and logic are assembled to build the playable game.
• Whiteboxing (or Greyboxing): The early stage of level design where simple, untextured geometric shapes (cubes, cylinders) are used to test the layout and gameplay flow before making it look pretty.• Silhouette: The outline of a character or object. A strong design should be instantly recognizable by its blacked-out shadow alone (e.g., Mario or Sonic).• Rule of Thirds: A composition guideline where an image is divided into nine equal parts by two horizontal and two vertical lines. Placing key elements along these lines or intersections creates more tension and interest than centering them.• Focal Point: The specific area of the screen or environment where the player’s eye is intended to be drawn immediately, often achieved through lighting, color, or leading lines.• Iteration: The cycle of designing, testing, analyzing, and refining a feature. Game dev is rarely about getting it right the first time; it is about improving it repeatedly.
• Ambient Light: The base level of light in a scene that illuminates everything equally, ensuring no part of the game is pitch black (unless intended).• Point Light: A light source that emits light in all directions from a single point, similar to a lightbulb or a candle.• Directional Light: A light source that hits everything from the same angle, used to simulate sunlight or moonlight.• Three-Point Lighting: A standard method for lighting a character or object using three sources:
1. Key Light: The main, brightest light source.2. Fill Light: A softer light used to fill in the shadows created by the Key Light.3. Back (or Rim) Light: A light placed behind the object to separate it from the background and highlight its edges.
• Baked Lighting: Lighting effects (shadows and brightness) that are calculated beforehand and "painted" onto the textures. It looks good and runs fast but cannot change during gameplay (e.g., a static shadow of a building).• Real-Time Lighting: Lighting that is calculated instantly as the game runs, allowing shadows to move and change (e.g., a flashlight beam). This requires more processing power.