Game Design Course Singapore | 12-Month Diploma | MAGES Institute

GAME DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY DIPLOMA IN SINGAPORE

12 Month Full-Time
Batch Start 15-February-2027

Singapore’s top-ranked game design course – learn to build, publish games in just 12 months. 

Ranked Top 6 Worldwide for Production Excellence in Mobile Game Development (Rookies 2024)

Game Design & Development Diploma

The Diploma in Game Design and Technology is a 12-month full-time game design course in Singapore where you design, code and ship complete, playable games in Unity and C#.

You’ll learn from mentors with credits on Assassin’s Creed Origins, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Skull & Bones and Paradox Interactive’s Stellaris – people who have shipped the kind of games you want to work on.

MAGES student games have ranked Top 6 worldwide for Production Excellence in Mobile Games (The Rookies 2024), and our school sits in the global Top 50 (The Rookies 2025). You can play our students’ work on itch.io right now.

Whether you’re a complete beginner or switching careers, you graduate with a portfolio of finished games – not coursework.

Program Glance

Qualification Diploma in Game Design & Technology
Awarded by MAGES Institute of Excellence Pte. Ltd., Singapore
Duration 12 months full-time
Next intake 15 February 2027
Delivery mode Classroom or eLearning. Mode cannot be changed after commencement.
Class size 18 students per lecturer
Campus *SCAPE, 2 Orchard Link #05-11, Singapore 237978 — 2 min from Somerset MRT
Total fees (Singapore Citizens & PRs) S$19,061.92, inclusive of 9% GST
Total fees (International students) S$22,113.92, inclusive of 9% GST
Application fee S$545.00 local · S$817.50 international, non-refundable
Minimum age 16
Entry requirements 2 credit passes at GCE O-Level (excluding English), or equivalent, or portfolio + interview
English requirement IELTS 5.5 or a pass in GCE O-Level English, or equivalent
Software taught Unity3D · C# · Visual Studio · Git · ClickUp
Assessment Project-based across all modules
Accreditation EduTrust EDU-2-2054 · CPE Reg. No. 200912099N
Progression BSc Computer Game Applications Development, Abertay University (12 months)

Who This Diploma Is For

The Diploma in Game Design & Technology suits you if you want to work as a game designer, gameplay programmer or technical designer, and you can commit to full-time study in Singapore. No prior coding or art experience is required – Term 1 starts with game design principles and programming logic from zero.

It is not the right fit if you want to specialise in game art rather than gameplay and code. For character modelling, environments and 3D assets, the 3D Modelling & Game Art Diploma is the better route.

Do I Need to Know How to Code Before I Start?

No. The Diploma in Game Design & Technology begins with programming logic and scripting basics in Term 1. Students with no coding background complete the programme every intake.

What You’ll Learn

The Diploma in Game Design & Technology teaches game development in Unity using C#. Across 12 months you’ll cover:

  • Game design principles, player engagement and mechanics balancing
  • C# programming for gameplay, from scripting basics to systems architecture
  • Game systems design, callbacks and event handling
  • Mobile game development, touch UI and platform optimisation
  • Local multiplayer systems
  • AI for games: pathfinding, enemy behaviour and decision systems
  • Player progression, game economy and balancing
  • Debugging, optimisation and gameplay testing
  • Version control with Git and studio production workflows in ClickUp

Every module ends in a playable build. You graduate with up to seven complete games, not coursework.

Why Study Game Design at MAGES Singapore

  • Mentors with shipped AAA credits — Assassin’s Creed Origins, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Skull & Bones, and Paradox Interactive’s Stellaris
  • Ten international awards since 2018, including Top 6 worldwide for Production Excellence in Mobile Games (The Rookies 2024) and Top 50 globally (The Rookies 2025)
  • 18 students per lecturer
  • A published portfolio – student games are live on itch.io for PC and Android, and you can play them before you apply
  • 12 months, not three years — the four Singapore polytechnic game diplomas all run for three
  • EduTrust-certified (EDU-2-2054) with full fee protection under the FPS

That last-but-one bullet is your strongest argument and it currently appears nowhere.

PROGRAMME OVERVIEW

The journey of making a game is a creative and technical adventure – one that blends design, programming, systems thinking, and problem-solving into every level.

 

This diploma equips aspiring developers with the essential tools to succeed in the game industry, guiding them from their very first playable prototype to polished, team-built projects. Students will learn game design principles, develop strong programming fundamentals, and apply real-time systems such as animation, physics, AI, and UI to bring their ideas to life.

 

Along the way, they’ll build a diverse portfolio of PC and mobile games – including titles designed for local multiplayer play and prepared for publishing on platforms. Hands-on projects and team-based production simulate real studio environments to develop both individual skills and collaboration confidence.

 

Graduates of this program will be ready for roles such as gameplay programmer, technical designer, or junior game developer. They’ll leave with not just code and assets, but with complete, playable experiences – proof of their creativity, logic, and ability to ship games under real-world conditions.

DURATION: 12 Months (Full-Time)

STUDENT-TO-LECTURER RATIO: 18 Students : 1 Lecturer

MODE OF DELIVERY: Classroom or eLearning. Learners are not allowed to switch Modes after programme commencement. Please click here to learn more

NOTE: A Pass in all Modules within the maximum study period is required for Graduation.

SOFTWARES TAUGHT: Unity3D | C# (C Sharp) | Visual Studio | Git | Clickup

HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS: Windows Laptop with a Minimum of i7 (16th Gen) Processor or Ryzen 7, 16 GB RAM (32 GB recommended), RTX 5060 or above, 500GB SSD (1TB recommended)

MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION: English

ASSESSMENT: Project-based Assessment for all modules.

PROGRAMME OUTLINE

DEVELOP FUNDAMENTALS

This term builds essential skills in game design and programming through hands-on, project-based learning. Students start with board game mechanics, progress to text-based interactive stories, and conclude with a platformer prototype.

 

Skills & Topics Explored

  • Game Design Principles + Mechanics of Play
  • Programming Logic + Scripting Basics
  • Narrative Flow + Interactive Systems
  • Prototyping: Board Games, Text Games, Platformers

GAME SYSTEM & PLATFORM

In Term 2, students deepen their programming capabilities by developing essential systems for both PC and mobile games. Each module results in a playable project – from responsive touch-based mechanics to a complete local multiplayer mobile game – using modular code, platform-specific logic, and best practices in system architecture.

 

Skills & Topics Explored

  • Game Systems Design + Callback/Event Handling
    Mobile Game Development + Touch UI + Platform Optimization

GAME PRODUCTION

In Term 3, students explore advanced gameplay systems – from player progression and game balancing to artificial intelligence. The term concludes with a full production module, where students conceptualize, develop, and polish a complete game using studio-style workflows – preparing them for real-world game development.

 

Skills & Topics Explored

  • Game Data & Progression Systems +Artificial Intelligence for Games + Pathfinding + Enemy Behaviors
  • Game Production + Iterative Design + Debugging & Polish

16 YEARS OF INSPIRATION & AWARDS

Our school proudly marks 16 years of cultivating creative talents and receiving prestigious awards.

Top 50
Global School Ranking 2025

Ranked 50 Globally - Global School Ranking

2025 school rankings
Top 10 | 2025

Top 10 Globally - Concept Art

Rookies 2024
TOP 10 | 2024

Production Excellence- Mobile (World Ranking) - STARLIGHT/ENDLESS RUNNER

Rookies 2023
TOP 10 | 2023

Production Excellence- Mobile (World Ranking) - STARLIGHT/ENDLESS RUNNER

Rookies 2021
FINALIST | 2021

Game Of The Year-Finalists for DARKEST DELIVERANCE

Rookies 2020
TOP 50 IN THE WORLD | 2020

Top 50 Creative Media & Entertainment Schools and Colleges in the world

Rookies 2021
FINALIST | 2020

Game Of The Year-Finalists for KAISAKE'S REVENGE

Top 10 2019
TOP 10 | 2019

Production Excellence- Mobile (World Ranking)

Rookies 2019
FINALIST | 2019

Game Of The Year- Finalists for KELINCI KANVAS

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WINNER | 2018

Game Of The Year-Winner for HORDE

INSTRUCTORS

Rajesh Chakravarthy has worked in digital art, design and technology for 18 years, nine of them as an educator in creative media and tech schools. As Academic Director at MAGES Institute, he leads the school's work in artificial intelligence and immersive technology. Rajesh specialises in applying AI to real-world creative and business workflows, from generative AI tools for content production to AI-driven automation. He is also a veteran AR/VR developer and an Unreal Engine Authorised Instructor. His work sits where design, technology and business meet, through ventures in prototyping, product development and education. His students have gone on to careers with prominent companies around the world.

Rajesh Chakravarthy has worked in digital art, design and technology for 18 years, nine of them as an educator in creative media and tech schools. As Academic Director at MAGES Institute, he leads the school’s work in artificial intelligence and immersive technology.

Rajesh specialises in applying AI to real-world creative and business workflows, from generative AI tools for content production to AI-driven automation.

He is also a veteran AR/VR developer and an Unreal Engine Authorised Instructor. His work sits where design, technology and business meet, through ventures in prototyping, product development and education. His students have gone on to careers with prominent companies around the world.

Rajesh Chakravarthy

Academic Director | AI & Immersive Technology Specialist

Nanda Ye Aung brings extensive experience across the IT and education industries, especially in 3D graphic animation, game programming and game development. He has worked in the United States, India and Singapore.

His background in game programming gives him a practical grounding in agent behaviour and decision systems — the behaviour trees, state machines and rule-based logic that let software decide what to do next. He applies that foundation to AI systems.

Nanda is a Unity Certified Developer and an Unreal Engine Authorised Instructor, and holds certifications from Microsoft and Oracle. His clear communication makes him a valued lecturer at MAGES.

Nanda Ye Aung brings extensive experience across the IT and education industries, especially in 3D graphic animation, game programming and game development. He has worked in the United States, India and Singapore.

His background in game programming gives him a practical grounding in agent behaviour and decision systems — the behaviour trees, state machines and rule-based logic that let software decide what to do next. He applies that foundation to AI systems.

Nanda is a Unity Certified Developer and an Unreal Engine Authorised Instructor, and holds certifications from Microsoft and Oracle. His clear communication makes him a valued lecturer at MAGES.

Nanda Ye Aung

Lecturer | AI Systems & Real-Time Technology

Self-styled Game Development 'Swiss Army Knife,' Xuanming has an extensive passion-driven experience across art and programming for games with over 16 years of experience (over 9 years in teaching). He has worked most recently for Paradox Interactive on Stellaris,  contributing to the Galactic Paragons expansion for the franchise as a Lead Game Designer. With nearly a decade of teaching experience, Xuanming has led teams of students to bring their game ideas to life.

Dubbed a ‘Swiss Army Knife’ in Game Development, Xuanming boasts 16+ years of genuine expertise in game art and programming and 9+ years in teaching. He served as Lead Game Designer on Stellaris’ Galactic Paragons expansion at Paradox Interactive. Guiding student teams for almost a decade, Xuanming transforms their game visions into reality.

Xuanming Zhou

Mentor | Game Designer