FAQ

Do I have to buy any software?

The professional game design software Unity, which is used by major studios all over the world to make AAA games is completely free for students to use. The 2D game engine we teach; GameSalad, is a great way to start learning game development. GameSalad is used by game hobbyists, and smaller studios to make great 2D games. GameSalad Basic is only $19 a month with no contract or $17 a month with an annual contract. This means if you only want to try it out for a month you would not be locked into a contract for either option. You can also try GameSalad free for 5 days without giving your credit card info by going to this page and creating an account to download the trial. You can also see if you qualify for student discounted options. At the beginning of each training section we take the time to explain where to download the necessary software and how to install it on your Mac or PC.
Below is a list of the software we teach and their related costs:

Game Design Software

Unity (FREE) 2D/3D Engine

GameSalad: For those of you who are starting your training with our GameSalad courses we have a coupon code for you to use when registering for your GameSalad account! This code gives students 25% off one year of GameSalad (both yearly and monthly).
GameSalad Coupon: sogd2020

 

GameSalad Basic – ($19 p/month) or ($17 p/month with annual contract)

GameSalad PRO – ($30 p/month no contract) or ($25 p/month with annual contract) See if you qualify for a student discount!

Basic vs Pro plans:
BASIC users can use all the behaviors and functions of GameSalad Creator, but can only publish to the GameSalad Arcade and utilize the GameSalad Viewer for native device testing.

PRO users have full, unrestricted access to all publishing platforms and receive priority technical support.

Here are links to the discounts and options available. Must be logged into your GameSalad user account in order to view these pages – no payment necessary to set up an account:

https://gamesalad.com/download/

https://get.gamesalad.com/upgrade
http://gamesalad.com/creator/pro
https://get.gamesalad.com/discounts

 

Computer Animation Software

Autodesk Maya (FREE for students enrolled in k-12 or college level schools via the Autodesk website)(30day Free Trial)

Autodesk Maya LT (A professional 3D tool with a price that fits an indie game maker’s budget)(30day Free Trial and just $35p/m) 

Checkout the comparison from Autodesk and see what is right for you!

 

Autodesk 3D Studio Max (FREE for students enrolled in a k-12 or college level schools via the Autodesk website)

3D Studio Max – for Indie users (are you eligible?) GO HERE

Autodesk Mudbox (FREE for students enrolled in a k-12 or college level schools via the Autodesk website)

*Use your current school’s name if you are enrolled in k-12 or college. We are not an accredited school and therefor do not qualify for use in student rates for these programs.

 

Graphic Design Software

Right now Adobe is offering their Creative Cloud platform free for students and teachers who already have an account! This is for a limited time due to the global issue we are all facing. Go Check it out!

Adobe Photoshop ($9 a month from Adobe) Adobe Illustrator ($9 a month from Adobe)

Students DO NOT need to have Photoshop or Illustrator to take full advantage of our game design training as we provide all the artwork needed to follow along. However, we have tons of amazing Photoshop tutorials for students who want to learn how to create their own game art. If you don’t have Adobe Photoshop already and don’t want to pay $9 a month, you can always use Pixlr which is completely free and very similar to Photoshop. The same can be said for Adobe Illustrator, with so many free competitors out there we recommend trying out Inkscape first.

How old do students have to be?

The School of Game Design has students of all ages and skill levels from all over the world. We have seen amazing work produced by students as young as 8 and as old as 80. You’re never too young or too old to learn something new! Our video tutorials are simple and fun to watch for everyone because we are passionate about creating training that anyone can master. Students start off with the absolute basics following step by step instructions to retain the tools and knowledge needed moving forward to more advanced training. We are proud to say even our advanced training is fun and easy to learn!

If you are under the age of 13 we require that a parent or guardian has setup your account and monitors your access for safe internet use.

Where are classes held and How?
All of our training is held online in the form of easy to follow video tutorials. Students can learn at their own pace 24 hours a day. Each of the hundreds of high-quality videos we have on the site are short and to the point, so students have fun learning and are never overwhelmed with too much information at once. At any point in time if a student needs help, has a question, or wants their work critiqued they can email our experienced instructors who are dedicated to making each and every student the best game designer and developer they can be!
What can I do with my training?
We teach our students the same tools being used by major studios to build award winning games. We take great care to make sure students are training on software that will enable them to have a career in the game design industry. With our training students will be able to present a portfolio of work to future employers or create, publish and sell their own games.
What type of computer do I need?
Any Windows or MAC desktop / laptop with at least 4GB of RAM should work just fine with the software we teach. Tablets or Netbooks that are not running Windows or MAC OS can be used to view all of the training we provide but will not be able to install the software we teach.
Do I receive a diploma/certificate when I complete my training?
We don’t give out certificates for a few reasons. Every instructor here knows that game design companies are more interested in seeing what it is you’re actually capable of producing rather than a piece of paper telling them so. This is why we work with students to build great portfolios that catch the eyes of future employers. Another reason we don’t give out certificates or diplomas is because training here at the school never ends. The game design industry is always evolving and our training is updated to keep students current with new tools and techniques. Many of our students have been following along with us for over 5 years and some are currently working in the game industry.

Our site is fully secured via Godaddy SSL

COURSE ARCHIVES

FAQ

Do I have to buy any software?

The professional game design software Unity, which is used by major studios all over the world to make AAA games is completely free for students to use. The 2D game engine we teach; GameSalad, is a great way to start learning game development. GameSalad is used by game hobbyists, and smaller studios to make great 2D games. GameSalad Basic is only $19 a month with no contract or $17 a month with an annual contract. This means if you only want to try it out for a month you would not be locked into a contract for either option. You can also try GameSalad free for 5 days without giving your credit card info by going to this page and creating an account to download the trial. You can also see if you qualify for student discounted options. At the beginning of each training section we take the time to explain where to download the necessary software and how to install it on your Mac or PC.
Below is a list of the software we teach and their related costs:

Game Design Software

Unity (FREE) 2D/3D Engine

GameSalad: For those of you who are starting your training with our GameSalad courses we have a coupon code for you to use when registering for your GameSalad account! This code gives students 25% off one year of GameSalad (both yearly and monthly).
GameSalad Coupon: sogd2020

GameSalad Basic – ($19 p/month) or ($17 p/month with annual contract)

GameSalad PRO – ($30 p/month no contract) or ($25 p/month with annual contract) See if you qualify for a student discount!

Basic vs Pro plans:
BASIC users can use all the behaviors and functions of GameSalad Creator, but can only publish to the GameSalad Arcade and utilize the GameSalad Viewer for native device testing.

PRO users have full, unrestricted access to all publishing platforms and receive priority technical support.

Here are links to the discounts and options available. Must be logged into your GameSalad user account in order to view these pages – no payment necessary to set up an account:

https://gamesalad.com/download/

https://get.gamesalad.com/upgrade
http://gamesalad.com/creator/pro
https://get.gamesalad.com/discounts

 

Computer Animation Software

Autodesk Maya (FREE for students enrolled in k-12 or college level schools via the Autodesk website)(30day Free Trial)

Autodesk Maya LT (A professional 3D tool with a price that fits an indie game maker’s budget)(30day Free Trial and just $35p/m) 

Checkout the comparison from Autodesk and see what is right for you!

 

Autodesk 3D Studio Max (FREE for students enrolled in a k-12 or college level schools via the Autodesk website)

3D Studio Max – for Indie users (are you eligible?) GO HERE

Autodesk Mudbox (FREE for students enrolled in a k-12 or college level schools via the Autodesk website)

*Use your current school’s name if you are enrolled in k-12 or college. We are not an accredited school and therefor do not qualify for use in student rates for these programs.

 

Graphic Design Software

Right now Adobe is offering their Creative Cloud platform free for students and teachers who already have an account! This is for a limited time due to the global issue we are all facing. Go Check it out!

Adobe Photoshop ($9 a month from Adobe) Adobe Illustrator ($9 a month from Adobe)

Students DO NOT need to have Photoshop or Illustrator to take full advantage of our game design training as we provide all the artwork needed to follow along. However, we have tons of amazing Photoshop tutorials for students who want to learn how to create their own game art. If you don’t have Adobe Photoshop already and don’t want to pay $9 a month, you can always use Pixlr which is completely free and very similar to Photoshop. The same can be said for Adobe Illustrator, with so many free competitors out there we recommend trying out Inkscape first.

How old do students have to be?
The School of Game Design has students of all ages and skill levels from all over the world. We have seen amazing work produced by students as young as 8 and as old as 80. You’re never too young or too old to learn something new! Our video tutorials are simple and fun to watch for everyone because we are passionate about creating training that anyone can master. Students start off with the absolute basics following step by step instructions to retain the tools and knowledge needed moving forward to more advanced training. We are proud to say even our advanced training is fun and easy to learn!
Where are classes held and How?
All of our training is held online in the form of easy to follow video tutorials. Students can learn at their own pace 24 hours a day. Each of the hundreds of high-quality videos we have on the site are short and to the point, so students have fun learning and are never overwhelmed with too much information at once. At any point in time if a student needs help, has a question, or wants their work critiqued they can email our experienced instructors who are dedicated to making each and every student the best game designer and developer they can be!
What can I do with my training?
We teach our students the same tools being used by major studios to build award winning games. We take great care to make sure students are training on software that will enable them to have a career in the game design industry. With our training students will be able to present a portfolio of work to future employers or create, publish and sell their own games.
What type of computer do I need?
Any Windows or MAC desktop / laptop with at least 4GB of RAM should work just fine with the software we teach. Tablets or Netbooks that are not running Windows or MAC OS can be used to view all of the training we provide but will not be able to install the software we teach.
Do I receive a diploma/certificate when I complete my training?
We don’t give out certificates for a few reasons. Every instructor here knows that game design companies are more interested in seeing what it is you’re actually capable of producing rather than a piece of paper telling them so. This is why we work with students to build great portfolios that catch the eyes of future employers. Another reason we don’t give out certificates or diplomas is because training here at the school never ends. The game design industry is always evolving and our training is updated to keep students current with new tools and techniques. Many of our students have been following along with us for over 5 years and some are currently working in the game industry.

Our site is fully secured via Godaddy SSL

SSL site seal - click to verify

COURSE ARCHIVES

SCHOOL OF GAME DESIGN