Game Design and Development
At RIT, you are at the forefront of game creation–and you’ll originate the next big thing with the best in the business. With world-class faculty and the most modern makerspace in the region–the MAGIC Center–you’ll find yourself immersed in an imaginative, inventive environment where any gaming idea you have can become a reality.
Our game design and development programs at RIT’s Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences are nationally ranked. And with a portfolio of academic programs covering areas as diverse as digital media, digital design, game production, game engine programming, interactive entertainment, storytelling, character and plot development, animation, and more, you’ll be empowered to explore the vibrant entertainment technology landscape. Whether you find yourself drawn to coding and programming or story development and character design, you’ll graduate ready for a dynamic career in the professional games industry or a related field, such as simulation, edutainment, or visualization.
Nationally Recognized
Top 10
"Top Schools for Video Game Design for 2020"
Princeton Review
3
National Championships
RIT’s eSports Team has won three national championships in the games Dota 2, Dropzone, and Rainbow Six: Siege
#3
Global Gaming League ranked RIT 3rd in the inaugural Top Gaming Colleges survey
Faces of RIT
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![Evan Hirsh watching his eSports team playing games.]()
Online Face-Off
Evan HirshComputer ScienceTrading gloves and helmets for a monitor and a mouse has ushered in a new era in sports: competitive, organized gaming. By mirroring professional eSports, the RIT eSports team pursues competitive gaming at the highest possible level, rivaling the excitement of traditional sports teams.
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![Barrington Campbell and another student working in computer lab.åç]()
MetroGnome
Barrington CampbellGame Design and DevelopmentTinkering, testing, designing, coding – it's what he does. Through RIT's game design program, Campbell and his team created a game that garnered attention from 20th Century Fox, leading him to an internship with the company.
A Digital Playground for Students (and Companies)
MAGIC Spell Studios
Develop and publish digital media—games, apps, films, art installations, and interactives—and grow your ideas into products and companies. Five state-of-the-art classrooms enable students to engage in hands-on learning in game design, 2D and 3D animation, and digital design. Students learn on the same hardware and software platforms used in industry while honing their technical and creative skills. And, they get to work alongside professionals from film, animation, television, 3D entertainment, gaming, and more. A fully outfitted sound stage and post-production studios further enhance learning and allow faculty to introduce real-world film, animation, and digital media workflows to the classroom. It’s a fully-immersive experience for RIT students.
Typical Job Titles
- Game Developer
- Game Designer
- Audio Programmer
- User Interface Programmer
- Artificial Intelligence Programmer
- Interactive Developer
- User Experience (UX) Developer
- Web User Interface (UI) Developer
- Special Effects Artist
- Motion Graphics Artist
- Character Artist
- Mobile Engineer
Some Companies That Hire Our Graduates
Related Stories
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December 10, 2021
![side-by-side portraits of Jackie Wiley and Dylan Ayrey.]()
RIT trailblazers make the Forbes 30 Under 30 list
Forbes has identified a few of the RIT alumni set to define the next decade—and beyond. Two RIT alumni—and a third just a few months shy of the age cut-off—were named on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for 2022. Jackie Wiley ’16 (game design and development) was honored in the Games category, and Dylan Ayrey ’15 (computer engineering) was named in the Enterprise Technology category.
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December 10, 2021
![Actor John Lithgow with his book, Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo.]()
RIT professor directs, produces episodes featuring John Lithgow, Angela Bassett for acclaimed series
Assistant professor Amy Adrion—whose work has screened at South by Southwest, Sundance, and Tribeca film festival—recently directed and produced videos for an online streaming series featuring actors reading children’s books brought to life through animation.
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December 9, 2021
![screen showing Space Invaders video game.]()
High school students to create video games for social change at AT&T & RIT ROCtheChange Game Jam Jan. 15
Rochester-area public school students will create social change using video games at the AT&T & RIT ROCtheChange Game Jam held Jan. 15—the first free youth game jam in the region.
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December 8, 2021
![A still from a 2d animation using lots of saturated colors.]()
Alumni contribute to animated film receiving Oscar buzz
Angélica Agélviz, Shana Dixon and Chloe Hayes — all 2019 School of Film and Animation graduates — worked on Nuevo Rico, an award-winning film seen as a potential Academy Award winner.
