Digital Game Design Degrees in Türkiye: Full Guide

As Türkiye's gaming industry keeps growing, the game design programs that will supply the talent the industry needs keep multiplying by the day. So what kind of curriculum do game design programs offer? What jobs can game design graduates work in? Which universities have a game design program? Do you need to be a programmer to study game design? We answer all these questions and more in this article…

With the spread of hypercasual mobile games, Türkiye is gradually shifting from being a country of game consumers to one of game producers. As Türkiye's game industry, home to many independent game studios and the subject of major global investment news, keeps growing, the need for qualified staff keeps rising too.

As you'd expect, the field that comes to mind first when people say "digital games" is programming… While there's some truth to that, software is only one of the many stages a game goes through on its journey from the planning phase to reaching players. In other words, you don't have to be a programmer to become a game designer or work at a game company. Game development needs employees with different skills across many areas, including project management, user experience design, interface design, sound design, script writing, and financial planning.

Which Universities Offer Game Design?

As we mentioned at the start of the article, game design programs aim to train employees who can work in different roles within game development companies. Here are the universities in Türkiye with a 4-year game design program:

• İstanbul Aydın University
• İstanbul Beykoz University
• İstanbul Bahçeşehir University
• İstanbul Topkapı University (formerly İstanbul Ayvansaray University)
• İstanbul Doğuş University
• İstanbul Bilgi University
• İstanbul Beykent University
• İstinye University
• İstanbul Nişantaşı University
• Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University

At all 11 universities on this list, the program called Digital Game Design is among the options young people can choose if they want to start a career as a game developer. In addition to these, Eastern Mediterranean University and Arkin University of Creative Arts and Design, both in the TRNC, can also be included among the universities with a digital game design program. Among the universities in Türkiye with a game design program, only Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University holds public university status.

How Do You Get Into a Digital Game Design Program?

As mentioned, you don't need prior software or programming knowledge to study in a university's game design program. These programs admit students through the Higher Education Institutions Exam (YKS). Students who take the Basic Proficiency Test (TYT) and Field Proficiency Test (AYT) within the YKS and score high enough can enroll in game design programs.

It's worth noting that game design programs admit students under the numerical (quantitative) score type. While the minimum score for game design programs changes every year, the ranking required to get into a game design program falls somewhere between 20,000 and 470,000.

What Are the Digital Game Design Courses? 2023

Once you're successfully enrolled, a series of courses awaits you over 4 years, focusing on different areas of the game development process:

• Fundamentals of game design: Found in the curriculum of every university offering the program, and sometimes made up of more than one course depending on the program, this course covers the basic knowledge, technical terms, and concepts related to digital games.
• Design / visual design: In this series of design courses, spanning everything from the basic principles of visual design to the design of game characters, you'll get to know 2D and 3D design tools and get the chance to use them in your projects and assignments.
• Level design: Built around designing the levels found within a game, this course will teach you about the work level designers do.
• Game engines: Starting from your very first year, these courses will teach you the basic dynamics of game engines frequently used in game development, such as Unreal Engine, Unity, and similar tools.

• Sound design: While game design programs focus on every stage of development, one of the most critical points along the way is sound design. You'll learn to design audio elements used in games, such as sound effects, music, and dialogue, and integrate them into the game in a cohesive way.

• User experience design: Taking a holistic approach to the journey a player experiences from the moment they hit the main menu to the moment they press exit, this course will teach you how every feature of a game is built to deliver the best possible experience.
• Interface design (UI): In this course, you'll learn about the design and creation process of the user interface — menus, arrows, character status indicators, dialogue boxes, and other elements built to guide players within the game.
• Game development: Varying depending on the university offering the program, these courses will have you split into teams to produce game projects, giving you the chance to turn what you've learned into a playable game by the end of the term or year.

Of course, game design programs aren't limited to just the courses we've listed. On top of this core curriculum, you'll also have elective courses to complete from different specialization areas set by the university. You can also broaden your knowledge in other fields alongside game design through unrestricted free elective courses.

What Job Opportunities Are There in Digital Game Design?

After graduating, you'll most likely want to work mainly at game studios. Game design program graduates can work at studios in areas such as visual design, art direction, sound design, UI/UX design, script writing, level design, and game programming/software. Of course, later on, you could also shape your career toward a more management-heavy role as the owner of your own studio… In short, almost every stage of the game development process holds opportunities that game design program graduates can work in.

For many people, the time when you choose your university major is far too early to decide what you'll do for the rest of your life. Even if you don't choose to continue in the games field after graduating, your degree gives you a foundation to move into other areas: with the knowledge you gain in the program, you can find a place in many different fields, such as visual design, video production, art direction, and experience design.