Game Console Designer
Make your own handheld game console and code your own library of games
Like playing games? Find out how to create your own in this fast-paced introduction to the game design industry. You’ll not only create multiple games from scratch but also build your own handheld game console.
You’ll learn basic electronics skills as you solder together your own game system. You'll also analyse popular games to see how they’re made, then design and code your own to play on your console.
Age
9-17
Skill Required
Beginner to Advanced
Dates
Easter + Summer 2020
Length
5 Days
Venues
All
Age
9-17
Skill Required
Beginner to Advanced
Dates
Summer Holidays 2020
Length
5 Days
Venues
All
Making75%
Design75%
Coding75%
Electronics25%
Why do Game Console Designer
WITH US?
Take it home
Create your own game console and take it home to continue creating after the camp
Professional Skills
Learn graphic and sound effect design skills, and coding using drag-and-drop programming
Unique Projects
This game console is exclusive to Tech Camp and not available anywhere else
You'll take home
- Handheld game console you've built yourself
- USB drive with all of your projects, code and games
You'll learn
- Soldering skills
- Basic electronics
- Graphic & sound effect skills
- Coding using drag-and-drop
Need to Know
- 1:8 Staff-Student Ratio
- All Equipment Provided
Game Console Designer In Detail
Courses run 9:30am - 4:30pm* Mon-Fri
*Winchester venue finishes 5:30pm/3:15pm (Last Day)
If you’ve not done any before, you’ll start off with a crash course in soldering before assembling your game console.
You’ll then start your game design journey, learning about all aspects of game design needed to create enjoyable 2D games, including:
- Sprite creation (graphical characters)
- Sound effects and background music tracks
- Physics of games including collisions
- Scoring systems, lives & countdown timers
- Loops, conditionals, variables, functions & arrays
- Creating tile maps and rooms
- Camera functions
- Advanced physics (e.g. acceleration, gravity)
- Background effects
- Splash screens, dialogs and text
- Animations, firing and custom graphic effects
You’ll build over 10 games that you can customise throughout your course, including maze games, space shooters, a ‘lunar lander’, a version of ‘pong’ and ‘pacman’, and ‘platformers’.
Once you’ve done all this, you’ll have the skills to create your own games in a variety of genres.
Day 1
Introduction to the game development system
Basic game movement and creation of two simple games
Sprite design and pixel art, collisions & scoring
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
FAQs
Is the course safe? Soldering irons sound dangerous!
In this course, children will be using tools including soldering irons, which can cause burns, but soldering is a very safe activity. Due to the size of the soldering irons (about the size of a pencil), any burns are very small and heal quickly. Safety briefings and teaching children how to use tools safely is a very important part of the course and minimises the risk - for more information please see our safety page.
Should my child do anything to prepare for the course?
My child has never done any soldering, electronics or programming - is this course suitable?
Can they continue creating games at home?
Our kids are back from their 3rd/1st trip to Tech Camp. They’re raving about it and already picking the courses for next year. My son (14) has done two game design courses on previous stays but tried his hand at making a 3D printer this year. It’s absolutely amazing and he’s designing and printing all sorts of things ...
Victoria Jane, August 2019
Childcare vouchers accepted
Upcoming Game Console Designer Courses
Winchester
(Sparsholt College)
Easter Dates
Apr *5/6 - 9, 2020
Summer Dates
Apr *5/6 - 9, 2020
Summer Dates
Aug *2/3 - 7, 2020 (*Residential Campers Start)
Aug *9/10 - 14, 2020
Aug *16/17 - 21, 2020
Aug *23/24 - 28, 2020
Price
£445(Easter)/£545(Summer) Non-Residential
£805(Easter)/£995(Summer) Residential
Reading
(UTC Reading)
Summer Dates
Jul 27-31, 2020
Price
£495 (Mon-Fri Non-Residential)
Abingdon
(St Helen & St Katharine)
Summer Dates
Jul 20 - 24, 2020
Price
£545 (Mon-Fri Non-Residential)
Birmingham
(Harborne Academy)
Summer Dates
Aug 17-21, 2020
Price
£495 (Mon-Fri Non-Residential)
London
(St Paul's)
Summer Dates
Jul 13 - 17, 2020
Jul 27 - 31, 2020
Price
£545 (Mon-Fri Non-Residential)
Edinburgh
(University of Edinburgh)
Summer Dates
Jun 29-Jul 3, 2020
Price
£495 (Mon-Fri Non-Residential)
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