Bachelor Video Game
Overview of the Bachelor in Video Game Design
Three years to become a video game professional
This three-year program enables you to acquire the culture, skills and methodologies essential to enter the video game industry, a constantly evolving sector.
Year 1, common to all profiles, is based on a core curriculum focused on the history of video games and industry techniques, from traditional drawing to 3D, as well as the fundamentals of Game Design. This foundational year enables you to develop a solid understanding of the artistic, technical and creative challenges of the medium.
The Bachelor enables you to meet industry expectations by combining practice, production culture and project-based work.
Specialization from Year 2
From Year 2, students choose their specialization among three tracks: Game Art, Tech Art or Game Design. Each track corresponds to a key professional orientation sought in the video game industry.
This progressive specialization enables you to deepen targeted skills while maintaining a global understanding of video game creation processes, from concept to production.
At the end of the Bachelor, graduates may continue their studies through the Master in Immersive Digital Creation or the Master in Video Game Design.
Main objective: Design the visual aspect of the game
Key learning areas: Character design, environments, objects, interface, animations, textures, lighting and visual effects
Operational skills: Drawing, 3D modeling, animation, graphic design, mastery of Photoshop, Maya and Blender
Targeted expertise: Advanced skills in project aesthetics, artistic direction and visual coherence
Main objective: Optimize the integration of artistic assets into the game engine
Key learning areas: Creation of tools and scripts, asset optimization, engine integration, pipeline management
Operational skills: Programming in Python and C#, use of Unity and Unreal, graphic techniques, automation
Targeted expertise: Advanced skills in technical efficiency, integration and performance
The Game Designer is the architect of the game. The role involves designing narrative structure, rules, constraints and ergonomics. It requires skills in UX and project management.
Over three years, you study Game Design, Level Design, prototyping, 3D techniques, UX Design and team and project management.
A Leading School for Video Game Design
The Rookies, an international reference in animation and video games, ranks the best schools in the sector each year.
In 2023, LISAA achieved 5th place worldwide in Excellence in Console Game Production. The ranking also highlights the best student portfolios. The game “1841: Shirinsky”, developed at LISAA, reached the finals of the Rookie Awards 2023.
The program
Foundations and Fundamentals
Learning objectives
- Acquire a general culture of video games, including their history, genres and codes
- Build technical and artistic foundations through the discovery of creation tools in 2D, 3D, animation, sound and code
- Understand game design principles including mechanics, dynamics and feedback through prototyping
- Develop personal artistic expression through drawing, visual storytelling and artistic culture
- Learn to work in teams and organize projects through the development of a group mini game
- Introduction to project management, oral and written communication and production follow-up
Main objective
Explore the fundamentals of video game professions in order to identify affinities and build a common foundation.
Courses
- Academic Drawing and Anatomy
- Perspective, Volume and Space
- Rough Techniques for Video Games
- Color and Lighting
- History of Art and Digital Interactive Media
- Game Design including mechanics, rules and player experience
- Introduction to Level Design
- Game Analysis
- Project Management
- Prototyping
- Programming Fundamentals
- Concept Art and Art Direction
- Tools for 2D Image Generation
- Character Design for Video Games – Foundations
- Environment Design and 3D Modeling
- 3D Environment Creation and Level Art
- 2D and 3D Animation – Foundation
- 3D Rigging
- Lighting and Texturing
- 2D and 3D Integration in Game Engines
- Supervised Project: Group Mini Game Development
Learning objectives
• Develop advanced technical competencies in programming in C++, Unreal Engine 5 integration, level design and UI and UX
• Refine narrative and creative competencies through interactive writing, art direction and environmental storytelling
• Strengthen project methodology through Agile project management including Scrum and versioning
• Develop critical and ethical awareness including eco design, diversity and accessibility
• Build a first solid portfolio and develop professional English skills
• Begin progressive specialization in Game Art, Game Design or Tech Art
Main objective
Transform foundational knowledge into operational skills within a specialization, an intermediate game project and a collaborative organization.
Core courses
• Digital Culture and Transmedia
• History of Digital Interactive Media
• Professional English
• Portfolio
• Production and Ecological Transition
• Supervised Project
• Video Game Project Management including Agile and Scrum
• Introduction to IT Project Management Tools
Game Art specialization
• Academic Drawing and Anatomy
• Perspective, Volume and Space
• Rough Techniques for Video Games
• History of Art
• Concept Art and Art Direction
• Intermediate Character Design for Video Games
• Environment Art and Props Design
• User Interface Design
• 3D Modeling
• 3D Environment Creation and Level Art
• Intermediate 3D Animation
• 3D Rigging and Skinning
• Lighting and VFX
• Advanced Texturing and Surfacing
• Tools for 2D Image Generation
Tech Art specialization
• History of Art
• Tools for 2D Image Generation
• Production Pipelines including automation and optimization
• Shaders and Materials
• Intermediate 3D Animation
• 3D Rigging and Skinning
• Procedural Modeling and Animation
• Level Art and Real Time Lighting
• FX and Particles
• 3D Modeling
• 3D Environment including modularity, LOD and optimization
Game Design specialization
• Environmental Storytelling
• Game Analysis
• Advanced Game Design
• Level Design
• UX Design
• QA Testing
• 3D Modeling and Engine Integration
• Intermediate Programming
• Gameplay Scripting
• Prototyping
Professionalization and Portfolio
Learning objectives
• Achieve advanced technical and creative mastery in game engines such as Unity and Unreal
• Lead a complete game project individually or in a team under professional conditions
• Prepare for professional integration through portfolio development, internships and interview simulations
• Understand strategic industry issues including marketing and communication
• Develop an ethical and responsible posture including RSE, inclusivity and social impact
• Defend projects before professionals through presentations, defenses and demonstrations
Main objective
Consolidate a professional designer profile according to the chosen specialization, capable of adapting to industry realities and joining a team or launching independent projects.
Core courses
• Digital Culture and Transmedia
• History of Digital Interactive Media
• Professional English
• Professional Pitch and Simulation
• Production and Ecological Transition
• Supervised Project
• Video Game Project Management including Agile and Scrum
• Project Marketing
Game Art specialization
• Advanced Concept Art
• Advanced Character Design for Video Games
• Environment Art and Props Design
• User Interface Design
• Advanced 3D Modeling
• Advanced 3D Environment Creation and Level Art
• Advanced 3D Animation
• Advanced 3D Rigging and Skinning
• Advanced Texturing, Lighting and VFX
Tech Art specialization
• Advanced Production Pipelines
• Advanced Shaders and Materials
• Advanced 3D Animation
• 3D Rigging and Skinning
• Procedural Modeling and Animation
• Level Art and Real Time Lighting
• Advanced FX and Particles
• Advanced 3D Environment
Game Design specialization
• Advanced Level Design
• System Design
• Game Analysis
• Narrative Design
• Advanced UX Design
• QA Testing
• Advanced 3D Modeling and Engine Integration
• Advanced Programming
• Gameplay Scripting
• Final Game Prototyping
At the end of this program, you obtain the following certification registered with the Répertoire National des Certifications Professionnelles (RNCP):
Video Game Designer – Bellecour École – Level 6, registered with the RNCP under number 38294 by decision of the Director General of France Compétences dated November 15, 2023.
91,2%
RNCP certification completion rate for Video Game Designer
(June 2024)
85%
Employment rate six months after graduation (2021*)
*Most recent rate published by France Compétences
Career Opportunities
Admission requirements
Three-year curriculum
Applicants must hold a Level 4 qualification, a high school diploma (Baccalaureate), a DAEU, or an equivalent qualification (including foreign diplomas).
Two-year curriculum
Applicants must hold a Level 4 qualification, a high school diploma (Baccalaureate), a DAEU, or an equivalent qualification (including foreign diplomas), and must have validated 60 ECTS credits in the field of video games or multimedia creation.
One-year curriculum
Applicants must hold a Level 5 qualification, a two-year higher education diploma (Bac+2) or an equivalent qualification (including foreign diplomas), or must have validated 120 ECTS credits in the field of video games or multimedia creation.
How to apply
Applications to LISAA are made outside Parcoursup and remain open until the end of September 2026, subject to availability.
Admission is based on an interview and the presentation of an artistic portfolio, either on-site or online.
Applicants must demonstrate a strong interest in drawing and its professional applications. They must show creativity and the ability to imagine narratives, worlds or characters. Depending on the chosen specialization, applicants must demonstrate artistic or technical curiosity, supported by strong visual culture, observational skills and or problem-solving abilities.
Basic knowledge of drawing, computing and digital creation software is valued. Any self-taught practice such as drawing, artistic compositions or screenwriting is also valued.
Expected qualities include open-mindedness, ability to work in multidisciplinary teams, creative autonomy and awareness of ethical and social issues.
The portfolio must be entirely digital in PDF format. If videos are not integrated into the PDF, they must be provided as accessible links without password protection.
Tuition fees
Find full details of tuition fees and associated costs on the dedicated page.
Access timeline
Admissions are open from October to August for a September intake. Applications are processed within a maximum of three weeks after receipt of a complete application file. Enrollment remains possible until the start date, subject to availability.
By special authorization, enrollment may be possible after the official start date of the program, following review and verification of the applicant’s ability to catch up on previously delivered coursework, within a maximum period of two months after the start of the program.
For more information, please consult the dedicated page.
Over the three years of the Bachelor, students develop advanced mastery of the tools and techniques essential to video game production.
They learn to design and program playable prototypes, automate processes and actively participate in all technical phases of production.
They also develop strong artistic sensitivity, enabling them to translate narrative universes into coherent artistic directions adapted to technical constraints.
The program enables them to understand game mechanics, user experience and game structure in depth, in order to design coherent and engaging systems.
The program also prepares students for professional integration by developing the organizational, collaborative and strategic skills required in a development studio.
Students develop essential human and professional qualities necessary to evolve in a creative and constantly evolving sector.
The pedagogy of the Bachelor in Video Game Design is based on a professional-oriented approach centered on the creation of video game experiences with strong artistic value.
It relies on varied methods enabling students to develop artistic, technical and critical skills within a framework close to professional realities.
Among the implemented methods:
• Competency-based learning
These teaching modules encourage interdisciplinary experimentation and in-depth mastery of production tools.
• Theoretical courses and conferences: history of digital arts, aesthetics of moving images, ethical issues related to AI, critical analysis of artistic projects
These contributions support reflective thinking on contemporary digital creation.
• Project follow-up: each student benefits from regular supervision by professionals including artists, developers, designers and researchers, supporting project development from ideation to final production.
• Professional workshops: sessions confronting students with concrete issues and professional production approaches.
• Professional simulations: oral presentations, defenses, responses to calls for projects and jam sessions. These exercises strengthen the ability to formalize and defend a project in real contexts and enable the development of a distinctive and adaptable professional posture.
These methods are designed to foster creative autonomy, artistic rigor and progressive acquisition of the skills required to enter the professional world.
Assessment during the program
Assessment throughout the Bachelor is based on continuous, personalized and qualitative follow-up focused on individual progression, project coherence and the ability to develop immersive productions in collaboration.
• Continuous assessment and validation of technical skills in accordance with the competency framework of the prepared title
• Evaluation of projects including reports, presentations and prototypes
• Professional jury for the final defense
Three main dimensions structure the assessment:
• Evaluation of the creative process: consistency of work, relevance of artistic and or technical research, clarity of intention, project coherence, ability to articulate concept, technology and user experience
• Oral presentations and defenses: professional simulations of project pitches before a jury, evaluating the ability to present and defend a project convincingly in a professional context
• Final evaluation of the video game project: each student presents individually before a jury composed of industry professionals. The evaluation measures the candidate’s ability to demonstrate the competencies corresponding to the selected diploma option through the presented project and other individual productions.
Individual and group follow-up is conducted throughout the three years to guide orientation choices, adjust pedagogical pathways and prepare for professional integration.
RNCP certification assessment
The award of the Level 6 Video Game Designer title is based on the validation of four competency blocks and three complementary blocks depending on the selected option, each subject to dedicated assessment.
Each competency is evaluated independently according to criteria defined in the official framework. The certifying body ensures compliance with assessment methods and equal treatment of candidates.
Assessment methods include:
• Professional simulations and professional dossier
• Case studies
• Video game design projects
• Production of graphic resources for a video game
• Technical supervision of video game production
• Video game programming
• Reflective analysis
Certification is awarded upon validation of competency blocks 1, 2, 3 and 4 as well as validation of one of the complementary blocks 5, 6, 7 or 8.
Each competency block is capitalizable for the entire duration of the certification.
In the case of Advanced standing, whether through validation of prior experience or validation of a competency block or equivalent certification, the candidate must present the equivalence to the jury for validation.
If you have already obtained an RNCP certification of a similar level and specialization and are interested in this title, you may request full or partial Advanced standing. The request must be submitted via the contact page.
This certification includes partial equivalencies with the following RNCP certifications:
• RNCP36443 – Digital Designer, notably competency block RNCP36443BC01 – Analysis and positioning of a digital project
• RNCP36533 – 3D Animation VFX Video Game Designer, notably competency blocks RNCP36533BC03 – Produce all or part of a 3D image work and RNCP36533BC02 – Structure and manage the 3D image production process
This program delivers a Level 6 certification and prepares you to enter the job market after Year 3.
If you wish to continue your studies to specialize further and reach higher levels of responsibility in the video game sector, you may apply to the Master programs at LISAA Game and Animation.
