GDC Courses

Designing the Museum Flashback - The Last of Us Part II

Explore level design theories and methods for "Museum Flashback" in The Last of Us Part II, from concept to final production, with insights on player experience and gameplay pacing.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 1 minute
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

Inclusive Marketing for Indies

Explore intersectionality and inclusivity in indie game marketing, learning strategies to ensure your messaging reaches diverse audiences effectively.

• YouTube
• 29 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

The Art Direction of Psychonauts 2

Explore Double Fine's artistic processes for creating the mind-bending world of Psychonauts 2 with Art Director Lisette Titre-Montgomery in this insightful GDC talk.

• YouTube
• 56 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

Gamifying Creativity in Chicory - A Colorful Tale

Explore game design techniques and creative problem-solving strategies used in developing 'Chicory: A Colorful Tale', focusing on innovative approaches to gamify creativity.

• YouTube
• 36 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

My Elephant in the Room - An 'Old World' Postmortem

Soren Johnson discusses reinvigorating historical 4X games by reducing scope, eliminating rote decisions, and introducing procedural characters and narrative elements for a fresh gaming experience.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 2 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

Restoring the Forest - Capturing the Themes of Kena Through VFX

Explore the VFX techniques used in Kena: Bridge of Spirits to bring themes of restoration and regrowth to life, enhancing player feedback and environmental beauty in real-time.

• YouTube
• 29 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

Blowing from the West - Simulating Wind in 'Ghost of Tsushima'

Discover techniques for creating fast, believable wind simulations in game environments, utilizing GPU capabilities to enhance visual realism and immersion.

• YouTube
• 29 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

Making Indie Games with Public Domain Content

Discover how to leverage public domain content for unique game identities, IP-based projects, and audience expansion in indie game development.

• YouTube
• 29 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

How NOT to Build a VR Arcade Game

Explore the challenges of starting a VR arcade game company with insights on avoiding motion sickness and navigating industry pitfalls from MajorMega's Michael Bridgman.

• YouTube
• 30 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

The Animated World of Ratchet and Clank - Rift Apart

Explore the animation process behind 'Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart' with Insomniac Games' Lindsay Thompson, covering cinematic cutscenes and gameplay animation techniques.

• YouTube
• 58 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

Shader Sauce - How to Use Shaders to Create Stylized VFX

Explore fundamental shader concepts and tricks for creating stylized visual effects without hand-drawn animations or complex simulations, building a foundational shader library for easy integration into VFX assets.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 1 minute
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

The Rust Programming Language for Game Tooling

Explore Rust's potential in game tool development, examining its opportunities and challenges for programmers. Learn how this language can enhance your toolset for creating game development tools.

• YouTube
• 30 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

Exploration in Ghost of Tsushima - Letting the Island Guide You

Discover how Sucker Punch crafted an immersive open world in Ghost of Tsushima, using innovative tools to encourage player exploration and support the samurai fantasy through environmental storytelling.

• YouTube
• 51 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

Storytelling Siblings - The Kindred Connection between Games and Theme Parks

Explore the intertwined history and shared storytelling techniques of video games and theme parks, uncovering unique challenges and opportunities in creating immersive experiences across both mediums.

• YouTube
• 59 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

Can We Do It with Particles? - VFX Learnings from 'Returnal'

Explore Housemarque's innovative use of programmable particle systems in Returnal, including volumetric fog and character effects, to create stunning visual effects in game development.

• YouTube
• 27 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk