GDC Courses

To the Beat Y'all - What Designers Can Learn From Hip Hop

Explore hip hop's literary techniques and their application to game story structure and dialogue, focusing on economy of language, terminology, and language hierarchy in both music and game design.

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

Gorillaz, Monkees, K/DA, and OFK - Creating Virtual Identity

Explore the evolution of virtual identity in media, from 1960s TV to modern VTubers. Learn design techniques and social priorities behind creating virtual bands and characters.

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

How 'Fortnite' Designers Made Their Own Tools

Discover how Fortnite's quest team overcame challenges by empowering designers to create and edit their own tools using Blueprint-driven Editor Utility Widgets in Unreal Engine, enhancing efficiency and flexibility.

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

Script Murders - The Form and Design of the Most Popular Tabletop Genre in China

Explore the evolution and design of script murder games in China, from their Western origins to diverse genres like joy, emotion, and horror, offering insights for game developers.

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

You Have No Idea How Hard It Is To Run a Sweatshop

Explore game design's impact on society, intentionality in creation, and the power of games to convey messages. Delve into diverse topics while examining how to craft meaningful, purposeful gaming experiences.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 3 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

Surviving 'Vampire Survivors' - Agile Community Management

Discover how a solo Community Manager navigated the challenges of managing millions of players for the indie hit Vampire Survivors, sharing insights on agile community management strategies.

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

Emergency Meeting! It's the Among Us VR Postmortem

Developers share insights on porting 'Among Us' to VR, discussing playtesting, scheduling, and overcoming challenges during pandemic development to deliver a successful game on time.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 3 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

Creative Future with Artificial Intelligence

Explore the current state of generative AI in game development, its potential applications, and ethical considerations from a veteran 3D artist and AI company CEO's perspective.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 6 minutes
• On-Demand
• Conference Talk

The Future of Game Communities, and How We Avoid It

Explore the evolution of game communities, from AAA to NFTs, and learn about potential pitfalls and concerns for the future through the lens of community management theory.

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

Dark Pictures - Season 1 - 4 Games in 4 Years - Audio Systems for Narrative Horror

Explore innovative audio systems for narrative horror games, including character sound, foley, interactive mixing, and spatial audio, as used in the Dark Pictures Anthology series.

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

Flopping Successfully - Running a Studio Without a Huge Hit

Discover strategies for sustaining an indie game studio long-term without relying on blockbuster hits. Learn from Henchman & Goon's 10-year journey in the competitive gaming industry.

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

Narrative Moments on a Budget - Stretching Storytelling Dollars Across the Moments That Matter

Discover strategies for efficient storytelling in game development, focusing on prioritizing narrative elements and maximizing impact with limited resources and time constraints.

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

Being a Unicorn - Multiclassing in an Industry That Wants Specialization

Veteran game developers share strategies for building successful careers with diverse skill sets in an industry that often favors specialization, offering insights for multitalented professionals.

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

The Secret Lives of NPCs - Wayward Strand

Explore the innovative approach to NPC design in 'Wayward Strand', where characters lead independent lives. Learn how to create a dynamic, real-time narrative world that feels authentic and engaging for players.

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

Moving Mountains - Speedy Level Creation as a Desperate Indie Dev

Discover efficient level design techniques for indie game development, focusing on maximizing gameplay variety and building levels quickly using clever tools and a single core mechanic.

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