Game Development Is More Than Programming

Game development generates a great deal of excitement among undergraduate computing students. Many students are disappointed to find that they will not learn how to build computer games in their required computing courses. The author created a two-semester sequence of courses focusing on the application of software engineering principles to the design and implementation of computer games. These courses build on the material covered in the first course on software engineering taken by junior level students. This paper summarizes the content of these courses and the author’s experiences in teaching game design during the past six years.