Games and Playable Media
12 courses · El Camino College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Classes: Fall 2026 · Spring 2027
GPM 95 Cooperative Work Experience Education
- Units
- 2-4
- Hours
- hours to be arranged
- Transfers to
- CSU
Through a set of learning objectives established by the student, supervisor, and instructor, each student will work with and learn from experts in Games and Playable Media. These experiences will enable students to improve job skills, analyze career opportunities and requirements, and compare them to personal abilities and career expectations. Note: Transfer limitations apply. Note: The total units earned for Cooperative Work Experience Education may not exceed 16 units.
GPM 99 Independent Study
- Units
- 1-3
- Hours
- hours to be arranged
This course provides advanced studies in a subject field of Games and Playable Media not covered in the regular departmental offerings. Regular conferences are coordinated with the faculty. Note: Transfer limitations apply.
GPM 100 Introduction to Game Studies
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 3 hours lecture
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Introduction to Game Studies is a survey course that covers fundamental practical, theoretical, and historical aspects of video games and the game development industry. Students will learn essential concepts used by people who work in and around the design and development of games, gain a basic orientation to how video games and esports have emerged as cultural forms, and learn about the fundamental practices of game development in both AAA and independent game studios.
GPM 110 Game Design Fundamentals
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture/3 hours lab
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Game Design Fundamentals introduces students to the essential practices and principles of design that support development of both video and analog games. Students practice the early stages of video game development as they work in cross functional teams to design and develop playable game prototypes, and then develop and execute prototype testing plans and participate in peer critique.
GPM 130 Pitch Development and Game Industry Practices
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 3 hours lecture
- Prerequisite
- GPM 100 or GPM 110
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course provides students with a fundamental understanding of the underlying functions, goals, and language of the video game development business. Students learn lessons from historical game releases that can be applied to new projects alongside general business best practices. Students learn the latest revenue models being used in the video game industry and how to leverage those tools to engage versus alienate customers. Students research game employment opportunities, develop a resume, online presence, and create a business plan for an independent game project.
GPM 140 Introduction to Game Narrative
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 3 hours lecture
- Prerequisite
- GPM 100
- Advisory
- GPM 110
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course encompasses the theory and practice of narrative, story, and dialogue with a focus on creating video game narratives as related to overall game design principles. This course covers how video games use narrative to communicate with the player and how game narratives interact with game rules and technologies. The course introduces the process of creating a narrative, integrating the narrative with the game design, using environmental storytelling, designing and using game dialogues, and creating game characters through narrative.
GPM 150 Coding for Creatives
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture/3 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- Proficient in elementary algebra skills
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
This course introduces students to computer programming through the context of digital art and interactive game programming. Students will learn the core concepts of computer science along with the necessary programming skills to create engaging visual and interactive user experiences. Emphasizing creativity and innovation, the course includes laboratory work in which students will develop their projects using an imperative programming language chosen by the instructor (e.g., C++, JavaScript, etc.). Through hands-on practice, students will gain practical experience and bring their creative visions to life. This course is designed for students with no prior programming experience.
GPM 170 Game Systems and Mechanics Design
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture/3 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- GPM 110
- Advisory
- GPM 150 or DART 150
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course focuses on building a solid understanding of play mechanics: the formal elements of play, the dramatic elements that make a game meaningful to its players, and the system dynamics that shape the overall experience. Lectures will use historical and current games and genres to illustrate key concepts. Topics include strategy and tactics, resource management, emergent complexity, puzzles and puzzle integration, interconnected systems, and game balance. Students will also learn the process of systems design through prototyping and playtesting based on established practices and industry trends.
GPM 190 Level Design
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture/3 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- GPM 110
- Advisory
- GPM 150 or DART 150 or DART 155
- Transfers to
- CSU
In this course, students will explore the art of video game level design. The course follows the level designer through the game development process. Using industry standard software, students will develop and refine a two- or three-dimensional video game level. Topics covered include theme, audience, mood, player challenges, level narrative, puzzle design, diagram design, template creation, play-testing, and troubleshooting. Students will build, test, and distribute a working video game prototype at the conclusion of this course.
GPM 210 User Interface and User Experience for Games
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture/3 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- GPM 110
- Advisory
- DART 150 or DART 155
- Transfers to
- CSU
This course is an overview of user interface (UI) design, development, and production through a hands-on approach, geared towards designers. Topics include pre-production, design, production techniques, and approaching game design through a User Experience (UX) lens. Assignments will focus on pre-production planning and design/production of responsive user interfaces for video games.
GPM 220 Game Production Studio
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture/4 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- GPM 110 and GPM 150 or CSCI 1 or DART 150 or DART 155
- Advisory
- GPM 140 or GPM 170 or GPM 190
- Transfers to
- CSU
In this course, students continue honing their game creation and production skills in an intermediate studio with a focus on team projects for game development. Students use design reviews, engage in formal presentations, conduct play testing and debugging, and make assets needed to create a game. Students will focus on mechanics, code, narrative, sound, dialogue, animation, and art elements to create a compelling play experience. Teams work in a collaborative studio environment to take a project from concept to fully playable demo. Lecture and lab activities will support learning advanced techniques and studio workflows for game development.
GPM 290 Game Production Capstone Studio
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 2 hours lecture/4 hours lab
- Prerequisite
- GPM 220
- Transfers to
- CSU
In this advanced capstone studio, students work on focused group projects with clearly defined roles and responsibilities. Students will work in a self-directed way to create documentation, apply design processes and techniques, and work on an original concept for a group project. Teams will then make the assets needed to create a final game. Projects will focus on mechanics, programming, narrative, sound, dialogue, animation, and art elements to create a compelling play experience. Students will develop a project from pre-production to release in a collaborative studio environment to put game production skills in action!