Computer Games Art
Develop art skills relevant to the fast-moving games industry including sculpting, modelling, texturing, characters and environments.
for "Academic support" in the National Student Survey 2026.
Source: NSS 2026
Discover how to use visual research, creative experimentation and technical development to forge a career as a computer games artist, or in film, animation, VFX and virtual production.
You’ll learn how to move from concept to game-ready assets, bringing your work to life using industry-leading software including Unreal Engine 5, Autodesk Maya, ZBrush and the Adobe Substance Painter.
Our course is accredited by TIGA, the trade association representing the gaming industry in the UK. We're also part of the Unreal Academic Partner programme, which recognises university courses committed to providing ongoing, high-quality educational opportunities.
-
"It’s really interesting to meet new people and learn how we can collaborate to make a game." Students and alumni explain what makes our computer games degrees special.
-
![Computer games student looking at work in progress on a screen]()
"It’s really interesting to meet new people and learn how we can collaborate to make a game." Students and alumni explain what makes our computer games degrees special.
-
Study on a course that scored 90% for Satisfied with Teaching in the Guardian League Table 2027.
-
Study in a region renowned for computer games, with 26 games companies in Cambridge alone (source: Ukie Games Map, January 2024).
-
Attend exciting industry events including games jams, industry talks, and festivals including our annual Gamebridge.
-
Explore different aspects of digital art, helping you specialise and future-proof your career.
-
Work collaboratively in our £2.5 million next gen development studio environment that reflects the professional workplace.
-
Study on a course that's a member of the Unreal Academic Partner programme, recognising university courses that are committed to providing ongoing, high-quality educational opportunities.
Designed for creative life
Our Creative Quarter brings together studios, workshops, performance and exhibition spaces. Be part of a community built around making, experimentation and innovation, while developing your practical skills and portfolio, and connecting with industry.
Careers
Gain the skills to land a career in the gaming industry, and open doors to other sectors, including VFX, film, animation, television and motion graphics.
Build a professional portfolio as you study, including an online presence on portfolio sites, websites and blogs, so you’re ready to showcase your skills to future employers and clients.
You'll gain practical experience with industry-standard tools, software and production pipelines. The technical and creative skills you develop will open up opportunities across games, virtual production, VFX, film and animation, and the wider creative technology sector where experience with professional workflows and production pipelines is highly valued.
Teaching and modules
This course develops a broad range of creative, technical and professional skills for a career in the games industry. You'll start by learning academic and research skills, how to create 3D assets and characters, use real-time tools and understand where creative vision and technology meet.
You'll then focus on employability, specialist practice, collaborative game development, independent research, and interdisciplinary problem-solving.
Finally you'll expand your expertise through experimental projects, studio-based team work and a major self-directed research and production project. You'll develop video game artefacts for your professional portfolio and graduate with a varied portfolio and industry knowledge, teamwork, communication, leadership, and project management skills.
Student work
-
Press Start on your future in games: discover the new £2.5m games development facilities at ARU, designed to mirror real-world production environments and support the next generation of computer games artists and developers. Read more about our new facilities.
-
A showreel of work by students on our undergraduate games courses.
-
Discover how our course will help you translate other people's ideas into visually compelling characters and environments. Hear from ARU Senior Lecturer Dr Adam Twycross in this Springpod Subject Spotlight. Watch the full lecture on Springpod.
-
Find out how to prepare your portfolio for our Computer Games Art degree
-
Artwork for Final Project by Sam McHaffie. See more of our computer games students' work.
-
Artwork by Caitlin Pirie.
-
Artwork by David Lopes.
-
Artwork by David Lopes.
-
Artwork by David Lopes.
-
Artwork by Maria Sosnovska.
-
Artwork by Maria Sosnovska.
-
Artwork by Ryan Kelly.
-
Artwork by Talia Smith.
-
Artwork by Talia Smith.
-
![A tutor showing a student how to stand in a full body scanner for computer games]()
Press Start on your future in games: discover the new £2.5m games development facilities at ARU, designed to mirror real-world production environments and support the next generation of computer games artists and developers. Read more about our new facilities. -
![Detailed CGI render of an olde worlde kitche, with a lit stove in the centre]()
A showreel of work by students on our undergraduate games courses. -
![Dr Adam Twycross addressing the camera]()
Discover how our course will help you translate other people's ideas into visually compelling characters and environments. Hear from ARU Senior Lecturer Dr Adam Twycross in this Springpod Subject Spotlight. Watch the full lecture on Springpod. -
![A lecturer showing a film on a screen]()
Find out how to prepare your portfolio for our Computer Games Art degree -
![Artwork showing an island with beach and temple-like structures in the middle of an ocean]()
Artwork for Final Project by Sam McHaffie. See more of our computer games students' work.
-
![Artwork of a horse wearing protective equipment as if about to enter battle]()
Artwork by Caitlin Pirie.
-
![Artwork showing the altar in a church]()
Artwork by David Lopes.
-
![Artwork showing the inside of a church with light streaming across the pews]()
Artwork by David Lopes.
-
![Artwork showing a car approaching a house at night]()
Artwork by David Lopes.
-
![Artwork showing rings around a white planet]()
Artwork by Maria Sosnovska.
-
![Artwork showing two sphere or planet-shaped elements, one surrounded by a vertical burst of light]()
Artwork by Maria Sosnovska.
-
![Artwork showing blades with elaborate carved handles]()
Artwork by Ryan Kelly.
-
![Artwork showing an altar-like setting within a large porticoed building]()
Artwork by Talia Smith.
-
![Artwork showing a camper van parked next to tents and a picnic table]()
Artwork by Talia Smith.
Modules are subject to change and availability, and may vary by location. If you have the choice of optional modules, these are indicated with a *.
- Academic Skills for Games
- 3D Asset Creation
- Character Creation
- Introduction to Realtime Tools
- 3D Asset Development
- Into ARU
- Employability in Games
- Specialist Practice 1
- Collaborative Games Development
- Intermediate Project for Games
- Ruskin Module (15 credits)
- Experimental Practice
- Creative Industries Major Project
- Studio Practice for Games
- Specialised Practice 2 *
- Games Art Guided Learning *
You can choose to take an optional placement year as part of this course. Placements typically happen in Year 3, and your course will take four years overall. Find out more about placement years.
- Work Placement - Cambridge School of Creative Industries
To prepare you for university study, you can take a foundation year at the start of this course. Find out more about foundation years.
- Learning to Learn
- Creative Workshops 1
- Approach to Design
- Critical and Contextual Studies
- Creative Workshops 2
- Specialist Project
- Composition and Style
Read profiles of teaching and research staff on this course.
-
Dr Adam TwycrossSenior Lecturer
-
Dr Barış IşıkgünerAssociate Professor
-
Amanda SurowkaLecturer
-
Matthew HollandLecturer
Facilities
You’ll create in a professional-standard environment designed to reflect the realities of the games industry.
Professional-specification workstations, equipped with RTX graphics technology, give you access to powerful creative workflows, industry software, and specialist kit. Integrated studio spaces allow you to collaborate comfortably, replicating professional game studio workflows.
In our dedicated communal space you can collaborate, connect, play, and relax. You’ll also benefit from access to advanced shared technical resources including motion capture, 3D prototyping, full-body scanning, and emerging AR development technologies; and training in the use of all our creative facilities, including a digital workshop with a variety of computer aided manufacturing machines.
-
Collaborative studio spaces
-
Games development studio - integrated studio
-
Games development studio with x 144 34inches curved screens
-
VR/AR spaces
-
Comfortable workstations
-
Professional-specification software
-
Game playing space
-
Game playing space
-
Professional-specification workstations, equipped with RTX graphics technology
-
Student hub - communal social space
-
Student hub - space for collaborating and socialising
-
-
Professional-standard studio
-
![Students and lecturer in a computer development studio]()
Collaborative studio spaces -
![Games development studio]()
Games development studio - integrated studio -
![Games development studio with x 144 34inches curved screens]()
Games development studio with x 144 34inches curved screens -
![A student using a virtual reality headset and controllers]()
VR/AR spaces -
![Students sitting at a computer designing several versions of graphics of architectural columns]()
Comfortable workstations -
![A student sitting in a computer development studio]()
Professional-specification software -
![Students playing a video game]()
Game playing space -
![Students operating a large gamepad controller together while looking at a screen]()
Game playing space -
![Students in a games development studio]()
Professional-specification workstations, equipped with RTX graphics technology -
![Comfy chairs arranged around tables in a social space]()
Student hub - communal social space -
![Comfy armchairs, tables and computer game equipment in a collaboration and socialising space]()
Student hub - space for collaborating and socialising -
![Computer games student working in a project using two desktop screens]()
-
![A computer development studio]()
Professional-standard studio