GDC Courses

Surviving Your First Steps into the Management Journey

1 rating

Discover strategies to navigate the challenging transition into management, avoiding burnout and overwhelm while maintaining sanity in your new leadership role.

• YouTube
• 29 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

A Case for Making Your Own Game Engine - When and Why to Build Custom Game Development Tools

Explore the strategic considerations and practical scenarios for building a custom game engine, weighing the tradeoffs against using established engines like Unreal or Godot.

• YouTube
• 33 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Way We Work - Embracing Human Sustainability in Game Development

Discover practical strategies for building sustainable, people-first game development studios through real-world examples of worker autonomy, hybrid workplace management, and effective hiring practices.

• YouTube
• 1 hour
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Evolving Worlds from Chaos - The Art-Led Approach of Darkest Dungeon 2's Procedural Generation

Discover how Red Hook Studios revolutionized procedural generation by prioritizing art direction over traditional programming approaches in Darkest Dungeon 2's world creation.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 1 minute
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Rules of the Game 2025 - Uncommon Techniques from Insightful Designers

Discover uncommon game design techniques from experienced designers who share their personal methods for creating engaging gameplay in 10-minute focused presentations.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 5 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Building Big Impact, One Brick at a Time - Marginal Gains in LEGO Horizon Adventures

Discover how to implement marginal gains methodology in game development, using LEGO Horizon Adventures as a case study to create compound improvements across your entire team.

• YouTube
• 29 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Rules of the Game - Five Tricks of Highly Effective Designers

Discover five unique game design techniques from experienced designers who share their personal "tricks" for crafting compelling gameplay in this GDC session.

• YouTube
• 1 hour
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Rendering 'Assassin's Creed Shadows' - GPU Driven Pipeline and Lighting Improvements

Dive into the rendering challenges and solutions for Assassin's Creed Shadows' dynamic open world, exploring GPU-driven pipelines and lighting improvements for this complex game environment.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 2 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Rendering and Art Tools of COCOON

Dive into the innovative graphical techniques and artistic tools developed for COCOON, exploring the unique rendering methods from the creators of LIMBO and INSIDE.

• YouTube
• 59 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

How Interactive Should My Game Story Be?

Explore the balance between interactivity and storytelling in game writing, examining when player agency enhances or hinders narrative impact in different types of game projects.

• YouTube
• 30 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The First 30 Years of Warcraft - The Making of a Game Universe

Delve into the evolution of Warcraft's universe as Blizzard's John Hight reveals how this legendary franchise adapted across decades, genres, and changing player expectations.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 1 minute
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Urban Planning in Games - Creating Readable and Distinguished Game Environments

Discover essential urban planning principles for creating immersive, readable game environments that enhance player navigation and spatial understanding.

• YouTube
• 1 hour
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Marketing Your Game Under the New Steam Rules

Discover how to adapt your game marketing strategies to Valve's 2024 Steam visibility changes and learn from successful developers who've navigated these new rules effectively.

• YouTube
• 30 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Golden Rule of Game Promotion - No One Cares About Your Game

A “no one cares about your game” mindset helps teams focus their social posts, trailers, emails, and broader PR campaigns.

• YouTube
• 31 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Conference Talk

Designing Marvel Snap

Ben Brode shares 15 years of collectible card game design experience through the design of MARVEL SNAP.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 1 minute
• Self-Paced
• Conference Talk