Quick Facts
- Delivery: On Campus
- Credits: 84
The School of Art offers a four-year, professional degree program leading to the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Visual Arts/Animation with a concentration in Game Art/Design.
The concentration in Game Art/Design offers a comprehensive digital animation experience that explores traditional 2D and 3D animation, stop-motion, and illustration. Students learn about video game creation including game theory, game development pipelines, and game asset creation. Students use industry-standard animation game development software such as Autodesk Maya, Epic Unreal Engine, Substance Painter, Toon Boom Harmony, and Adobe Photoshop. They learn how to draw for games, develop assets, manage complex tasks, work collaboratively, meet deadlines, participate in critique, respond to feedback, and adapt to change.
Students begin with the First-Year Foundations Program which nurtures their interests and skills through classes in drawing, 2D, 3D, and 4D. In subsequent animation courses, students develop an understanding of essential industry tools for 3D art creation an learn about game-specific pipeline management, workflow optimization, version control, and various aspects of technical art. They also refine their ability to work collaboratively within a game engine, integrate sound into their game prototypes, and build a strong foundation in coding.
Juniors and seniors participate in a three-semester collaboration with peers from Computer Science and Music Media Production in an environment that mirrors the dynamics of a real game production studio. They leverage art and design principles for creative problem-solving, master professional terminology, and craft a demo reel or portfolio.
Our Game Art/Design graduates are prepared for careers across diverse interactive industries: at big companies and as independent developers working on a wide range of games, such as AAA games for major platforms like Nintendo, Xbox, and PlayStation; games for Apple and Android mobile apps; medical therapy games; and educational games for K-12 and beyond.
Major in Visual Arts/Animation with a Concentration in Game Art/Design
This concentration is part of the visual arts animation major and provides students with focused study in the specific area of game design.
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Take the Next Step
If you’d like to learn more about our Game/Design Concentration, complete our online form. Or one of the best ways to get a true feel for Ball State is to see it for yourself, so schedule a visit today! And if you’re ready to apply, review our admission requirements and complete our online application.
Check out Ball state students' games!
Enter the world of Food Truck Cartel, where your culinary dreams come to life! Become the next best burger food truck connoisseur and experience the thrill of cooking from a first-person perspective. This engaging and interactive game invites players to explore the creation of cooking in an entirely new way, making you feel right in the heart of the kitchen. You'll become a talented yet rebellious chef who has decided to take their cooking to the underground scene.
Download the game and play today!
Team
Alex McNeill
Ethan Shannon-Spice
Jamison Tucker
William Robinson
Tanner Bauserman
Professors
Antonio Sanders Assistant Professor Game Art / Design School of Art
Dr. Paul Gestwicki Professor in the Computer Science Department
In this vast galaxy, one resource reigns supreme: milk! Milky Way Market is a 1-4 player local party game.
You will compete over four rounds of play as a UFO:
Abducting cows
Avoiding enemies
Dashing at other players
By abducting cows and collecting milk, you can be the most successful UFO in the Milky Way!
Controllers are required to play this game.
Download the game and play today!
Team
Zack McGrath
Peter Stocker
Evan Lehr
Sheila Arleas
Ethan Crump
Maeya Geisert
Ethan Hoffman
Samuel Marvin
Francesca Mata
Aurora McClintock
Jadi Miller
Anthony Reith
Traigh Scott
Emma Wilford
Brooke Wright
Professors
Antonio Sanders Assistant Professor Game Art / Design School of Art
Dr. Paul Gestwicki Professor in the Computer Science Department
The planet is in the grip of a climate apocalypse, and the key to saving Earth lies in a weather machine that could restore balance to the planet. As Dr. K, an environmental scientist, you must journey through a desert ravaged by dust storms, tornadoes, and scorching heat to find the missing parts of the weather machine. With time running out and the Earth’s future at stake, you'll solve puzzles, brave unpredictable weather, and gather the crucial components needed to rebuild the machine. Embark on a quest to rebuild the weather machine and save Earth!
Download the game and play today!
Team
KC Weaver
Laurelen Spring
Cierra Scholz
Malori Mullens
Professors
Antonio Sanders Assistant Professor Game Art / Design School of Art
Dr. Paul Gestwicki Professor in the Computer Science Department