Game Programming

About the program

ARC Academy was established in 2019, and our goal is to be the bridge between young talents and the gaming, film, and creative industries. Over 85% of our students start their careers in these fields after graduation. This gives us the confidence to continue our work and expand the range of programs we offer.

The program Game Programming aims to provide you with the necessary theoretical knowledge and practical skills to begin your professional journey in video game development.

In this program, you’ll expand your programming knowledge and venture into the vast universe of video game development. You will learn C++ in-depth and participate in game development in Unreal Engine in multidisciplinary teams with game designers, 2D and 3D artists. The 2-year program has been developed and will be led by leading professionals from game studios with over 10 years of experience. The director of the program and lecturer in it is Nikolay Dimitrov, technical director at Gameloft Sofia.

As students in the program, you will be ready to start working as junior programmers in game studios after completing the first year, and in the second year, you will

deepen your knowledge and continue working on practical projects. In the program, you will build a solid foundation of knowledge and skills and acquire the mindset required in software engineering.

In the final, fourth semester, you will work together with students from the Game Design, Concept Art and 3D Art disciplines to develop a video game. Our Game Lab simulates the work process in an indie studio, and your lecturers and mentors will be studio managers and game developers from the biggest studios in our country – Creative Assembly Sofia, Gameloft Sofia, Snapshot Games, and others. Upon completion, you’ll have a real video game in your portfolio.

Some of the games developed in our Game Lab:

Scholarships

Our partners from the game industry support students with motivation and desire to develop by providing scholarships ranging from 30 to 80% of the fee.

Current scholarship competitions

What You Get

The Game Programming program was developed by leading game developers from the largest studios in Bulgaria and will teach you good practices to start working as a game programmer after the first year. You will study C++ – the game development standard in depth – and work in the Unreal Engine.

As a student at ARC Academy, you get the following:

Professional lecturers from game studios

Small groups, feedback from lecturers

Halls equipped with the necessary hardware and software

Developing games in teams

Portfolio for the game industry

Who is
Game Programming For?

The program will allow you to expand your programming knowledge and start working as a game programmer in video game studios. The training is suitable for anyone who:

Has knowledge of C++ syntax and basic concepts

Understands the basic principles of OOP

Likes video games

Dreams of a career in a game studio

Over the course of four semesters, you will work on multiple hands-on tasks in Unreal Engine and a real video game as a team. You will develop the necessary hard and soft skills to start working in a game studio.

Why choose
Game Programming at ARC Academy

In the first year, you will lay the fundamental foundations of practical game programming – mathematics, engine layout, etc. You will work on hands-on tasks in Unreal Engine. In the second year, you will emphasize activities and a collection of masterclasses that are the pinnacle of practice in game development – game artificial intelligence, video game physics, rendering, low-level networking, Multithreading, user interface, etc. In the final semester, you will develop industrial-quality games alongside game designers, 2D and 3D artists.

First semester: Introduction to Game Programming
- Intro to Computer Graphics – short historical overview followed by an introduction to 2D/3D rendering and rendering pipelines
- Algorithms and Data Structures – general purpose Computer Science course, algorithm complexity, basic data structures and algorithms, additional programming topics
- Intro to Game Engines – short history and introduction to the topic, game engine advancements through the years, the current state of the art
- Mathematics for Game Development – Linear Algebra and Analytic Geometry, frequently used mathematical abstractions, practical tasks with open source math libraries, writing lightweight math library.
- Intro to Game Design – standard intro to game design with additional topics – Game History, Theory, and Logic, practical problem solving, interesting logic puzzles
- Game Development Tools and Techniques – intro to frequently used tools and practices in game development – agile, scrum, source control systems, Visual Studio, code reviews, pair programming, coding standards, and guidelines
Second semester:
- Rendering Techniques – lighting, shaders, post effects, ray tracing, deferred pipeline, shadow techniques, HDR rendering
- Game Engine Architecture – tools, compilers, modularity & plugin/DLL system, game objects, entity component system, message passing, sub-systems design, client-core-server, cameras & wold building
- Advanced Algorithms and Data Structures – less common algorithms and data structures used in complex game development scenarios, additional programming tasks
- Gameplay Scripting – practical approach to game development, intro to Unreal Engine, creating minimalist combat skill system
- Game Design – optional game design course
Third Semester: Masterclasses and Practical tasks
- Gameplay Scripting – practical game development, implementing different gameplay systems, smooth transition to 4th-semester project
- Advanced Rendering Techniques – GI, Spherical Harmonics, SSAO, GPU architecture, geometry/compute stages
- Animations & Environment – procedural and skeletal animation, Inverse Kinematics, animation blending-transition-overwrite state machines, terrain rendering, skybox, clouds, instancing, and optimizations
- Multithreading – memory models, CPU caches, synchronization primitives, parallel algorithms, practical examples
- Networking – high-level protocols, Two Generals and other famous problems, distributed systems, dead reckoning
- Game AI – State Machines, Behavior Tree, Goal Oriented AI, Utility AI, pathfinding, and obstacle avoidance
- Game Physics – collision detection, ray casting, optimized world simulation, ballistic trajectories, car simulations
- UI Systems – overview of existing UI solutions
- Game Design (Advanced) – optional game design course
Fourth Semester: Game Lab

The training in ARC Academy ends with a practical phase – Game Lab. Students from the different programs – Concept Art, 3D Art, Game Design, and Game Programming make their own indie studio and develop a video game together. Everyone contributes with the acquired skills and career roles. Game Programming students are involved in gameplay programming, game engines, and AI. Working during the Game Lab allows you to learn through your own experience what the process of developing a video game is. During the process, the team is supported by a real producer from a game studio.

Successful graduates of the program will be able to:

program games and other software using Python, Java, Javascript, C ++, C #, etc.
use the Unity and Unreal game engines
create and implement AI systems, scripts, and algorithms for video games and other software.
start their careers as Software Engineer, Software Developer, Gameplay Programmers, and others.

Partners

Meet the Lecturers

One of the most valuable assets of ARC Academy is our lecturers – professionals from leading game studios. Together we share the mission to help you start your dream job in the game industry.

Alumni

Students at ARC Academy go through numerous practical tasks that give them the opportunity to get acquainted in practice with the processes in the game and IT industry.

How to apply?

CV

Test

Interview

Apply now

Application Deadline

Early Admission
July 31, 2023

Regular Admission
September 15, 2023

Classes start
October 14, 2023

Limited number of seats
Contact us for more information:
[email protected]

Classes start
October 14, 2023

Fees

The training at ARC Academy is based on modern methods and practical work. The speakers are top professionals in their field who pass on their knowledge to the next generation of video game and software creators. The lectures are held in small groups, which shortens the distance between students and teachers and allows for feedback. Computer rooms are available to students at any time for practical tasks.

Studying at ARC Academy requires four semesters of dedicated work and the fee is:

2,400 euros per semester (VAT included) for EU Students
3,400 euros per semester (VAT included) for Non-EU Students

350 euros one-time admission fee (not required for Bulgarian students)

The tuition fee is paid in 2 installments*, as follows:

50% fee for first year
Upon registration

50% fee for first year
Until September 2023

100% fee for semester 2
Until February 15, 2024

*Non-EU students pay the fee for the 1st year in 1 installment, upon registration.

Book a Meeting with Our Team

If you want to learn more about the education at ARC Academy – our programs, and application conditions, book an individual meeting with the ARC team. Fill in the contact form and we will contact you to arrange a virtual meeting.

Start Your Career as Game Programmer with ARC Academy

Game Programming at ARC Academy meets the best practices and processes in game studios. The lecturers are professionals with extensive experience in their field. Together with them, you will take your first steps toward a career in this dynamic and promising area. Invest in your future – apply to ARC Academy.

Apply now

Frequently Asked Questions

Which softwares are used during the ARC Academy programs?
What are the admission deadlines?
Are the programs suitable for children?
How much do the programs cost?
How can I book a free consultation?
Is there a diploma at the end of the education?
What is the distribution of classes during the school year in the ARC programs and how accessible is it for a working person?
How do I apply to the Academy?
What happens if we miss one of the lectures?
What portfolio do I need to apply to the Academy?

Depending on the program you are applying for, the required portfolio is different:
Concept Art: Show us how your imagination and conceptual thinking work by drawing how you imagine one of the characters in the game looks or what the environment is like.
3D Art: Imagine what your character or the environment in your game would look like. Show it. Do not limit yourself to illustrations. If you can, make a 3D model in a software. You can also use clay, paper or whatever you decide will best present your idea.
Game Design: Develop a game concept. What we expect is: a description of the main character and the story of the game (maximum ½ page); two or more game mechanics – what your character can do (run, jump, fly and anything else you can think of); list of elements of the game: objects, opponents, weapons, etc. (maximum 1 page); conditions for winning and losing in the game (maximum 1 page).
VFX & Animation: Create a short traditional or digital animation of the character with different movements. IR can be on paper or digitally depicted, 3D, stop motion or some other type. You can send us the final result in the form of a storyboard, gif, or video format.
Computer Science: The application consists of three stages – CV, solving a short practical task and participation in three lectures. The lectures will be held twice – in June and September. They will give you the opportunity to get acquainted with the teaching process, and we can choose the candidates who have the necessary basic knowledge and motivation.

Game Programming

About the program

Some of the games developed in our Game Lab:

Scholarships