What is game programming?

Game programming is writing the code that makes video games work. It's a part of the broader field of video game development, and it is, more specifically, the development of video game software. Game programming is based heavily on mathematics and programming logic, and it often includes specific programming languages, such as C Sharp. It also includes digital art, planning game concepts, and sound design to create gaming experiences that keep users playing and sharing games.

What opportunities will learning game programming make available to me?

Some opportunities that learning game programming can make available to you are working on a team with other programming professionals and artists to develop video game designs. This type of work is both highly analytical and extremely creative, so you could gain the chance to use both imagination and logic as part of your work if you go into the field of video game development. You may also find the experience of learning about game programming interesting and exciting.

How can online courses on Coursera help me learn game programming?

Taking online courses on Coursera can help you learn game programming by covering the range of information from basic, beginner level programming through intermediate-level skills, such as using Python to create a game, and advanced courses such as more complex game development on PyGame. Select the courses on Coursera that complement your programming skill level, and then move through the courses at your own pace while developing a portfolio of your hands-on work.

How do I know if learning game programming is right for me?

To know if learning game programming is right for you, consider whether you enjoy exploring and discovering new ways to solve recurring problems and if you have strong mathematical skills or are willing to work on learning advanced math. It helps to be passionate about technology and driven to understand why things work the way they do. You also ideally need to be self-motivated, a person who takes initiative, and comfortable with linear thinking because game programming requires solving a lot of logic problems. Even though a team is typically involved in the creation of a game, game programmers spend most of their time alone and deep in thought, so it may also help if you're a person who is comfortable with a lot of quiet time for deep thinking.

What are the benefits of taking an online Game Programming course?

Online Game Programming courses offer a convenient and flexible way to enhance your knowledge or learn new Game Programming skills. Choose from a wide range of Game Programming courses offered by top universities and industry leaders tailored to various skill levels.

What Game Programming courses are best for training and upskilling employees or the workforce?

When looking to enhance your workforce's skills in Game Programming, it's crucial to select a course that aligns with their current abilities and learning objectives. Our Skills Dashboard is an invaluable tool for identifying skill gaps and choosing the most appropriate course for effective upskilling. For a comprehensive understanding of how our courses can benefit your employees, explore the enterprise solutions we offer. Discover more about our tailored programs at Coursera for Business here .

Top Game Programming Courses - Learn Game Programming Online

Explore the Game Programming Course Catalog

University of Washington
Programming Languages, Part A
Skills you'll gain: Software Installation, Programming Principles, Other Programming Languages, Functional Design, Ruby (Programming Language), Software Design Patterns, Computational Thinking
4.9
Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
1.9K reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
DeepLearning.AI
Neural Networks and Deep Learning
Skills you'll gain: Deep Learning, Artificial Neural Networks, Supervised Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Python Programming, Linear Algebra, Performance Tuning, Calculus
4.9
Rating, 4.9 out of 5 stars
123K reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
IBM
BI Foundations with SQL, ETL and Data Warehousing
Skills you'll gain: Data Warehousing, SQL, Extract, Transform, Load, Apache Airflow, Linux Commands, IBM Cognos Analytics, Data Pipelines, Apache Kafka, Bash (Scripting Language), Shell Script, Dashboard, File Management, Star Schema, Unix Shell, IBM DB2, Business Intelligence, Interactive Data Visualization, Databases, Stored Procedure, Relational Databases
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
24K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Michigan
Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python)
Skills you'll gain: Programming Principles, Computer Programming, Python Programming, Scripting Languages, Scripting, Computational Thinking, Development Environment
4.8
Rating, 4.8 out of 5 stars
231K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
Duke University
Programming Foundations with JavaScript, HTML and CSS
Skills you'll gain: Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), HTML and CSS, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), Web Development, Programming Principles, Javascript, Web Design, Computer Programming, Image Analysis, Computational Thinking, Algorithms, Debugging
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
15K reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
IBM
Data Engineering Foundations
Skills you'll gain: SQL, Web Scraping, Database Design, MySQL, Data Transformation, Data Store, Extract, Transform, Load, IBM DB2, Relational Databases, Jupyter, Data Architecture, Data Pipelines, Big Data, Data Warehousing, Data Governance, Databases, Stored Procedure, Data Manipulation, Python Programming, Data Structures
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
56K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of Michigan
Programming in C
Skills you'll gain: C (Programming Language), Programming Principles, C++ (Programming Language), Algorithms, Data Structures, Other Programming Languages, System Programming, Numerical Analysis
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
55 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
University of California San Diego
Object Oriented Programming in Java
Skills you'll gain: Event-Driven Programming, Interactive Data Visualization, Java, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), User Interface (UI), Computer Programming, Algorithms, Software Engineering, Data Structures, Software Documentation, Debugging
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
5.8K reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
University of California, Irvine
The Arduino Platform and C Programming
Skills you'll gain: Embedded Software, Embedded Systems, Debugging, C (Programming Language), Electronic Hardware, Integrated Development Environments, Electronic Components, Development Environment, Computer Programming Tools, Computer Hardware, Computer Programming, Digital Communications
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
7.2K reviews
Mixed · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
IBM
IBM Data Management
Skills you'll gain: Dashboard, Data Storytelling, Data Warehousing, SQL, Data Governance, Data Security, Data Migration, Database Design, Data Literacy, Descriptive Statistics, Extract, Transform, Load, Data Mining, Cloud Storage, Data Visualization Software, Data Store, IBM DB2, Data Management, Relational Databases, MySQL, Excel Formulas
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
17K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
IBM
Data Science Fundamentals with Python and SQL
Skills you'll gain: Dashboard, SQL, Descriptive Statistics, Jupyter, Statistical Analysis, Data Analysis, Probability Distribution, Pandas (Python Package), Data Visualization Software, Statistics, Data Visualization, Databases, Stored Procedure, Web Scraping, Relational Databases, Python Programming, Data Structures, Computer Programming Tools, Data Analysis Software, Software Development Tools
Build toward a degree
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
72K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free
Coursera Project Network
Introduction to Basic Game Development using Scratch
Skills you'll gain: Event-Driven Programming, Debugging, Programming Principles, Algorithms, Video Game Development, Computer Programming Tools, Game Design, Computer Programming, Program Development, Animation and Game Design, Interactive Design, Integrated Development Environments, Computer Science
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
1.5K reviews
Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours