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Duration

2 years

Eligibility

Graduation From A Recognised University In Any Stream

Location

Bengaluru, Delhi-West, Mumbai

Overview

The Master of Design in Game Design and Extended Reality (XR) programme offers an advanced interdisciplinary curriculum which combines conventional game development methods with modern extended reality (XR) technology that includes Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR). 

The curriculum helps students master academic and technical content while also teaching them the professional skills they need to create interactive digital content for various platforms using game engines. The program is specially tailored for graduates who wish to learn the latest pipelines and tools to create games and interactive storytelling methods, user experiences principles for prototyping games and 3D interactive digital environments.

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Game design

Program Curriculum

The M. Des. in Game Design and Extended Reality (XR) is an advanced, practice-led programme that integrates game design, immersive storytelling, interactive systems, and emerging XR technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR). The curriculum strikes a careful balance between conceptual foundations and hands-on production, enabling students to design meaningful, engaging, and technologically sophisticated interactive experiences.

The programme places strong emphasis on the rapidly evolving role of technology in games and immersive media, encouraging students to continuously adapt to new tools, engines, platforms, and production pipelines. Core learning areas include game mechanics and systems design, player psychology, narrative design, world-building, user experience (UX), prototyping, and real-time development, ensuring graduates are industry-ready across multiple interactive domains.

What distinguishes this programme is the versatility of its curriculum and it’s integration of Ai tools to train students for future careers. Graduates can pursue diverse roles across game design, XR experience design, immersive storytelling, simulation and serious games, interactive media, metaverse applications, and real-time content creation. The faculty comprising experienced industry practitioners, researchers, and visiting experts mentor students with insights grounded in real-world production and emerging global trends.

Students engage in live industry projects, internships with leading studios and technology companies, experimentation in advanced game and XR labs, and international collaborative projects. Exposure to global production practices and cross-cultural design challenges equips graduates with the confidence to work on projects of any scale ranging from indie games to enterprise XR solutions while delivering innovative, user-centric, and impactful interactive experiences. 

  1. Technical Game Designer
     Bridges design and development by implementing gameplay systems, scripting mechanics, prototyping features, and collaborating closely with programmers and artists.
  2. Interaction Designer (Games & XR)
     Designs player interactions, controls, gestures, and feedback systems—especially critical for VR/AR interfaces, spatial UX, and immersive interaction models.
  3. UI/UX Designer for Games
     Creates game interfaces, HUDs, menus, onboarding flows, and accessibility systems tailored for both traditional games and XR platforms.
  4. Simulation & Serious Games Designer
     Designs purpose-driven interactive experiences for training, education, healthcare, defence, and enterprise simulation using game engines.
  5. Live Ops & Player Engagement Designer
     Focuses on post-launch content, events, progression tuning, retention systems, and monetization mechanics in live-service games and platforms.
  6. Game Designer
     Designs core gameplay mechanics, rules, progression systems, and player experiences across digital games and interactive platforms.
  7. Game Systems Designer
     Focuses on interconnected systems such as economies, combat, progression, and balance—often working with AI simulations and analytics.
  8. Level & World Designer
     Creates physical and procedural game spaces, balancing spatial flow, difficulty curves, storytelling, and player engagement.
  9. XR Experience Designer (VR/AR/MR)
     Designs immersive, spatial experiences using real-time engines for entertainment, training, simulation, and enterprise applications.
  10. Interactive Story Designer
     Crafts branching narratives, environmental storytelling, and player-driven story systems for games and immersive experiences.
  11. AI Game Systems Designer Game Designer
     Designs core gameplay mechanics, rules, progression systems, and player experiences across digital games and interactive platforms.
  12. Systems & Gameplay Designer
     Focuses on interconnected systems such as economies, combat, progression, and balance—often working with AI simulations and analytics.
  13. Level & World Designer
     Creates physical and procedural game spaces, balancing spatial flow, difficulty curves, storytelling, and player engagement.
  14. XR Experience Designer (VR/AR/MR)
     Designs immersive, spatial experiences using real-time engines for entertainment, training, simulation, and enterprise applications.
  15. Narrative & Interactive Story Designer
     Crafts branching narratives, environmental storytelling, and player-driven story systems for games and immersive experiences.
  16. Procedural Content Designer
    Creates rules and frameworks for AI-generated levels, quests, assets, and worlds, ensuring coherence and player intent at scale.
     . 

  1. Live industry projects with leading technology and consumer brands such as Tech Mahindra, Realme,               Oppo, and Condé Nast
  2. Notable alumni working at global organisations including CRED, Airbnb, IBM, Condé Nast.
  3. Strategic alliances with Unreal Engine and IAMAG
  4. Unreal Engine Authorised Trainers and high-tech campus infrastructure, enabling students to learn real-time production workflows aligned with global industry standards
     

  • AAA, AA, and Indie Game Studios 
  • XR and immersive technology companies creating VR/AR/R + AI experiences
  • AI-driven game development and interactive media studios
  • IT companies and technology service providers (simulations, digital twins, serious games)
  • Corporate houses and multinational companies (gamification, training, AI-powered experiences)
  • Start-ups and innovation labs (games, XR, procedural content, AI-native IPs)
  • Design, interaction, and creative technology studios
  • Edutainment, serious games, and AI-powered simulation companies
  • OTT platforms and interactive storytelling startups
  • Metaverse platforms, virtual production, and real-time experience teams
  • This breadth ensures graduates can adapt seamlessly across various established and emerging industries while staying future-ready in the evolving world of games design and immersive experiences.

Major CoursesSemester 1 Semester 2Semester 3Semester 4
Fundamentals of Game Design and XRStorytelling for GamesPre-Production & AnimaticsSound Design for Games
3D Modelling for GamesAdvanced 3D Asset DevlopmentGame Animation Multiplayer Games
Play Studio2D Game DesignXR Studio

Master Thesis Project

Design Core3D Game Design With Unreal EngineAdvanced 3D Game Design
Common Courses Start your Start- Up-IStart your Start-Up-II 
 

Professional Portfolio 

Production

 
Electives User Experience Design
3D Sculpting 
TechnologyResponsible & Ethical AI  

FAQ

A. The M. Des. in Game Design and Extended Reality (XR) is an advanced programme designed to develop creative technologists and experience designers who can shape interactive, immersive, and real-time 3D digital worlds. The programme blends game design theory, systems thinking, immersive storytelling, and hands-on production, supported by industry-aligned tools, emerging technologies, and experiential projects.

This two-year master’s programme opens up diverse career pathways across game development, XR experiences, simulations, edutainment, real-time content, and interactive media, extending beyond entertainment into enterprise, education, healthcare, and industrial applications. The curriculum builds strong foundations in game mechanics, player psychology, narrative design, interaction design, and real-time engines, while progressively advancing into XR pipelines, AI-assisted design workflows, and procedural systems.

With a strong emphasis on learning by doing, students work on real-world, design-led projects that develop problem-solving, analytical thinking, and systems-level design skills. By the end of the programme, graduates are equipped not only to create compelling games and immersive experiences, but also to design adaptive, scalable, and future-ready interactive systems suited to a rapidly evolving global industry.

A. The M. Des. in Game Design and Extended Reality (XR) programme in India offers a rapidly expanding scope of career opportunities, driven by the strong growth of the gaming, XR, simulation, and real-time interactive media sectors. Graduates are well positioned to work across both the entertainment industry and enterprise applications, where game engines and immersive technologies are increasingly being adopted.

After completing this programme, graduates can build careers in game studios (AAA, AA, and indie), XR and immersive technology companies, IT and technology service providers, edutainment and simulation firms, OTT and interactive media platforms, and corporate innovation teams. Typical roles include Game Designer, Level and World Designer, Systems Designer, Narrative Designer, XR Experience Designer, Interaction Designer, Simulation Designer, and Technical Game Designer, among others.

Beyond traditional roles, the programme also prepares graduates for AI-augmented and future-ready positions in areas such as procedural content design, AI-driven gameplay systems, intelligent NPC design, and real-time experience design, which are increasingly in demand in India’s evolving digital ecosystem.

Graduates may also choose entrepreneurial pathways launching indie game studios, XR experience labs, immersive content startups, or serious games and simulation ventures. Overall, the M. Des. in Game Design and Extended Reality equips students with the creative, technical, and strategic skills required to thrive in India’s fast-growing interactive and immersive media industry.

A. Game Design and Extended Reality (XR) is one of the fastest-growing domains within the global media, entertainment, and technology industries, cutting across games, immersive media, enterprise solutions, education, healthcare, and industrial training. This programme is designed to go far beyond theoretical learning, offering students extensive hands-on experience with real-time engines, immersive technologies, and industry-aligned production workflows.

As games and immersive experiences become central to how people learn, train, communicate, and engage, organisations across sectors are increasingly relying on interactive and XR-driven solutions. From entertainment and storytelling to simulations, digital twins, and metaverse platforms, the demand for skilled game and XR designers continues to rise—both in India and globally.

Choosing a programme in Game Design and Extended Reality allows students to capitalise on this growing demand while developing a strong foundation in game mechanics, systems thinking, immersive storytelling, user experience, and emerging AI-assisted design workflows. The field offers a wide spectrum of creative and technical career pathways, ranging from game studios and XR companies to startups and enterprise innovation teams.

A well-structured M. Des. in Game Design and Extended Reality thus serves as a gateway into a future-ready creative-technology career, equipping students with versatile skills, industry exposure, and the adaptability required to thrive in an evolving digital landscape.
 

A. Pearl Academy is offering scholarships for its Design courses in the academic year 2026. This scholarship is available for both Bachelor's and Master's programmes at the institution. All applicants are automatically considered for the scholarship, which is based on merit and performance in the Pearl Entrance Exam. In the 2021-22 academic year, 51 students received scholarships for the M. Des. in Communication Design programme, ranging from 20% to 100% tuition fee waivers. You can find more details about the scholarship criteria and benefits here.

Faculty

Programs are taught by industry professionals who have an inside track on what’s moving global markets. Learn from the brightest minds in the industry as they create a supportive and stimulating learning environment where students can thrive. Meet more members of department...

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