Field of studies Creating computer games (studies in English) - Jan Długosz University in Czestochowa (Uniwersytet Jana Długosza w Częstochowie), UJD (Częstochowa) - Częstochowa, Computer - Study Bachelor's and Master's in English in Poland

1. A game prototype you’re building with your team works, but playtesters get bored quickly. What do you do?

Go through the recordings and playtest data, pinpoint where engagement drops and refine the mechanics over several iterations. Add more visual effects. Decide the testers just didn’t get the game.

2. When you play a new game, what do you pay attention to?

I analyse the mechanics, the level design and how the game teaches players its rules. Mostly the graphics and the story. I just play – I don’t analyse anything.

3. At Master’s level you’ll work on projects, write documentation and present games in English, in teams with people from many countries. How do you feel about that?

Great – the games industry is global, and different cultural perspectives help create games for players all over the world. I’ll cope, though presenting projects in English is a challenge for me. I’d rather keep English out of the classroom.

4. The showcase is close and the list of ideas keeps growing. What do you do?

Agree priorities with the team, cut the scope and deliver a playable build. Try to do everything by working through the night. Suggest pushing the showcase back until everything is ready.

5. What role would you like to play in a game development team?

I have a specialism in mind – say gameplay programming, level design or technical art – and want to grow in it while understanding what the rest of the team does. I don’t know yet – anything to do with games. I haven’t really thought about working in games.

6. Your game stutters on lower-end hardware. What do you do?

Profile it, find the bottlenecks in rendering or game logic, and optimise. Lower the graphics quality for everyone. Raise the game’s minimum requirements.

7. What do you think about player experience research, such as usability tests and gameplay analytics?

It’s essential – data and observation show whether the design works the way we intended. Useful, but the creator’s instinct matters more. Unnecessary – I know what’s good.

8. You’re choosing a topic for your final project. What appeals to you?

My own game or tool that lets me explore a specific question, such as procedural level generation or AI-driven enemy behaviour. A write-up of existing games, as long as it’s quick. Whatever my supervisor suggests.

9. How do you take criticism of your game, say at a game jam or an indie games festival?

Gather the feedback, separate emotion from substance and use it in the next version. I listen, but rarely change anything. I take it personally and lose heart.

10. What motivates you most to pursue a Master’s degree in Creating computer games?

The chance to create polished games at a higher level and develop my chosen specialism – from programming to gameplay design. A passion for playing games. I’m not sure it’s for me

Creating computer games
(field of studies: Computer Science)

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