0/12Syllabus
Course information
Section titled “Course information”| Code | XR-GAR |
| ECTS | 5 |
| Course type | Compulsory for Software Engineering XR, 2. semester |
| Course responsible | Jakob Trigger Knop (JKNR) |
| Valid from | 01.02.2026 |
Prerequisites
Section titled “Prerequisites”The student must be familiar with:
- Object-oriented programming basics
Purpose
Section titled “Purpose”The course introduces the student to engine-level game programming using a low-level game framework. The student learns by implementing classic video games, gaining direct control over essential systems like game loop, rendering, asset pipeline and game physics. The purpose is to teach software engineering in a game context, including architecture, design patterns, decoupling, component systems and data-driven design.
Learning Outcomes
Section titled “Learning Outcomes”Knowledge
Section titled “Knowledge”The student will be able to:
- Explain the structure of a traditional game engine (game loop, update/draw pipeline).
- Identify recurring design patterns in games (e.g. state, observer, command).
- Describe common game architecture solutions (e.g. component systems, services, state machines).
- Explain collision detection, tile-based level systems, and input handling.
- Identify performance bottlenecks in game code.
Skills
Section titled “Skills”The student will be able to:
- Implement a complete game loop using a low-level game framework.
- Apply core object-oriented design principles to design robust, flexible, and maintainable game systems.
- Implement common game-specific design patterns to solve recurring design problems in gameplay programming.
- Implement scenes, UI systems, input systems, entity systems, collision detection, and basic game physics.
- Implement serialization for simple save/load systems.
- Refactor game code for readability, maintainability, and extensibility.
- Use debugging and profiling tools effectively.
Competences
Section titled “Competences”The student will be able to:
- Produce a playable vertical slice for a game with a well-structured internal architecture.
- Document software designs using visual notation, such as UML class diagrams, to effectively communicate architectural decisions.
- Critically analyze and evaluate the structure of an existing game project and propose design improvements based on established principles.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the trade-offs between different architectural choices (e.g., performance vs. flexibility).
Topics
Section titled “Topics”Game Architecture, Software Design Principles & Patterns, Game Loop, Rendering, Input Handling, Asset Pipeline, Collision Detection, Game Physics, Tilemaps, Serialization, Component-Based Design, Finite State Machines, Service Locator, Observer, Command, Prototype, Object Pooling, Spatial Partitioning, Data-Driven Design, Optimization.
Teaching methods and study activities
Section titled “Teaching methods and study activities”12 sessions (48 lessons). Lessons consist of discussion of theory and exercises, as well as project work. The total workload of the student is expected to be around 140 hours. The course includes one course project.
Type of exam: Individual oral exam, 20 minutes, without preparation. The student will draw from a pool of known questions and is expected to reference their course project as part of the answer. This involves analyzing source code, as well as potentially writing or modifying source code during the exam. The final grade will be based on an overall assessment of the project presented and the oral examination. Internal assessment.
Tools allowed: All
Re-exam: Same as the ordinary exam.
Grading criteria
Section titled “Grading criteria”Grading based on the Danish 7-point scale.