Studio Simulator is a 15-week gamified simulation where students form development studios, pitch games, hire employees, manage budgets, and compete to ship the most successful title. Every decision counts.
The course is split into two connected phases. The first half builds the knowledge and produces the assignments that power the second half.
Students learn the fundamentals of game production: industry structure, team roles, pipelines, budgeting, and project management. Three graded assignments build on each other and feed directly into the simulation.
Studios launch, compete, and respond to weekly market events. Stronger Phase 1 assignments pay off as multipliers on the studio's production efforts in the second half, and unlock more funding from their peers. Students earn Network Points and race to ship.
Students research the game market, identifying trends, target audiences, and competitive landscape. The findings feed directly into the studio's strategic position in the simulation.
Teams pitch an original game concept, honing their ability to communicate vision, scope, and market fit. How the pitch lands carries into the simulation as bonuses or penalties on the studio's actions.
Students build out a full production plan: milestones, roles, budget allocation, and risk management. This plan shapes how well the studio executes during the simulation phase.
Instructors award Network Points for positive class engagement. In-person students earn them through participation; async students earn them through thoughtful discussion posts or direct emails to the instructor.
Points aren't just a participation trophy. Students can spend them in meaningful ways throughout the simulation.
Spend points for a chance to improve a grade on any Phase 1 assignment.
Convert points into in-simulation funds to hire better, invest more, or weather crises.
Some weekly event choices have a Network Point cost, giving engaged students more strategic leverage.
During the simulation, students review real-style employee resumes to staff their studios. They learn to identify green flags (specific shipped titles, measurable impact, clear specialisation) and red flags (vague language, generic claims, skill-stacking without depth).
The same lens they use to evaluate candidates applies directly to their own resumes when they start applying for jobs. It's one of the most consistently useful things students take away from the course.
Every mechanic mirrors real game studio decisions. The skills you build here carry directly into the industry.
Recruit employees, build out your team, and manage payroll. Keep salaries paid and your studio staffed through every milestone.
Each week brings new events: platform shifts, viral buzz, budget crises, and more. Your studio must respond.
Hire employees, pitch game concepts, and race to ship the most successful title before the semester ends.
Studio Simulator was designed to give instructors a structured, low-overhead way to run an active-learning simulation alongside a traditional game production curriculum. The tool handles the mechanics so you can focus on facilitation and discussion.
Students apply production concepts, team dynamics, and project management in a consequence-free environment before they're in a real studio.
Market research, game pitches, and production plans aren't just graded and forgotten. Each one feeds into the simulation, so students see the direct impact of their work.
Network Points reward in-class participation or async discussion posts equally, keeping engagement fair for both in-person and online students.
Students review real-style employee resumes as part of the simulation, practising how to spot green and red flags they can then apply to their own job applications.
Studio Simulator is built and maintained by Deleptual. If you're an instructor interested in running it in your own course, get in touch.
Get in touchEverything you need to get started, whether you're a student or just curious.
A guided walkthrough of the full 15-week simulation, with the student manual included.
Take the tourIn-depth reference for rules, mechanics, employee roles, grading, and weekly breakdowns.
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