Core loops & systems
Find the one action a player repeats, then build the systems that keep it interesting for hours.
Online game design academy · Gdańsk
Learn to design games players can't put down.
Ludivora takes you from the first principles of play — core loops, systems, pacing and level design — all the way to a finished prototype you can actually show. Small cohorts, direct mentor feedback, one real portfolio at the end.
- Starts Autumn 2026
- 12 weeks, part-time
- Capped at 24 seats
Built like a studio, not a lecture hall
Design by doing — every single week.
You don't watch someone else make a game. You make one, get it critiqued, and iterate — the same loop a real team runs.
12weeks, one clear arc
24seats max per cohort
6h1:1 mentor time
1portfolio-ready prototype
What you'll learn
Seven building blocks of a game that works
Each module is a week of theory, a hands-on assignment and a critique. By the end they add up to a whole design, not a pile of tips.
Level design
Shape space, sightlines and pacing so a level teaches, challenges and rewards without a word of tutorial.
Progression & economy
Design difficulty curves, rewards and resource flow that feel fair and keep players moving forward.
Narrative & world
Tell story through mechanics and environment, not just cutscenes — worlds players want to stay in.
Prototyping in engine
Turn an idea into a playable build fast, so you test the fun before you polish the wrong thing.
Playtesting & iteration
Run tests, read what players actually do, and change your design based on evidence, not ego.
The syllabus, week by week
Twelve weeks, mapped out before you pay
No mystery box. Here is exactly what each block covers, the thing you build that week, and what lands in your portfolio by the end. Read it top to bottom and you have read the whole course.
| Weeks | Module | You build | Goes in your portfolio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01–03 | Foundations of play | A one-page design for a core loop | Design rationale & loop diagram |
| 04–05 | Level design | A hand-built blockout level | Annotated level walkthrough |
| 06–07 | Systems & economy | A balanced progression curve | Spreadsheet model + notes |
| 08–09 | Narrative & world | An environmental story beat | Worldbuilding one-sheet |
| 10–11 | Prototype in engine | A playable vertical slice | Playable build + build notes |
| 12 | Portfolio review | A polished case study of your slice | Reviewed portfolio piece |
Every deliverable is critiqued by your mentor. You leave with six pieces, not one — enough to show a hiring lead you can carry an idea from sketch to something they can hold a controller and play.
How the week runs
A rhythm you can actually keep
Ludivora is part-time and remote, built around a weekly loop that fits alongside a job or studies.
- MonLive workshopThe week's concept, worked through together.
- WedAssignmentYou build a small, focused piece of your own.
- 1:1Mentor sessionDirect feedback on your work, not generic notes.
- FriCohort critiqueShare with the room and learn from every project in it.
Weeks 1–3 · Foundations
Think in systems
Core loops, player motivation and the vocabulary designers use to talk about fun.
Weeks 4–6 · Spaces
Design a level
Pacing, layout and playtest your first hand-built level from blockout to feel.
Weeks 7–9 · Systems
Balance the game
Progression, economy and difficulty — make numbers that respect the player.
Weeks 10–12 · Ship
Prototype & portfolio
Pull it together into one playable prototype and a portfolio review with your mentor.
Who teaches
Working designers, not career lecturers
Every mentor has shipped games. You're matched with one whose specialism fits the game you want to make.
Systems designers
People who balance economies and progression in live games — they'll pressure-test your numbers.
Level designers
Builders of spaces and encounters who read your blockouts the way players will move through them.
Narrative & UX designers
Designers who make worlds legible — so your story and interface pull in the same direction.
Is this the right room for you?
Honest about who thrives here
Foundations is deliberately small and demanding. It rewards people who show up and make things, and it frustrates people looking for a passive video library. Read both columns before you enroll — we would rather you self-select than drop out in week three.
Not sure which side you land on? Talk to us first — a five-minute email saves everyone a wasted cohort seat.
You'll thrive if…
- You want to make games, not just talk about them
- You can protect 8–10 focused hours a week
- You take critique as fuel, not as a verdict
- You are switching careers or self-taught and want structure
- You finish things, even rough ones
Look elsewhere if…
- You want a certificate without the weekly work
- You are chasing a guaranteed job offer
- You expect pre-recorded lectures only
- You cannot join any live session, ever
- You want programming-first, design-second
From the cohorts
What students make here
Real work from the program — sketches, paper prototypes and playable builds. Names and screens are representative of student projects.
Drag, scroll or swipe to see more student work
In their words
Graduates on the program
My mentor pulled the whole economy of my prototype apart in the kindest way possible — and made me rebuild it twice. It stung in week six and it's the reason the build actually holds together now. It's the first project on my portfolio, and the one I get asked about in interviews.
I came in able to talk about games and left able to build one. The Friday critiques alone were worth the fee — you learn as much from other people's projects as your own.
Remote and part-time, but it never felt loose. There was always a deadline and always a real designer reading my work — I finished a playable level while holding down a day job.
Enrollment
One course, two ways to take it
Prices are per cohort in Polish złoty. Early-bird pricing applies until four weeks before the start date. A three-part payment plan is available on request.
Most popular
Game Design Foundations
3,900 zł / 12-week cohort
- All 12 weekly live workshops
- Weekly assignments with written feedback
- 6 hours of 1:1 mentor sessions
- Friday cohort critiques
- Final portfolio review
Go deeper
Foundations + Mentor Track
5,200 zł / 12-week cohort
- Everything in Foundations
- Extra weekly 1:1 mentor hour
- Portfolio & career review session
- Priority project feedback
| What you get | Foundations | + Mentor Track |
|---|---|---|
| 12 live weekly workshops | ✓ | ✓ |
| Weekly written feedback | ✓ | ✓ |
| 1:1 mentor time | 6 hours | 18 hours |
| Friday cohort critiques | ✓ | ✓ |
| Portfolio & career review | — | ✓ |
| Priority feedback queue | — | ✓ |
| Payment plan (3 parts) | ✓ | ✓ |
Prices are per cohort in Polish złoty and include VAT. Early-bird pricing runs until four weeks before the start date — the enrolment form confirms the tier that applies to you.
Questions
Before you enroll
- Do I need to code?
- No. You'll prototype in a visual engine and lean on templates. Some students pick up scripting along the way, but design — not programming — is the focus.
- How much time per week?
- Plan for around 8–10 hours: the live workshop, your assignment and a mentor session. It's built to fit around a job or studies.
- Is it fully online?
- Yes. Workshops and critiques run live over video, and everything is recorded so you can catch up if you miss one.
- What do I finish with?
- A playable prototype, the design documents behind it, and a portfolio piece reviewed by a working designer.
- What if I'm a total beginner?
- That's exactly who Foundations is for. We start from first principles — no prior game-industry experience needed.
- Can I pay in instalments?
- Yes, a three-part payment plan is available. Mention it in the enrollment form and we'll set it up.
Still weighing it up?
Talk to a human before you commit
Ludivora is run by a small team in Gdańsk, not a faceless platform. Read our story, or send a question and a real mentor answers — usually within a working day.
What your seat includes
- 12 live workshops with weekly written feedback
- 6 hours of 1:1 mentor sessions
- A portfolio-ready prototype by the final week
- A three-part payment plan on request
Prefer to talk first? Email [email protected] or call +48 791 234 567.
Reserve your seat
Enroll in the next cohort
Tell us a little about you and we'll confirm your seat and payment details by email — no card needed here.