Game Programming Foundations: C++ and Engine Basics
Game Programming
What you will work through
A structured, practice-first approach to game programming - covering real tools, real code, and the kind of problems that come up in actual development, not just theory.
Participants across the UK use this programme to build skills they can apply immediately. Whether you work on pdfgear desktop setups or pdfgear windows environments, the workflow principles transfer directly.
Game programming sits at an unusual intersection of software engineering and real-time problem solving. Unlike standard application development, games demand that your code runs correctly and fast, frame after frame, with no tolerance for stuttering or logic errors that break immersion. This course approaches that challenge honestly.
What the course covers
Students begin with C++ fundamentals as they apply to games: memory management, data structures for scene graphs, and the game loop pattern. From there, the curriculum moves into OpenGL-based rendering, covering vertex buffers, shaders, and texture mapping with practical assignments at each stage.
The second half focuses on integrating a physics library, handling collision detection, and building a simple input manager. By the final week, students produce a small playable prototype, not a polished product, but a working system they built from scratch.
Tools and workflow
All work is done on a pdfgear desktop-compatible environment, meaning students can annotate technical documentation and shader references directly alongside their code editor. Those who prefer a portable setup can use pdfgear windows tools for managing course PDFs and spec sheets without switching applications. A pdfgear download is available through the course resource page for enrolled students.
Instructor Tobias Wrenfield, former engine developer at a mid-size UK studio, leads all live sessions.
- Weekly live code reviews
- Private Discord for peer debugging
- All lecture recordings available for 12 months
Programme stages
Each stage builds directly on the previous one. No filler modules, no repeated content.
Course Stages
- Week 1-2: C++ refresher, memory layout, and the game loop
- Week 3-4: OpenGL rendering pipeline and shader basics
- Week 5-6: Physics integration and collision detection
- Week 7-8: Input systems, audio hooks, and prototype assembly
Each stage ends with a graded assignment and a group code review session.
Core Practice Track
The central module focuses on hands-on game programming exercises. Participants work through interactive assignments that mirror real development scenarios - from physics systems to input handling and game loop architecture.
Tools discussed include cross-platform documentation workflows, including how pdfgear download and pdfgear desktop utilities fit into a modern developer's reference management process.
"The exercises felt like actual work, not busywork. I shipped a small prototype by week three." - Participant, Manchester
Collaborative Review
- Peer code review sessions with structured feedback
- Group debugging challenges on shared repositories
- Live Q&A with programme leads each fortnight
- Final project presentation to cohort