Valparaiso University Launches Inaugural Video Game Music and Design Courses, Fostering Innovation and Collaboration Among Students
Valparaiso University has successfully completed the inaugural semester of two innovative new courses in Video Game Music and Introduction to Game Programming, offering students hands-on experience in one of today’s fastest-growing creative and technological industries. These interdisciplinary courses reflect the University’s commitment to evolving academic programs that empower students to thrive in emerging fields.
The new courses culminated in a unique collaborative project that brought together students from both classes to design original video games complete with custom-composed soundtracks. This initiative highlights Valpo’s holistic approach to education—combining technical knowledge, artistic creativity, and real-world collaboration.
“There is a lot of interest in the video game industry in general,” said Aysegul Yayimli, professor of computing and information sciences. “Students coming into computer science always have developing games in mind, so I was hoping that we could do a bigger program in the future.”
Cutting-Edge Tools and Creative Projects
Students enrolled in Introduction to Game Programming explored the fundamentals of game development using Godot, a professional-grade open-source game engine. With a focus on both 2D and 3D development, each student created an original video game as a final project. Highlights included When Penguins Fly, a platformer by Nathaniel Hayes ’28, and Cave Duck, a collection-based game by Aiyonna Moseley ’28.
“I really want to get into game design, so I wanted to try coding first,” said Moseley. “The biggest thing I learned was the programming, and the time it takes to do it.”
Sound Meets Strategy: The Art of Video Game Music
Meanwhile, students in the new Video Game Music course examined the artistry and technical challenges of composing music for interactive media. Led by Joseph Bognar, Frederick A. and Mazie N. Reddel Professor of Music, the course explored the genre through three structured modules: History, Theory, and Design.
In the History module, students recreated music within the strict limitations of early video game hardware, crafting soundtracks for classic games like the 1980 Atari title Adventure using BeepBox, a browser-based chiptune composer.
“It was such a fun challenge that really helped me to think outside the box and take a whole new approach to creating music,” said Jake Griffin ’25, a computer science major.
The Theory module introduced compositional techniques unique to video games, where music must loop seamlessly without irritating the player or change based on the player’s actions.
“These are high-level, compositional questions that musicians have to answer with this kind of project,” Bognar said. “You might think that we shouldn’t take video game music seriously, but the problems it presents, and the solutions composers come up with, are really, really creative.”
Finally, the Design module paired music students with programming students to develop music and sound effects for the original student video games—mirroring real-world studio collaboration to create a total visual and audio gaming experience. This collaboration allowed students to apply their lessons in a setting that also exercised their communication and teamwork — soft skills that are also vital in the real-world gaming industry.
Looking Ahead: A Growing Program
With strong student interest and promising results, Professor Yayimli hopes to expand the curriculum in the coming years. Planned collaborations include partnerships with the English department’s Game Narrative and Design course and other computing courses to support additional graphics and development needs. The long-term vision includes building a cohesive series of courses or even a minor in game design.
To learn more about the future of gaming at Valparaiso University, visit the Center for Games and Interactive Entertainment here. For insights into Valpo students’ work in non-digital game design, click here.