An Indie Games online graduate’s journey from lecturer to course director

Eight months after becoming a dad, Thom Barrett signed up for the online master’s in Indie Game Development (IGD) at Falmouth. It might not have been the obvious moment to return to study – but for Thom, it turned out to be the most rewarding educational experience of his life so far.

We spoke to Thom about how he developed his interest in games, how the course helped shape his academic and creative direction, and what he’s up to now.

What was your background before starting the course?

Before starting the IGD course, I taught games design in colleges for around six years. Prior to that, my background was in performance and film. I had a BA in digital film and spent some time working as an editor.

When did you develop your interest in games?

I began teaching animation, but my interest in gaming grew as I learnt more about the course and was given some teaching hours on it. Gaming has always been part of my life, but like many people my age, I never considered it a career path or academic subject. Preparing lectures led me to delve deeper and become fascinated by the depth of design work involved.

You’ve said you have a love of storytelling – why do you think games are a better storytelling medium than others?

For me, successful game design draws on knowledge and skills from many disciplines and art forms. I love learning and have always been interested in a broad range of topics. Games design ticks so many boxes. It allows me to bring together skills in visual and experiential design and apply my understanding of psychology, teaching, and storytelling.

What led you to study for a master's?

After a few years of teaching games design, I was given ownership of the pathway. This pushed me to expand my knowledge and skills. I reached a point where I wanted to move beyond college and begin a career in university lecturing. Around the same time, I became a dad and needed a flexible study option that would fit around family life.

What attracted you to the course at Falmouth?

Falmouth was the perfect option. The flexibility of an online course first caught my attention, but it was the course content and the staff that really stood out and set it apart from other options.

What was your favourite aspect of the course?

One of the best parts of the MA was the staff. I was supervised by people working in the industry who were generous with their time and knowledge. I feel very fortunate to have had that experience.

I'm proud of all the work I produced, but my final major project was a highlight. I explored challenge and difficulty in games, focusing on the Souls-like genre. I created a vertical slice of a game that allowed players to adjust difficulty through gameplay choices rather than difficulty settings. I learnt a great deal and have continued working on the project since graduating – I’m even exhibiting it at festivals this summer.

What did you go onto do after graduation?

As I was finishing the MA, I started applying for university roles and secured my first job in higher education three weeks before receiving my final results. I’m now Course Director for a BA in Games Design. I draw on my MA every day as I plan lectures and assignments. Research is now a key part of my role and I’m currently writing a PhD proposal to build on my work in layered games design.

If you’d like to find out more about my project, there’s a summary and the vertical slice on my portfolio: thombarrettgames.co.uk. I’m still collecting player feedback, so any time spent trying it out is much appreciated.