Core loops
Design the repeated action that carries a whole game.
Game design bootcamp · Campinas, Brazil
Ship a game every two weeks.
Pixenza is a project-first bootcamp. You don't sit through lectures — you build small games, get them critiqued the way a studio critiques work, and walk out in 8 weeks with a portfolio piece and the habits of a designer who finishes.
- 8 weeks, live & online
- Only 20 seats
- Ships every sprint
In 8 weeks you ship 4 projects, join a cohort capped at 20, and leave with one portfolio piece you're proud to send.
What you'll build
Four builds, one growing skillset
Each fortnight is a full loop: design a small game, build a playable version, test it, present it. The briefs get harder as your judgement gets sharper.
- A one-mechanic game. Find a single verb and make it fun on its own.
- A designed level. Blockout, pacing and a difficulty curve that teaches without a tutorial.
- A small systems game. An economy or progression loop that holds up to playtesting.
- Your portfolio piece. A polished vertical slice you present to the cohort.
Skills you'll leave with
The designer's toolkit
Level design
Shape space and pacing so players learn by playing.
Systems & balance
Tune economies and progression that feel fair.
Playtesting
Read what players do and iterate on evidence.
Rapid prototyping
Turn an idea into a playable build fast.
Design pitching
Explain and defend your choices to a room.
Scope control
Cut a game down to what you can actually finish.
Portfolio craft
Present work so studios take it seriously.
The 8 weeks
Four sprints, back to back
01
Make it fun
Weeks 1–2 · one mechanic, prototyped and tested from scratch.
02
Build a level
Weeks 3–4 · space, pacing and a level players read on their own.
03
Design a system
Weeks 5–6 · an economy or progression loop that survives playtests.
04
Ship the slice
Weeks 7–8 · polish, present and package your portfolio piece.
The whole map
Every brief, before day one
Four sprints, four briefs, four things that land in your portfolio. Skim the table and you already know how the eight weeks feel — fast, concrete, and always ending with something you can play.
| Sprint | Weeks | The brief | Playtest focus | You hand in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 1–2 | Make one verb fun | Does the core action hold attention? | A one-mechanic prototype |
| 02 | 3–4 | Build a readable level | Do players learn without a tutorial? | An annotated blockout |
| 03 | 5–6 | Design a system | Does the economy stay fair over time? | A balanced systems build |
| 04 | 7–8 | Ship a vertical slice | Would a stranger finish it? | A polished portfolio piece |
| Every sprint ends with a live studio critique — blunt, kind and specific. | ||||
Read this before you reserve
This intensive is not for everyone
The pace is the whole point. It rewards people who ship and frustrates people who want to lurk. Be honest with yourself using the two lists below — a five-minute email to our team beats a wasted seat.
Reserve if you…
- Want to finish games, not collect tutorials
- Can protect 10–12 hours a week
- Read English comfortably
- Treat critique as a gift, not a grade
- Are done making games alone in the dark
Wait if you…
- Want passive, watch-anytime lectures
- Can't join any live critique
- Are chasing a guaranteed job placement
- Want deep engine programming
- Can't commit for the full 8 weeks
Who critiques your work
Coaches who've shipped
Every critique comes from a working designer. You're grouped by the kind of game you want to make.
Systems & economy
Designers who balance live games — they'll stress-test your numbers.
Level & encounter
Builders who read your blockouts the way players move through them.
Direction & UX
Designers who keep a game legible from first screen to last.
Voices from the cohort
What shipping every two weeks did for them
Four graduates who finished four games in eight weeks. Drag the row sideways to read them all.
Rafael Bittencourt
Cohort 2 · now a level designer
Two weeks felt impossible until it wasn't. By sprint three I stopped over-scoping and actually shipped. The critiques were blunt, kind and exactly what I'd been avoiding hearing.
Larissa Fontes
Cohort 4 · systems designer
My sprint-three economy broke on the first playtest and I loved it — I finally had real data to tune, not guesses. I left with a balanced build I still show in every interview.
Diego Nakamura
Cohort 3 graduate
I came in with a folder of half-finished projects. I walked out having actually finished four small games. The fortnight deadline was the only thing that ever got me to stop polishing and hand it in.
Camila Rezende
Cohort 5 · indie dev in Campinas
The vertical slice from week eight got me my first freelance gig. Presenting to the cohort every sprint made pitching my work feel normal instead of terrifying.
From the cohorts
Work that came out of the room
Sketches, sprites and playable builds. Representative of student projects across recent intensives.
Enrollment
Two ways to take the intensive
Prices are per cohort in Brazilian reais. Seats are limited to 20 and go in order of confirmation. Ask about the two-part payment plan on the form.
Core
Level Design Intensive
R$ 2,400 / 8-week cohort
- All four fortnight sprints
- Studio-style critiques every sprint
- Guest sessions with working designers
- A shippable portfolio piece
Go further
Intensive + Portfolio Review
R$ 3,200 / 8-week cohort
- Everything in the Intensive
- 1:1 portfolio & presentation review
- Written feedback on your slice
- Priority critique slots
| What's included | Intensive | + Portfolio Review |
|---|---|---|
| Four fortnight sprints | ✓ | ✓ |
| Studio critiques every sprint | ✓ | ✓ |
| Guest sessions with pros | ✓ | ✓ |
| 1:1 portfolio & pitch review | — | ✓ |
| Written feedback on your slice | — | ✓ |
| Priority critique slots | — | ✓ |
| Two-part payment plan | ✓ | ✓ |
Prices are per cohort in Brazilian reais. Seats fill in order of confirmation — the form tells you what's left in the next intensive.
Not ready to reserve yet?
Ask a real person first
Pixenza is a small studio-school in Campinas, not a course mill. Read who we are, or send one question — a working designer writes back, usually same day.
Questions
Before you reserve
Five straight answers. Read them top to bottom — they're the questions every cohort asks before they say yes.
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01
Do I need to code?
No. You'll prototype in a visual engine with templates. Some students pick up scripting along the way, but design is the focus here — not programming.
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02
How much time will it take?
Plan for 10–12 hours a week. The pace is real — that's the whole point — but it's built to run alongside work or study.
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03
Is it in English or Portuguese?
Sessions run in English with Portuguese support in critiques. If you read English comfortably, you'll be fine.
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04
What do I finish with?
Four small games, one polished portfolio piece, and the confidence to scope and ship on your own — the habit that outlasts the cohort.
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05
Can I pay in two parts?
Yes. Mention the payment plan in the form and we'll split it across the cohort — no extra fee.
What the intensive includes
- Ship a small game every two weeks
- Studio-style critiques from working designers
- Guest sessions with people in the industry
- A shippable portfolio piece by the end
Questions first? Email [email protected] or call +55 19 99123-4567.
Reserve your seat
Join the next intensive
Send your details and we'll confirm your seat and payment options by email — no card needed here.