How To Become A Game Designer

For many people, becoming a professional game designer sounds like the ultimate job. Who wouldn’t want to get paid for creating complete imaginary interactive worlds? As it turns out, this dream can become a reality. However, it will require hard work, the ability to work long hours, and a willingness to be paid less than others with your same skill set. This is because the field of game design is very competitive, so succeeding is not easy. However, for those who really love it, there is no better career option.

Getting Started

So, how does one go about becoming a game designer? If you’re reading this article, you’re probably already following the first guideline, that is, to play games. Don’t just passively play games, though. Pay attention to what makes a game good, and a bad game bad. Pay attention to the interface, graphics, story line: anything that makes the game special. If you can start learning to identify these factors, you are on your way to learning some fundamental elements of game design. There are many books that cover this topic, and you should certainly be reading these. Try to learn as much as you can about game design with your own study.

However, you will never get a job designing games without some other skill sets. One of the best skill sets for an aspiring game designer or developer to have is the ability to program. Make it a point to learn to program, and learn to program well. If you’ve never learned to program before, start with a scripting language like Python or Perl. Once you learn this, you can move on to some other languages. As you are learning, try making little games yourself. Once you feel you’re ready, you should try to join a game mod team for one of your favorite games. A “mod” is a set of user designed content that expands an existing game. Some examples of mods include extra levels, extra missions or quests, or even entirely new games within an existing games. By joining a mod team, you will gain real-world game design skills. This experience can be added to resume when applying for game design positions. This is really good experience, as potential employers will feel like to see what work you have done by checking out the mod.

Formal Education

While self-study is critical for becoming a game designer, you’ll most likely want to get some formal training. Not every game designer has a college degree, but getting one is often a good idea. A common choice of degree is computer science, but there are always other options. Studying math, physics, and other hard sciences can be useful, especially with modern games that employ realistic graphics and physics.  Alternatively, graphics design, human interfaces, and animation can also be good choices. Choose something you’re interested in, and try to excel as best you can while still keeping up with your own game development work.

Getting A Job As A Game Designer

While you are teaching yourself, you should be trying to make as many contacts as you can. Many a game developer has gotten the job offer by becoming prominent in a mod community. Many companies will look at these communities to see who the leaders are when looking to fill positions. Don’t limit yourself to this though. Make as many connections you can, keep a good up-to-date portfolio of your work, and always be marketing yourself. Starting a blog about game design and development and networking with others in the field can be a good way to get your name out there. Opportunity can come from any direction, so don’t limit yourself.

Also, don’t just limit yourself to working at some of the big game companies. There are many small, independent game companies that offer excellent opportunities for aspiring designers. There are also niche game companies, such as those targeted towards educational games. By thinking outside the box, you increase your opportunities for finding a job.

As you can see, the field of game development and design requires quite a lot of work to get into. It is not enough to simply get a degree and apply for a job. You take the initiative to improve your skills, and create quality work that people talk about. However, if you have the drive and motivation to become a game designer, doing this work should be fairly fun. Do keep in mind though that it will still be tough. Game designers often work long, grueling hours, but if you really love the work, you will be prepared to make the sacrifice. Keep playing those games, keep improving your skills, and someday, you might find yourself in the credits of the next game.