Game Designer

As a game designer, you’ll need to:

• use your creativity to design games for a range of devices and platforms that engage and capture the imagination of the user
• consider, plan, and detail every element of a new game including the setting, rules, story flow, props, vehicles, character interface, and modes of play
• put together a concept document and use this to convince the development team that the game is worth proceeding with
• conduct market research to understand what your target audience wants
• transform a rough idea into a detailed concept and then implement it
• write scripts and design storyboards
• work collaboratively with others, including game developers, artists, and programmers, to produce a prototype - a small-scale playable version of the game
• make adjustments to the game design specifications to reflect developments as the project moves forward
• train quality assurance (QA) testers to play the game so they can test it properly
• lead on the user experience (UX) design of the game, ensuring players have the best experience
• work alone or within a larger team overseen by a lead designer.

Working hours

You’ll typically work between 30 and 40 hours per week on average. Flexible working hours may be available. You may need to work weekends and evenings as deadlines approach.

The majority of game designers are employed full time, with a small number being self-employed or working part time.

Although you don’t need a degree to become a game designer, the majority of people working within game design are graduates. Games-specific degrees are particularly useful and relevant subjects include:

• computer games art/design
• computer science
• animation
• interactive media
• mathematics.

In order to be able to demonstrate your skills in game design, you’ll need to build an online portfolio of your projects and any work you’ve completed. This can then be used within interviews or with speculative applications to preferred employers., You’ll need to have:

• technical ability, in particular familiarisation with a range of programming languages and software technologies and packages such as C#, C++ and Python
• scripting and design capabilities using software such as Blueprint Visual Scripting in Unreal Engine
• a passion for gaming and an understanding of the different hardware platforms available for games
• communication skills, both verbal and written, to put your ideas across to other members of the team
• teamworking skills and the ability to collaborate with others to create the finished game
• an innovative approach to game design and the ability to come up with new ideas
• a willingness and aptitude to learn new technical skills such as version control software
• organisation and project management skills, including familiarity with Agile development and Scrum
• problem-solving skills
• a flexible approach to work in order to tailor your ideas and to meet deadlines
• commitment and focus to complete every task to a high standard
• mathematical and analytical understanding.

Game design is a competitive career so you’ll need to build up your portfolio to showcase your creative skills.

As a game designer, you’ll come up with ideas, stories, and characters for games on a range of platforms, including consoles, computers, virtual and augmented reality, and mobiles. You’ll need to use technical and creative skills to imagine, test, and develop your ideas. You may work on a design that you’ve conceived yourself or from a pre-approved idea, such as a game based upon a film.

Within your design, you’ll need to consider the mechanics of the game (the rules of the game and how it works), whether it can be easily expanded and maintained, and whether it’s comfortable and fun to use.

Although game designer is usually a clearly defined job role, in smaller companies you may get involved in some of the art or programming elements. Subfields within game design include level designer, content designer, and interface designer.