The word “game design” is extensively used, yet it’s also often misunderstood. Game design is a combination of critical thought and inventiveness. Being a game designer entails having a vision and then putting that vision into action using technical talents.

Understanding how things work in a game and justifying why they work that way is one of the most important qualities of a game designer. Everything in the game, from the gameplay loop to specific mechanics, from challenges to level design and plot flow, must have a purpose to exist; the game designer’s duty is to figure out what that reason is.

Depending on the firm, the game designer’s job description might include a wide range of responsibilities. In smaller firms, the game designer may also serve as the creative director, lead programmer, or writer, whereas in larger studios, these positions are shared by multiple people. There are several disciplines under the game design umbrella, such as level design, user interface design, and systems design. 

Education for Game Designer:

Higher education is the traditional route to become a game designer.

Anyone interested in becoming a game designer has a variety of educational options, but Joy Dey, the senior game designer at Creative Assembly, took a more traditional route.

“When I was 15, I started taking programming classes in high school,” she recalls. “Following that, I went to university to study computer science, and in my final year, I discovered a game design degree at another university. I added a year to my studies to study game creation, and my career began immediately after.”

Daisy Fernandez, the game creator for the State of Play, has a master’s degree in game design and development from the National Film and Television School. She selected formal training because she was overwhelmed by the amount of knowledge available on the internet.

“I have dyslexia and frequently require multiple explanations of technical concepts,” she explains. “As a result, hiring a tutor seemed like the most practical option to learn how to build games… However, I’d be negligent if I didn’t recognize my good fortune: higher education is costly, and there’s no assurance that you’ll get a job at the end of it.”

You don’t have to specialize in game design.

A solid technical background is necessary for a game designer. It does not obtain through traditional game design training. 

“Having a game design degree provides an excellent foundation and can get a foot in the door when applying for employment,” Dey explains. “It is, nonetheless, critical to have practical abilities in addition to academic knowledge. You can make your own games using free engines and materials found online, or you can enroll in more technical university courses such as computer science or engineering.”

Ollie Hind, Jagex’s lead designer, has a computer science degree and chose this path for two reasons. The first is that technical skills are “a huge benefit” for a designer.

“Second, getting into the gaming industry is difficult,” he continues. “Having alternative abilities to fall back on is usually beneficial, at least in the near term.”

Ollie Hind, Jagex’s lead designer, has a computer science degree and chose this path for two reasons. The first is that technical skills are “a huge benefit” for a designer.

“Second, getting into the gaming industry is difficult,” he continues. “Having alternative abilities to fall back on is usually beneficial, at least in the near term.”

Outside of games, learn design principles.

Malath Abbas, a freelance game designer, earned a master’s degree in 3D animation after studying Computer Games Development at John Moores University. Abbas believes that you don’t need to study game design to be a game designer because a wide range of experiences leads to a wider range of ideas. 

“Traditional design degrees will help you expand your work prospects,” he says. “Many individuals are taking game design courses, which I don’t think is good for the industry. It’s advantageous to stand out by having a diverse background.”

An example of how adjacent degrees might help you comprehend game design is Ross Gowing, a game director at Codemasters.

“I don’t have any official game design experience,” he explains, “but I do have a graphic design degree, which taught me a lot about the fundamentals of good visual communication.” “I’m not certain that formal training [in game design] is necessary.”

By doing, you will learn.

Many of the game designers lacked formal training owing to a lack of time or money, or simply because specialty courses were not available when they first entered the industry. Caroline Marchal, the originator of Interior Night, first studied communications and politics, then multimedia — this was 20 years ago, she notes.

“I had a hazy vision of becoming a game scriptwriter,” she recalls, “but I had no idea what game design was until I started working at Quantic Dream.” “In the late ’90s and early ’00s, there was no such thing as game design training, so it wasn’t an option.” I just dove right in. I had no idea what the term “game design” meant.

“I don’t believe formal training is required, based on my experience. You can learn by reading a few books and, most importantly, by creating and learning from a game. However, I believe that formal training can be beneficial and can act as a catalyst. You learn faster and avoid mistakes when you are in the correct atmosphere.”

Jordi Ministral and Alexis Corominas, co-founders of Arise developer Piccolo, studied game creation by doing and drawing inspiration from a variety of places as well.

“We were essentially self-taught,” Ministral explains. “By analyzing and playing video games, board games, designing advertising experiences, reading books, and watching movies, we learned game design.”

What do I need as a game designer to get noticed?

Create a portfolio

You must generate your opportunities if you want to be acknowledged in the market. If our guides to the top game engines prove anything, it’s that finding the correct (free) tools to get started has never been easier. Practice is the only way to achieve perfection.

“No amount of knowledge will ever be able to replace the experience you receive from creating your games,” Dey argues. “It’s critical to consistently practice your art and polishing your development skills, whether through game jams or your projects, at home or with people on the internet.”

It’s also a good idea to practice in a variety of genres. If you’ve had your fill of platformers, try a strategy game or a shooter. Creating board games or card games, according to Dey, can also provide useful lessons and insights into effective design.

Take a look at a QA position.

Working at a studio, in addition to working on your games, will help you land a position in game design. In this regard, quality assurance is one of the most effective strategies to get started.

“Working on your own game with friends is a fantastic experience,” Marchal says, “but the most important thing you can do is obtain a job in a development firm and go through the whole cycle of concept/pre-production/production/release.” “Once you’ve done it, you’ll have gained significant experience.”

Gowing began his career as a QA tester at Blitz Games Studios, where his dedication to the job pleased the firm so much that he was quickly requested to apply for a junior design position. Entry-level game designers, according to Gowing, aren’t expected to have any prior expertise in the field, but a basic understanding of the production process and how a studio works are beneficial.

“I’d thoroughly encourage taking a job as a QA tester and advancing from there,” he says. “It’s a road that served me well personally, and it’s a path that more than half my team has been through as well.” “It allows you to learn a lot about the games industry and how a studio is handled, as well as get your name out there.”

Study the modding scene.

Another well-known method of gaining experience is through modding. Many games now feature mods, so finding a community on Reddit, Discord, Steam, or whatever platform you like shouldn’t be difficult. 

There’s a long list of successful games that began out as mods: Dear Esther was a Valve Source engine mod, Dota was a Warcraft III mod, DayZ is based on Arma 2, and PUBG is based on Arma 3. In addition, some studios hire from the modding community: On Ark: Survival Evolved, Studio Wildcard collaborated extensively with modders, and Media Molecule has hired several members of its communities.

“Being a modder of a game with the tools provided is a terrific place to start stretching your game design muscles,” Dey explains. “It also provides a public community platform where your work can be publicized if enough people appreciate it.”

To work in-game creation, what attributes and talents do I need?

You must be analytical, rational, and creative at the same time.

Technical, analytical, and creative talents are all required in game design. Marchal came to Quantic Dream with no idea what a game designer did; instead, she tried to figure out how all the pieces of a game fit together, and that pretty well sums up the job.

“Designers are incredibly analytical: they can articulately and intelligently explain why this game stinks and why this one is amazing,” she explains. “However, there is a distinction to be made between critical and creative thinking. You need both minds to be a designer. You must look beyond the numbers, evaluate the whole experience you want to create, and make decisions.

Combine hard talents with a positive attitude:

In terms of hard skills, math and coding will be extremely useful to any game creator, but not having them isn’t a deal-breaker.

“When you need to create an XP-Level structure for a game or want to get started making rudimentary economics,” Gowing explains, “basic math comes in extremely helpful.” “At the university level, I’d advocate [courses] that allow students to specialize in a discipline — design, art, or programming — and collaborate with students from other disciplines.”

You must be an excellent communicator.

Being a game designer necessitates a high level of communication. Because making a video game is a team effort, it’s not enough to just come up with brilliant mechanics; you also need to explain your reasoning to your colleagues.

“You’ll hear that a lot,” Hind adds, “but you need excellent communication skills.” “Communication is essential, whether it’s introducing ideas, explaining your thinking, providing criticism, or simply functioning as part of a team. You must be a problem solver because finding solutions is an important element of your job.”

You must be compassionate.

Empathy is required to listen to other people’s perspectives, which is also required for a game designer to understand their players and what they desire. As Piccolo’s Corominas says, believing that everyone thinks and reacts the same way is a typical mistake in game design.

“It’s quite difficult to find solutions that work for everyone,” he says, because “not everyone enjoys or engages with the same elements.” “At some point, you have to accept that your design will be wrong no matter what you do, and all you can do is minimize the possible problems.”

“Iterating and testing with a large number of users is how game design is accomplished. It’s difficult to separate yourself from your own design and arrive at an accurate diagnosis because it’s difficult to remove your own bias.

What are some of the most common misunderstandings about game design?

The first myth is that game designer spend all of their time playing games. Many occupations in the business, such as games PR and journalism, are based on this notion.

“I’m not sure anyone who knows anything about games believes that,” Hind continues, “but just in case you didn’t know, producing games is hard labor.” “It’s complicated in a variety of ways, from production to technology to art and design. It can be difficult at times, so you’ll need your drive to get you through.”

According to Abbas, game design should not be confused with game direction, even though many aspiring designers do. It’s crucial to have ambition and express your ideas when you’re first starting in the industry, but don’t try to run before you learn to walk. He says, “You’re not a game director.”

“There are examples of incredibly gifted individuals ascending to the top and leading teams. However, this is only a small portion of the sector; the vast majority are unnamed but equally vital. Collaboration is crucial, and I’ve seen far too many young individuals with large egos believe they can be game directors when they lack basic skills.”

“I’d hate to be the guy who shatters people’s dreams,” Gowing says, “but you don’t get to sit on sofas all day playing games, you don’t get to choose the art style or draw the characters, and you probably won’t be directing 500 people to make your version of Grand Theft Auto, with your cast as the central character.”