What are the key components to becoming a professional game designer?

First a warning, game design is a very difficult field to crack into. Everyone who plays games has an idea for one and few are made.

Next you should do some research. Find out what it is a game designer does. A company looking to hire a designer wants someone who can design what they want. No one goes and hires someone for their great game idea. They hire someone to help make the game that is funded and ready to be built that someone else came up with.

One designer colleague of mine once said when asked what he does as a game designer that he spent all day in Spreadsheets. Data going into game systems is all spreadsheets and numbers, and looking at the data that comes out (analytics) is important to understand how your idea is working in practice.

Lastly play games. Lots of them. Of all kinds. Mobile, web, console, PC, strategy, RPG, action, card games, board games, etc. Be a master of knowledge of the field and that can help you understand and implement the ideas of others.

Finally, work hard and never stop believing in yourself. You can do this. It is a long hard road, but it is one that is very rewarding.

Hi Chance,

Game design, as a professional career choice, has become much more popular in the past few years, and lots of universities are now offering articulated degrees in game design and development. Check out the list of the top places here:

http://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings?rankings=top-undergraduate-schools-for-video-game-design

Things that you can do to prepare yourself for getting into one of these schools beyond the regular things (test scores, grades, extra curricula) are to work on your game portfolio, and take as many computer science related courses as you can so that you can bolster your application with as much game related things as possible. If your high school doesn't offer CS courses, you can take online courses on Coursera, Khan Academy, or even YouTube, and cruise as many game development blogs as you can. Practice making board games, and work your way up to tools like Unity and Unreal, even just copying existing games and trying to make your own simple version can be great practice, and will give you practice understanding the fundamentals of games.

In general, to be a professional game designer you will need more than just an education, but an extreme passion for games that is demonstrated with a robust portfolio of work. Save everything that you make/write to a personal blog and GitHub. Be an active developer on an open source project. Be a self-promoter. All of these things will help your application stand out from the crowd. Whether it be an internship or a full-time hire, once you have your foot in the door things will be much easier, but in order to get there you really have to prove yourself.

Hope this helps!

Cameron

Hi Chance,

Here are some basic rules to follow in this career:

Step 1: Obtain a Bachelor's Degree
Designers may need a bachelor's degree, especially if they're planning on working for a large game studio. Although some schools offer a degree in game design, aspiring game designers can get the necessary training from computer science, software engineering or related degree programs. The coursework for a game design program covers subjects like 2D and 3D modeling and animation, level and interface design, storyboard rendering, drawing and scripting.

Step 2: Gain Experience
Some companies offer internships and co-op positions for prospective designers. Small businesses may be willing to hire inexperienced game programmers or artists, which could lead to game design positions later on.

Common Requirements

Degree Level: High school diploma; some employers require a bachelor's degree
Degree Name: Video game design, computer science
Experience: May need to have experience working in programming or art before becoming designers*
Key Skills: Designers must be creative, have the ability to tell a story and be able to work as part of a team
Technical Skills: Understanding of programming languages, software programs, 3D modeling programs

In: http://study.com/articles/How_to_Become_a_Video_Game_Designer_Education_and_Career_Roadmap.html

Best!

Hi Chance,

First of all, congratulations for finding your passion and wanting to pursue it! Game Design is a challenging and rewarding career. An entry into the field can be vastly different depending on whether you want to develop for a small, independent developer or be a part of a larger (more corporate) production.

Some successful game designers come from a background in Quality Assurance (Test Department) where they are able to develop the foundation for critical thinking in software development and see first hand the decisions and pressure associated with real production.

Your first game design tasks will likely be associated with a subset system in the game - such as tuning the weapon system in a shooter, scripting enemy encounters in an RPG, or balancing tuning values in a simulation. It may also involve implementing content such as story text or loading tips.

Another way to break into the field is through an internship, where you will be able to learn many of these skills hands-on under the direction of an advisor. If neither of these avenues are available to you, the other way to do it is to make your own game (or mod for an existing game) and use it as a demo to get yourself in the door. Download Unity (which is free), get yourself a great book on the topic, do the tutorials, and before you know it, you'll have the foundation needed to launch yourself into the industry. Good Luck!