5 answers
Uriah
Student
Wake Forest
1
Question
Asked
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Getting into Video game design?
What is required to become a video game designer? I already know that C++ is needed but I'm looking for other help.
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5 answers
Rashida White
UX Research and Design / Game Audio and Sound Design
4
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Rashida’s Answer
Hello,
Based on your question and your tags, you seem to be leaning more toward the engineering side. If so, I would start exploring different game engines to learn (Unity, Unreal, Godot, Pic-8, etc.). Based on your knowledge, this can help create a baseline of the skillsets needed. From there, you can fill in some technical language gaps based on what you need (C# as an example for Unity). From there, pick a project with a learning goal, execute it, ask for feedback, and have fun!
Another angle around navigating "required" skills is working at a game studio in QA or as an intern. I currently work in a gaming lab with folks who have worked in the gaming industry historically, and they will immediately tell you to try to find a job at a game studio and get into QA (Quality Assurance). This gives you a foot in the door, so to speak, and the opportunity to learn about all aspects of Game Design and move into the area of your choice. This creates the chance to learn on the job with a mentor or manager who can also help grow you.
Identify area of game design you are interested in
Research relevant game engines / tool
Identify skill / languages needed to utilize game engine / tool
Source free resources to help learn new skill
Create and finish a project to reinforce your skills
Based on your question and your tags, you seem to be leaning more toward the engineering side. If so, I would start exploring different game engines to learn (Unity, Unreal, Godot, Pic-8, etc.). Based on your knowledge, this can help create a baseline of the skillsets needed. From there, you can fill in some technical language gaps based on what you need (C# as an example for Unity). From there, pick a project with a learning goal, execute it, ask for feedback, and have fun!
Another angle around navigating "required" skills is working at a game studio in QA or as an intern. I currently work in a gaming lab with folks who have worked in the gaming industry historically, and they will immediately tell you to try to find a job at a game studio and get into QA (Quality Assurance). This gives you a foot in the door, so to speak, and the opportunity to learn about all aspects of Game Design and move into the area of your choice. This creates the chance to learn on the job with a mentor or manager who can also help grow you.
Rashida recommends the following next steps:
Brenden Brusberg
Data Scientist
2
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Brenden’s Answer
The other answers to this question are great!
There are many different roles in game design, especially when working on a larger team or studio that do not require high levels of math or programming. There are also more user friendly languages to game design if you want to get started by yourself like Godot which uses a much friendlier language to learn and use like python.
I think beyond going over what games you like I think the two most important skills in learning anything is just start by doing and talking to others.
Just start a project, don't be too ambitious, it does not have to be perfect, remember your goal is to learn, so start something small that will emphasize you learning one aspect of game design. Try working with the least amount of unknowns as possible, preferably just the feature or aspect you are learning about, and set an easy bar for success of just understanding and getting most basic form of what you are trying to learn correct. Then just repeat, keep learning, and enjoying what you make.
Find a community that focuses on learning, possibly even the game engine's official Discord community and talk to other learners and experts in their tools. You will learn a lot about game design, project management, art, sound and texture design, programming, and more!
There are many different roles in game design, especially when working on a larger team or studio that do not require high levels of math or programming. There are also more user friendly languages to game design if you want to get started by yourself like Godot which uses a much friendlier language to learn and use like python.
I think beyond going over what games you like I think the two most important skills in learning anything is just start by doing and talking to others.
Just start a project, don't be too ambitious, it does not have to be perfect, remember your goal is to learn, so start something small that will emphasize you learning one aspect of game design. Try working with the least amount of unknowns as possible, preferably just the feature or aspect you are learning about, and set an easy bar for success of just understanding and getting most basic form of what you are trying to learn correct. Then just repeat, keep learning, and enjoying what you make.
Find a community that focuses on learning, possibly even the game engine's official Discord community and talk to other learners and experts in their tools. You will learn a lot about game design, project management, art, sound and texture design, programming, and more!
Thank you so much for the advice.
Uriah
Jamie Clark
Visual Effects Artist
30
Answers
Austin, Texas
Updated
Jamie’s Answer
Becoming a game designer doesn't require expertise in C++. What truly matters is your ability to craft an engaging game.
Many seasoned designers kick off their process by sketching a map on paper before bringing it to life in an engine, like Unreal, for instance.
But remember, that's just for your maps. When it comes to the overall game design, it's a whole different ball game. Although I'm not a designer, I would recommend studying some of your favorite games and understanding how they achieve the elements you enjoy.
Consider the mechanics of the game. How are the weapons used? Are there even any weapons? What about puzzles or mazes? Identify the elements that make the game challenging, as well as those that make it rewarding.
Reflect on how you feel when you reach a milestone in the game. What triggers that emotion? Is it the level of difficulty, or is it because the storyline or design captivated you?
Now, if your aspiration is to become a game programmer, or as we say in the industry, an engineer, then yes, coding skills are a must.
Many seasoned designers kick off their process by sketching a map on paper before bringing it to life in an engine, like Unreal, for instance.
But remember, that's just for your maps. When it comes to the overall game design, it's a whole different ball game. Although I'm not a designer, I would recommend studying some of your favorite games and understanding how they achieve the elements you enjoy.
Consider the mechanics of the game. How are the weapons used? Are there even any weapons? What about puzzles or mazes? Identify the elements that make the game challenging, as well as those that make it rewarding.
Reflect on how you feel when you reach a milestone in the game. What triggers that emotion? Is it the level of difficulty, or is it because the storyline or design captivated you?
Now, if your aspiration is to become a game programmer, or as we say in the industry, an engineer, then yes, coding skills are a must.
Thank you so much for the advice.
Uriah
Brendan Daw
Sound Designer
1
Answer
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Updated
Brendan’s Answer
I think the first question to ask yourself is: What part of games do you want to work on? What interests you most? If you want to be a solo/indie developer, maybe the answer is that you want to work on everything- but typically, game studios have a lot of different design roles (e.g. level design, game mechanic design, sound design, narrative design) and each one requires a different skillset.
One thing that is universally helpful for any job in video games is strong knowledge of the competition and current trends. Play lots of games and think about what they are doing differently or better than others.
Programming skills are never a bad thing to have, but I would also strongly recommend taking free video game courses online. Unreal Engine is free and you can find many beginner courses on YouTube. Find one where you are building a whole game from scratch and see which part of the process gets you excited. Learning Unreal Engine itself is very valuable and knowing what area of games you are interested in- it will be easier to know what software or skills to work on next.
Play games and analyze them. Think about what makes them good (or bad).
Download Unreal Engine and take a free tutorial class on YouTube.
One thing that is universally helpful for any job in video games is strong knowledge of the competition and current trends. Play lots of games and think about what they are doing differently or better than others.
Programming skills are never a bad thing to have, but I would also strongly recommend taking free video game courses online. Unreal Engine is free and you can find many beginner courses on YouTube. Find one where you are building a whole game from scratch and see which part of the process gets you excited. Learning Unreal Engine itself is very valuable and knowing what area of games you are interested in- it will be easier to know what software or skills to work on next.
Brendan recommends the following next steps:
Najee Dyson
Level Designer
3
Answers
Winter Park, Florida
Updated
Najee’s Answer
When getting into Game Design you first need to know what the difference is between Game Development and Game Design. Game Developers are the ones who deal with a lot of code inside of a game engine, to put it simply, they create a game's functionality. Game Designers are the ones responsible for giving a game a "purpose" or "life". They create the look of a game, the feel, they create the environment, and more so, they create the "rules" of said game. To dive deeper, Game Design has many branches that dive into a specific role within Game Design such as: Level Design, System Design, UX/UI Design, Principal Design, Narrative Design, etc.
Now, as for what is required to become a Game Designer specifically, from my experience, you need the following: Experience with a Game Engine (Unreal Engine , Unity, etc.), Skills in Documentation (The ability to explain and showcase your work progress on "paper"), Skills with Project Management Software (The ability to use software that helps organize work for a project), General knowledge of games (Analog, Video, etc.), and finally, experience with gaming hardware (Computer, Console, Mobile, etc.).
Various game studios/companies will have more in detail qualifications/requirements for what they want specifically out of their Game Designers, but what I stated before will help get anyone on the right track to becoming a Game Designer. Game Designers more or less are responsible for creating the "fun" in a game. So expanding your knowledge on things like game theory, the psychology of video games, how video games affect people are another great way to get into Game Design. Also try picking up a Game Engine and create a small game prototype of your own, this way, you can learn a game engine, use the tools that Game Designers use in the industry, and see for yourself, what exactly makes a game "fun".
One more thing, play as many different video games as you can. The purpose of doing this is so you can have different perspectives on how to go about designing a game. Everyone has a different vision for a game, learning about these different visions that Game Designers have, will help you understand more about video games, and the possibilities of how to design one.
Hope this helps!
Now, as for what is required to become a Game Designer specifically, from my experience, you need the following: Experience with a Game Engine (Unreal Engine , Unity, etc.), Skills in Documentation (The ability to explain and showcase your work progress on "paper"), Skills with Project Management Software (The ability to use software that helps organize work for a project), General knowledge of games (Analog, Video, etc.), and finally, experience with gaming hardware (Computer, Console, Mobile, etc.).
Various game studios/companies will have more in detail qualifications/requirements for what they want specifically out of their Game Designers, but what I stated before will help get anyone on the right track to becoming a Game Designer. Game Designers more or less are responsible for creating the "fun" in a game. So expanding your knowledge on things like game theory, the psychology of video games, how video games affect people are another great way to get into Game Design. Also try picking up a Game Engine and create a small game prototype of your own, this way, you can learn a game engine, use the tools that Game Designers use in the industry, and see for yourself, what exactly makes a game "fun".
One more thing, play as many different video games as you can. The purpose of doing this is so you can have different perspectives on how to go about designing a game. Everyone has a different vision for a game, learning about these different visions that Game Designers have, will help you understand more about video games, and the possibilities of how to design one.
Hope this helps!
Thank you!
Uriah