Since the 1970’s and 1980’s, video games have become one of the largest markets in the world. From Mario to Call of Duty, these virtual adventures have inspired generations of people in regards to career choices. Being a game designer is often one of these dream careers. A game designer is the one who “[comes] up with the games' concepts, characters, setting, story, and game play” in a video game (How to become a video game designer, 2020). Sounds amazing right? So what does it take to be a game designer? Let’s find out.

Be Able to Understand Good Game Design… And Not So Good Game Design

You definitely know when you are playing a well-made game versus a not so well-made one… But what’s the difference? You know it’s bad or excellent, but why? Is it the mechanics? Level design? User Interface? Being a good game designer requires dissecting games and being able to reason why one is better than another (How to become a pro video game designer, n.d.; Extra Credits, 2012). Like a doctor or a chef, you must be constantly asking “Why.” Why do the players like this? Why are they frustrated at this part? Education and experience in playing and designing video games can help answer these questions (How to become a pro video game designer, n.d.; Extra Credits, 2012; How to become a videogame designer, 2020; Video game designer, n.d.).

…But a constant thirst for that question of “why,” is what will carry you through your career! Learn what you can about video game design now. There are lots of blogs and social media platforms that break video games down (Extra Credits is my personal favorite). So don’t just play video games. Learn about the behind the scenes!

Communication and Collaboration

Creating a video game takes a lot of people—which means communication is key. As a game designer, you will be working with and bridging the communication gap between people of several diverse disciplines—artists, programmers, sound engineers, designers, business people and more (Extra Credits, 2012). You have to be able and willing to work with all of these disciplines. Extra Credits’ video on game designers puts it well— “If you can’t communicate the experience you are trying to design to each of these groups, the quality of your ideas will not matter, because these are the people that will translate those ideas into an experience that reaches the world” (2012). Further education in game design can help here as you will be required to learn about these fields to get an understanding of where these professionals are coming from. In the meantime, try socializing and making friends! That can give you invaluable experience on how to interact with other humans.

Creating a video game takes a lot of people—which means communication is key. As a game designer, you will be working with and bridging the communication gap between people of several diverse disciplines—artists, programmers, sound engineers, designers, business people and more (Extra Credits, 2012). You have to be able and willing to work with all of these disciplines. Extra Credits’ video on game designers puts it well— “If you can’t communicate the experience you are trying to design to each of these groups, the quality of your ideas will not matter, because these are the people that will translate those ideas into an experience that reaches the world” (2012). Further education in game design can help here as you will be required to learn about these fields to get an understanding of where these professionals are coming from. In the meantime, try socializing and making friends! That can give you invaluable experience on how to interact with other humans.

Versatility

So, what are some other skills you have to learn to be a game designer? Well, to be honest, it’s a lot. Just to name a few, you need to understand things such as mathematics, psychology, computer science, computer technology, music, art, audio engineering and more (Extra Credits, 2012; Video game designer, n.d.; How to become a pro video game designer, n.d.). The more tools you have, the more invaluable you will be a company (How to become a pro video game designer, n.d.). Sound overwhelming? It is. But keep in mind, you don’t have to learn everything at once. So why not start learning about one or two new things now? Try a new hobby that sounds fascinating to you! Extra Credits mentions learning a new instrument or understanding art ()— but you can also try programming (*cough cough* CodeChangers can help you with that), acting, math, sound design… The possibilities are endless! Don’t wait until college to start learning things. Make a game plan and start now!

Game Design is a rewarding and competitive career. But you can do it! You don’t have to wait to start becoming a game designer. By working on a variety of skills, communication and collaboration with other people and being always willing to learn, you can start on your career path today!

Work Cited

Extra Credits. (2012, February 27). So you want to be a game designer - Career advice for making games - Extra Credits [Video file]. Retrieved fromhhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQvWMdWhFCc

How to become a pro video game designer: Learn video game design the smart way. (n.d.). In Game Designing. Retrieved from https://www.gamedesigning.org/become-a-game-designer/

How to become a video game designer: Education and career roadmap. (2020, January). In Study.com. Retrieved from https://study.com/articles/How_to_Become_a_Video_Game_Designer_Education_and_Career_Roadmap.html

Video game designer. (n.d.). In Computer Science.org. Retrieved from https://www.computerscience.org/careers/video-game-designer/