How to Become a Game Designer

If you watch GMTK, you might be inspired to turn your passion for game design into an actual career. In this video, I've gathered advice from dozens of designers from around the world to help you land a job in the games industry.

=== Sources and Resources ===

Sources

Design Tests and What to Expect from Them | GDC on YouTube

Additional Resources

From Student to Designer | Liz England

Interviewing For Game Design | GDC on YouTube

How to Prepare Yourself to be Employed as a Junior Games Designer | Staffs Games on YouTube

=== Support GMTK ===

Use Creator Tag "GMTOOLKIT" when buying on Epic Game Store

=== Credits ===

Original footage by Mind The Film

Games Design at Middlesex University | Middlesex University

== Translation ==

[AlbertoNeurohr]

My best advice for any aspiring game designer: If you think being "the idea guy" is enough, you'll never make it. Everyone has great ideas. What makes great games is the people willing to bring their great ideas to life through hard work and dedication. Learn to code, learn to draw, learn to write compelling stories. Learn all of it. Do it. Don't tell yourself "Oh I'm not good at that". Nobody's born an artist, a coder, or a writer. You become one. Get on it.

[VideoGameAnimationStudy]

The pixel-art animation you've done in this video to demonstrate points is just another reason why your videos are always next-level.

[suakeli]

One tip to game designer interviews: Go the extra mile.

I was asked to create new game mechanics about X in a Zoom meeting. I wasn't satisfied with my answers and kept thinking "I should have said this and that instead". Instead of feeling sorry for myself I took initiative and sent a follow-up e-mail: "Here are some additional ideas that I would send to a design partner later on (if this was a real task)". This gave me a few precious days to iterate my ideas and shape my thoughts into a more coherent form. It also shows that you're proactive and interested in the position. The CEO replied that he really liked my additional ideas and I got the job which starts next week.

Note: Only send a follow-up message if it genuinely brings something new to the table. A follow-up message that only remixes your previous ideas or even worse, apologizes or makes excuses about the previous interview can be counterproductive.

[MichalDokupil]

I work as s QA Manager for a few years now and I can surely say, that testers almost never leave our company. They often know so much about the games they work on, their opinions become invaluable during the design of new features. There are some, who stay at the QA department as they enjoy the craft. Others reach such a level of knowledge, that they feel the need to express themselves, they join the design teams and improve the games even further. As a manager, I always find it exciting, when someones steps up and wants to use their skills this way. They are always given the opportunity to shine and I am given new CV's :) But honestly, I've never complained, because now they're making the games/company better. And they're happy.

[KyleJMitchell]

"Unfortunately, I'm not really equipped to answer this question." Mark, the fact that you're so well-equipped to _ask_ the right questions is why you and your channel help so many people. Seriously, thank you so much for everything.

[artemisDev]

One day in rockstar games
Sergei:"Scott you gotta program the horse balls today"

[codinginflow]

"You need interpersonal skills like communication"
Me: *starts sweating profusely*

[daRealAlexCline]

If you're thinking about going to school to learn game design:

In my experience, the diploma you get isn't as important as what you do while you're there.

The people you meet (both professors and peers), the things you learn (both design-related and not), and the projects you make (again, both design-related and not) are what you get out of it. Uni help facilitates that process of meeting others and creating projects.
That's why I choose to go to Uni for game design, but it's not for everyone.
Plus if you're in the US like me, there's a large price tag next to that experience.

[VenusAsAFormerBoy]

I don't even want to be a game designer but the part about interviews stressed me out anyway lol

[Hanokaze]

As a Level Designer (who has taken several different positions) in a large studio, I have some input to give.

If you want to work at a larger studio, keep in mind that you will have less input on the work you do. The larger the studio, the more cooks involved in the same pot.

Consider how important it is to you that you have control over what you do. If you don't mind changing your work repeatedly on other people's whims, then you'll definitely be more comfortable in a large studio than someone who likes to have more complete control over their work.

[Ryuuz]

Yep, can confirm. After finishing a university where I studied Computer Science I took some online courses of Unity what allowed me to create a few simple games, I then took a job as a QA in the local studio near me and now, three years later I am a Lead Designer on a multiplayer FPS game.

[Elca_Gaming]

Thanks for including Dreams.

It's imo the most straight forward tool to learn Gamedesign. It teaches working with a team on a vision and how important it is to consider every part of a Game.

It's amazing for greyboxing too and testing out styles for Levels.

[XinHun]

I've recently finished my education as a game designer and landed a job in the industry and I can confirm Mark is entirely correct in this video. Game design isn't easy, but it is incredibly rewarding to see the work you've designed be brought to life.






(HEY MARK I MADE A SUPER AKWARD SELFIE WITH YOU AT BREDA UNIVERSITY SOME YEARS BACK. GOOD MEMORIES)

[Manifusion]

As soon as I heard "Start with QA and get promoted." I immediate had PTSD of "How to no longer want to work in the game's industry."

[codinginflow]

What do you do for a living?
I'm a horse designer

[robgarrett]

Veteran designer here currently managing a team of 20 other designers. This is one of the most accurate summaries I've seen of both what the job is and what dev teams are looking for when evaluating candidates. Thanks for putting this together!

[feliscape]

1:04
And then theres the single-creator games, where the game designer does:
Programming
Level Design
Art
Gameplay Design
Soundtracks
Marketing
Just everything

[kevindahl-skog]

Game designer here, the first requirement is the most important requirement, you can't stress this enough. MAKE STUFF. If you want to BECOME a game designer then BE a game designer, make games, design them, share, fail, learn, keep going.

[TheIllegalGuy]

"What would happen if you remove an option from rock paper scissors"
It would become an incredibly bad game

Do you want to draw or lose?

[danielhadida]

Young people liking video games : "I want to be a game designer, I have tons of ideas for video games in my head !"
Video Games companies : "Let me introduce Microsoft Excel to you".