Learn about the essential requirements, obligations, responsibilities, and skills that are helpful in a game designer job description.
The gaming industry has evolved significantly in the past three decades. Game designers are the brains behind the story, special effects, characters, and logistics of video games. They’re responsible for everything from project management to programming, making this a very versatile career. In some studios, the position can be separated into two, a Level designer or a Systems designer.
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Game Designer Job Description Template
Our company is looking for a game designer to work to develop new concepts for games and handle the logistics of the game-creation process. Other job responsibilities include writing scripts, programming, coding, designing the user experience and interface, and monitor the quality of the game.
You must be willing to think creatively and bring your imagination to the table to create interesting backstories for game characters and build worlds. Aside from experience, having a passion for game design is a big part of succeeding in this job. Other ways to succeed are to have strong computer programming skills, be able to work collaboratively with others, and be comfortable handling multiple tasks at once.
Game Designer Responsibilities
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Conceptualize new ideas for games, including the settings, characters, and overall plot
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Stay up-to-date on the gaming industry trends
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Oversee other members of the game design team
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Conducting quality control analyses on new and upcoming games
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Present new concepts for games to leadership by creating mockups, design outlines, or prototypes
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Create an engaging player experience by collaborating with UI and UX designers
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Enhancing game controls
Game Designer Requirements
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Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, computer science, software engineering, or a related field
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Experience in gaming, with a portfolio that reflects it
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Proficiency in various relevant programming languages
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Experience in data management, UX design, graphic design, or software development is a bonus
Game Designer Duties And Responsibilities
Let’s take a further look at the duties and responsibilities of a game designer.
Conceptualize new ideas for games, including the settings, characters, and overall plot
Lots of factors go into designing a game, including creating the rules, characters, and adventures involved in overall plot. Game designers use their creative skills to brainstorm different ideas for new games. This is one of their main responsibilities so that they will lean heavily on experience – either professional or personal – to excel at it.
Stay up-to-date on the gaming industry trends
The gaming industry is constantly evolving based on new technology. Virtual reality and artificial intelligence are driving the current market and are predicted to give game designers the ability to create much more in-depth games. Successful game designers will regularly stay on top of the latest trends.
Conducting quality control analyses on new and upcoming games
Ensuring games work correctly is just as important as creating them. Game designers are responsible for regularly analyzing existing games for bugs and conducting a quality control analysis on new games before they’re released. Having experience with computer program analysis programs, data management, and evaluations is helpful for this duty.
Present new game concepts to leadership by creating mockups, design outlines, or prototypes
Game designers, like many other creative professionals, usually work with multiple projects at once. Before an idea for a game can proceed to the design phase, a game designer must present it to leadership. Creating game examples helps them understand the logistics and determine whether or not it will succeed.
Related: Highest Paying Tech Jobs
Create an engaging player experience by collaborating with UI and UX designers
Before becoming game designers, many professionals started out as hobbyists. They’re used to paying close attention to what works and doesn’t work for a player’s experience. Using this knowledge, game designers work with UI and UX designers to perfect a game’s user face.
Game Designer Salary And Job Outlook
Median National Salary: $104,086
Education Required: Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, computer science, software engineering, or a related field
Number of Jobs (Software Developers): 1,425,900
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: The gaming industry had a yearly revenue growth of 15.4% in 2020 and is expected to continue to grow.
The Bottom Line
As the tech industry continues to evolve, being a game designer is becoming a more lucrative career now than ever. With a high annual salary and the ability to be creative, game designers are at the front of developing new video games that will be enjoyed worldwide.
To see where employers are searching for candidates, check our list of the best free job posting sites. If you want to add a game designer to your team, post your game designer job description on ZipRecruiter today!
