Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz
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Video Game Designers
Video Game Designers design core features of video games. Specify innovative game and role-play mechanics, story lines, and character biographies. Create and maintain design documentation. Guide and collaborate with production staff to produce games as designed.
Table of contents
What they do
Video Game Designers design core features of video games. Specify innovative game and role-play mechanics, story lines, and character biographies. Create and maintain design documentation. Guide and collaborate with production staff to produce games as designed.
- Balance and adjust gameplay experiences to ensure the critical and commercial success of the product.
- Provide feedback to designers and other colleagues regarding game design features.
- Create core game features including storylines, role-play mechanics, and character biographies for a new video game or game franchise.
- Devise missions, challenges, or puzzles to be encountered in gameplay.
Typical day
On a daily basis, Video Game Designers guide design discussions between development teams. They balance and adjust gameplay experiences to ensure the critical and commercial success of the product.
A typical day for a Video Game Designer will also include:
- Solicit, obtain, and integrate feedback from design and technical staff into original game design.
- Create and manage documentation, production schedules, prototyping goals, and communication plans in collaboration with production staff.
- Provide feedback to designers and other colleagues regarding game design features.
- Provide feedback to production staff regarding technical game qualities or adherence to the original design.
- Consult with multiple stakeholders to define requirements and implement online features.
Other responsibilities
Besides their typical day, Video Game Designers also consult with multiple stakeholders to define requirements and implement online features. They may also prepare and revise initial game sketches using two- and three-dimensional graphical design software.
On a weekly to monthly basis, Video Game Designers provide test specifications to quality assurance staff. They might also document all aspects of formal game design, using mock-up screenshots, sample menu layouts, gameplay flowcharts, and other graphical devices.
In addition, they prepare two-dimensional concept layouts or three-dimensional mock-ups.
Although specific duties may vary, many of them determine supplementary virtual features, such as currency, item catalog, menu design, and audio direction.
To some Video Game Designers, it is also their responsibility to devise missions, challenges, or puzzles to be encountered in gameplay.
What is the job like
Job satisfaction
Is this job meaningful
70% said they were satisfied with their job and 46% said they found their job meaningful.
I am the Senior Game Artist at Kodable. When designing games, I have to be ready to throw everything I have at the idea one minute and throw it all away the next. Everything starts and stays rough for a while until we discuss as a team what approach we want to move forward with. There is no going into a corner for a week and coming back with the perfect plan or design. We have to animate simulated correct and incorrect trials, paper prototype, user test, and converse with the dev team to make sure what we’re doing is achievable by the due date. All of that, and of course, it needs to be engaging and intuitive to the user. Unlike illustration, where it’s just a static picture, games have a lot of layers, levels, and moving parts. This makes things complicated sometimes. For example, most of our characters are simple fuzzy round balls with pretty simple faces. But we needed a helper character that could emote and go to any area of the screen and point things out with actual arms and hands. The end result was a rigged 2D character with wings, eyelids, eyebrows, arms, hands, and a magic wand. Much more complex than our main characters, but it was easier to develop one special character than changing ALL of our Fuzz Family characters. Also much more friendly and inviting than the usual big white hand that does everything.
Pros
Suitable for people who like to work with designs.
Suitable for people who value achievements and are results-oriented.
This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.
Very high salary (top 25% highest paid careers).
Cons
Not suitable for people who like to help and teach others.
It is hard to get into this career. A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for this career.
Long working hours (More than 40 hours per week).
How much do they make
Average salary
Average hourly wage
Entry-level Video Game Designers with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $65,210 to $84,020 per year or $31 to $40 per hour.
| Salary by experience | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Highest (Top 10%) | $170,100 | $82 |
| Senior (Top 25%) | $140,470 | $68 |
| Median | $110,140 | $53 |
| Junior (Bottom 25%) | $84,020 | $40 |
| No experience (Bottom 10%) | $65,210 | $31 |
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What is the work day like
Working hours
Working schedule
How often do you use email in this job?
Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Group discussions
How often do you have group discussions in this job?
Public speaking
How often does this job require you to do public speaking?
Level of competition
How much competitive pressure is in this job?
What is the work environment like
Office-style environment
Indoors in an environmentally controlled condition
Warehouse-style environment
Indoors in a non-controlled environmental condition such as a warehouse
Outdoors
Outdoors exposed to all weather conditions
Outdoors – Under Cover
Outdoors but under cover (e.g. structure with roof but no walls)
How to become one
Difficulty to become one
Required level of education
What level of education do you need to perform the job?
Relevant majors
Relevant work experience
How much related work experience do you need to get hired for the job?
On The Job Training
How much on the job training do you need to perform the job?
Should you become one
Best personality type for this career
People with this personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.
People with The Builder personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
People with The Thinker personality likes to work with ideas that require an extensive amount of thinking. They prefer work that requires them to solve problems mentally.
People with The Artist personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.
People with The Helper personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.
People with The Leader personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.
People with The Organizer personality type likes to follow set procedures and routines. They prefer working with data and details more than with ideas.
You can read more about these career personality types here.
People who are suitable for this job tend to like working with forms, designs, and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
They also like starting up and carrying out projects. They like leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk-taking and often deal with business.
Take this quiz to see if this is the right career for you.
Work Values
Which values are the most important to a person’s satisfaction for this job?
You are someone who is results oriented. You prefer work that allows you to utilize your skills and abilities while at the same time giving you a sense of accomplishment.
You are someone who values job security, steady employment, and good working conditions. You also prefer work that keeps you busy all the time with something different to do every day.
You are someone who values job advancement and leadership roles. You prefer work that receives recognition for the work you do and jobs that are looked up to by others in the company and your community.
You are someone who likes to provide a service to others. You prefer a work environment where you can work with your co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.
You are someone who values a company that stands behind their employees. You prefer a work environment where everyone is treated fairly and is being supported by the company.
You are someone who likes to work on your own and make your own decisions. You prefer work that requires little supervision and are allowed to try out your own ideas.
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