What Does A Video Game Designer Do (including Their Typical Day at Work)

Stan T.Career, Overview

Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

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.

Salary
$114270
Becoming One
Hard
Education
Bachelor's degree
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth

Personality
Interest Match


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

High

Is this job meaningful

Low

70% said they were satisfied with their job and 46% said they found their job meaningful.


Greg Allen
Kodable

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

$114270 per year

Average hourly wage

$55 per hour

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

What is the work day like

Working hours

Less than 40 hours
0%

40 hours
10%

More than 40 hours
90%

Working schedule

57%

43%

0%

Email

How often do you use email in this job?

Once a week
5%

Every day
95%

Telephone

How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

Once a week
38%

Every day
14%

Group discussions

How often do you have group discussions in this job?

Once a week
5%

Every day
90%

Public speaking

How often does this job require you to do public speaking?

Never
10%

Once a year
45%

Once a month
40%

Once a week
5%

Every day
0%

Level of competition

How much competitive pressure is in this job?

Not competitive at all
0%

Slightly competitive
5%

Moderately competitive
5%

Highly competitive
48%

Extremely competitive
43%

What is the work environment like

Office-style environment

Indoors in an environmentally controlled condition

Never
0%

Once a year or more
0%

Once a month or more
5%

Once a week or more
5%

Every day
90%

Warehouse-style environment

Indoors in a non-controlled environmental condition such as a warehouse

Never
86%

Once a year or more
14%

Once a month or more
0%

Once a week or more
0%

Every day
0%

Outdoors

Outdoors exposed to all weather conditions

Never
95%

Once a year or more
5%

Once a month or more
0%

Once a week or more
0%

Every day
0%

Outdoors – Under Cover

Outdoors but under cover (e.g. structure with roof but no walls)

Never
90%

Once a year or more
10%

Once a month or more
0%

Once a week or more
0%

Every day
0%

How to become one

Difficulty to become one

Hard
You will need a considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience. Careers in this difficulty category usually require a Bachelor’s degree and several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training. Similar careers include Database Administrators, Chemists, Art Directors, and Accountants.

Required level of education

What level of education do you need to perform the job?

Less than a High School Diploma
5%

High School Diploma or equivalent
5%

Post-Secondary Certificate
0%

Some College Courses
10%

Associate’s Degree or similar
19%

Bachelor’s Degree
57%

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
5%

Master’s Degree
0%

Post-Master’s Certificate
0%

First Professional Degree
0%

Doctoral Degree
0%

Post-Doctoral Training
0%

Relevant majors

No majors found

Relevant work experience

How much related work experience do you need to get hired for the job?

None
10%

1 month
0%

1 to 3 months
0%

3 to 6 months
0%

6 months to 1 year
14%

1 to 2 years
14%

2 to 4 years
43%

4 to 6 years
10%

6 to 8 years
10%

8 to 10 years
0%

Over 10 years
0%

On The Job Training

How much on the job training do you need to perform the job?

None or short demonstration
29%

1 month
19%

1 to 3 months
19%

3 to 6 months
10%

6 months to 1 year
14%

1 to 2 years
0%

2 to 4 years
10%

4 to 10 years
0%

Over 10 years
0%

Should you become one

Best personality type for this career

The Artist

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.

The Builder
29%

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.


The Thinker
43%

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.


The Artist
86%

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.


The Helper
24%

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.


The Leader
67%

People with The Leader personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.


The Organizer
48%

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?

Achievement
86%

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.

Working Conditions
74%

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.

Recognition
62%

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.

Relationships
43%

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.

Support
52%

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.

Independence
86%

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.

FAQ


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