Whenever I check my Facebook and LinkedIn feeds, I congratulate friends on getting new jobs or looking to hire game developers. The industry is hot right now, and according to job data, there is a 12.5% Growth in the video game design field over the next ten years, according to the University of Connecticut Career Center Job Market Insights data. And I should know, I’ve consulted with O*NET on the Video Game Designer data shown here. Perhaps now is the time to learn game development with me?
Annual Earnings
Earnings figures are based on OES data from the BLS and include base rate, cost of living allowances, guaranteed pay, hazardous-duty pay, incentive pay (including commissions and bonuses), on-call pay, and tips.
- 90% of people in this career reported earnings higher than $34,515
- 75% of people in this career reported earnings higher than $48,769
- 50% of people in this career reported earnings higher than $69,790
- 25% of people in this career reported earnings higher than $100,225
- 10% of people in this career reported earnings higher than $142,066
Job Description
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.
Core tasks
- 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 game play.
- Guide design discussions between development teams.
- Develop and maintain design level documentation, including mechanics, guidelines, and mission outlines.
- Create and manage documentation, production schedules, prototyping goals, and communication plans in collaboration with production staff.
- Present new game design concepts to management and technical colleagues, including artists, animators, and programmers.
- Conduct regular design reviews throughout the game development process.
- Solicit, obtain, and integrate feedback from design and technical staff into original game design.
- Document all aspects of formal game design, using mock-up screenshots, sample menu layouts, gameplay flowcharts, and other graphical devices.
- Provide feedback to production staff regarding technical game qualities or adherence to original design.
- Prepare two-dimensional concept layouts or three-dimensional mock-ups.
- Consult with multiple stakeholders to define requirements and implement online features.
- Oversee gameplay testing to ensure intended gaming experience and game adherence to original vision.
- Keep abreast of game design technology and techniques, industry trends, or audience interests, reactions, and needs by reviewing current literature, talking with colleagues, participating in educational programs, attending meetings or workshops, or participating in professional organizations or conferences.
- Create gameplay prototypes for presentation to creative and technical staff and management.
- Write or supervise the writing of game text and dialogue.
- Collaborate with artists to achieve appropriate visual style.
- Determine supplementary virtual features, such as currency, item catalog, menu design, and audio direction.
- Review or evaluate competitive products, film, music, television, and other art forms to generate new game design ideas.
- Prepare and revise initial game sketches using two- and three-dimensional graphical design software.
Top Employers
These companies have jobs for Video Game Designers.
- Humana
- CyberCoders
- PricewaterhouseCoopers
- Randstad
- Bank of America
- Amazon
- Jobot
- Wells Fargo
- Tata Consultancy Services
- Electronic Arts
- Owens Corning
- JPMorgan Chase
- Citigroup
- Accenture
- Lingoda Gmbh
- Ernst & Young
- Indochino
- Directv
- Raytheon Technologies
Education Levels
Educational levels are provided by O*NET.
| Education Level | Percentage |
|---|---|
| A Bachelor’s degree | 61.9 |
| An Associate degree | 19.05 |
| A high school diploma or less | 9.52 |
| Some college | 9.52 |
Employment Trends
The number of jobs in Video Game Design for the past two years. Job counts include both employed and self-employed persons, and do not distinguish between full- and part-time jobs. Sources include Emsi industry data, staffing patterns, and OES data.
Over the next 10 years, employment demand is expected to change by +12.51% for Video Game Designers
Technical Skills
A list of hard skills associated with jobs in game design ordered by the number of unique job postings which ask for those skills.
- Agile Methodology
- Marketing
- Project Management
- Computer Science
- Scrum (Software Development)
- Automation
- New Product Development
- Workflow Management
- Game Design
- Process Improvement
- C++ (Programming Language)
- Finance
- Content Creation
- Adobe Photoshop
- Business Process
- SQL (Programming Language)
- Unity Engine
- Software Development
- Business Strategies
- Product Management
Core Competencies
The skills for jobs in the game industry. The “importance” is how relevant the ability is to the occupation: scale of 1-5. The “level” is the proficiency required by the occupation: scale of 0-100. Results are sorted by importance first, then level.
- Programming
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Time Management
- Active Learning
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Speaking
- Coordination
- Systems Analysis
- Writing
- Systems Evaluation
- Monitoring
- Social Perceptiveness
- Persuasion
- Learning Strategies
- Operations Analysis
- Instructing
- Management of Personnel Resources
Employment Titles
A list of jobs for all unique postings in a given career, sorted by frequency.
- Content Creators
- Game Designers
- Gameplay Engineers
- Environment Artists
- Concept Artists
- Technology Leads
- Lead Game Designers
- Video Content Creators
- Game Engineers
- Directors of Infrastructure
- Care Guides
- Heads of Technology
- Technology Solutions Managers
- Global Technology Managers
- Principal Program Managers
- Technology Product Managers
- Game Day Staff
- Portfolio Leads
- Technology Delivery Leads
- Franchise Coordinators
Data collected from UConn Career Insights page on 27.07.2022
This page includes information from the O*NET 25.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. uConnect in partnership with Emsi has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.