What it takes to become a game designer

Are you interested in gaming and design? An obvious choice of career might be game design. The games we play, both analogue or digital, are designed in such a way that we often forget that they are constructed and thought out by humans just like ourselves. And it’s hard work. With the right mind set, you might have the chance to design the games of tomorrow.

Have you ever wondered about game design? It is fascinating how the games we play are design by actual people no different than you or me. It doesn’t matter if it is the same old game of Monopoly you play with your family, or when you turn on the PlayStation to roam the city of Los Santos in GTA V, it’s all designed by people with game design at heart.

What about becoming a part the industry yourself? Here you will get a quick guide to see if your personality fits the criteria of a typical game designer. There are certain skills and traits that are essential in game design, so if you can’t see yourself using your mind creatively for example, maybe it’s not an industry for you.

Be creative and have gaming at heart

Creativity is probably the key to understanding gaming. If you aren’t used to thinking creatively, there’s no chance that game design is for you. Games are thought out as creations. Obviously, they must be programmed as well, but the key to understanding design is creativity.

Games have a certain type of logic. If you’ve played a lot of them, you’ll get it right away. It’s important that you understand and enjoy the rules to play by. If you enjoy games or gaming yourself game design might be for you. If you don’t then you are advised to find a different pursuit in life.

Can you tell if a game is poorly designed? It is almost like the written language. If you have to drag the words out when you read a sentence, it is probably poorly written. If you don’t notice it, it is written well. The same applies for game design. As a game designer you need to be as unnoticeable as possible. If you can spot how to improve a game, you already have an advantage.