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Games Designer

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Primary Secondary Post-16

Being a Games Designer is a super exciting job for someone who loves video games and has a big imagination! As a Games Designer, you are like the architect of a game. You come up with the big ideas for what the game will be about, how it will look and feel, and most importantly, how it will be played. This means thinking about everything from the storyline and characters to the rules, challenges, and rewards that players will experience. You might draw sketches, write documents, and even create basic versions of the game to test your ideas. You'll work closely with a team of artists, programmers, and sound designers to bring your vision to life. It involves a lot of creativity, problem-solving, and communication to make sure everyone understands the game's direction. You'll need to think about what makes games fun, fair, and engaging for players, and constantly try out new ideas to see what works best. It's a challenging but incredibly rewarding career where you get to turn your passion for games into a real job!

Games Designer

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📊 Statistics

Average Starting Salary

A new Games Designer in the UK might expect to earn around 20,000 to 25,000 pounds per year, though this can vary depending on the company and location.

Experienced Salary Range

With a few years of experience, a Games Designer could earn between 30,000 and 50,000 pounds annually. Senior designers or leads can earn upwards of 60,000 pounds or more.

Number of UK Gaming Companies

The UK is a big player in the gaming world, with over 2,000 active video game development companies. This means there are many places where Games Designers can find work.

🚀 Careers in this path

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Level Designer

Imagine building all the cool worlds and stages within a game. A Level Designer creates the maps, challenges, and puzzles, making sure they are fun and exciting to play through. You'd think about where obstacles go, how players move, and what secrets they might find.

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Game Artist

If you love drawing and making things look amazing, a Game Artist might be for you! They create all the characters, environments, and objects you see in a game, from a mighty dragon to a tiny tree. This could involve drawing concepts or building 3D models.

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Game Tester

Playing games all day and finding problems sounds like a dream, right? A Game Tester's job is to play games over and over again to find any 'bugs' or glitches that make the game not work properly. They also give feedback on whether the game is fun and fair.

Build Your Skills & Knowledge

Play and Analyse Games

Play lots of different types of video games and really think about what makes them fun, challenging, or even boring. What makes you want to keep playing? What would you change?

This isn't just about having fun; it's about learning! Pay attention to the rules, the story, the characters, and how players interact with the game. Think about the 'game mechanics' – how things actually work in the game. What makes certain levels harder or easier? What kind of rewards do players get? This will help you understand game design principles from a player's perspective.

Get Creative with Your Own Ideas

Start inventing your own game ideas. You don't need to build them yet! Just draw pictures, write stories, or even make up board games with your friends.

Grab a notebook or use a computer program to jot down your ideas. Think about different genres – adventure, puzzle, role-playing. Who are the characters? What is the main goal? What challenges will players face? Creating simple board games or card games can be a great way to practise designing rules and balancing gameplay without needing any coding skills.

Learn About Technology

Get comfortable with computers and maybe try some simple coding or learn how to use art programs. This will help you understand how games are actually made.

There are lots of free online tutorials for learning basic coding languages like Python, which is a great starting point. You could also explore game development software like Scratch, Roblox Studio, or even simple 3D modelling tools. Understanding how these tools work gives you a big advantage, even if you won't be doing all the coding or art yourself, as you'll be working with people who do.

Education and Early Experience

Choose Relevant School Subjects

In secondary school, focus on subjects like Maths, English, Art & Design, Computing, and possibly Media Studies. These will build important skills.

Maths is crucial for understanding game logic and physics. English helps with storytelling and communication. Art & Design develops your visual creativity. Computing teaches you about software and programming. Media Studies can help you understand how different forms of media engage audiences. Choosing a good mix of these subjects will give you a well-rounded foundation for game design.

Explore Further Education Options

After school, you could look into university courses like 'Game Design', 'Game Development', 'Computer Science', or 'Animation' at a college or university.

Many universities in the UK offer specialised degrees in game design, which can provide in-depth knowledge of game mechanics, level design, storytelling, and industry tools. Alternatively, a Computer Science degree gives you a strong technical background, while an Animation degree could hone your visual design skills. Research different courses to see which best fits your interests and desired focus within game design.

Start Making Your Own Small Games

Using free game engines like Unity or Unreal Engine, try to make simple games on your own or with friends. This is your 'portfolio' in the making!

These game engines are used by professional studios and have tons of free tutorials online. Start with very simple projects, like a basic platformer or a puzzle game. Don't worry if they're not perfect! The goal is to learn the process, understand how game components fit together, and have something to show future employers that demonstrates your passion and skills.

Entering the Games Industry

Build a Strong Portfolio

Create a collection of your best game ideas, designs, and playable demos. This shows what you can do!

Your portfolio is like your creative CV. It should include documentation for game ideas (design documents, character sketches, level layouts), and ideally, playable demos of games you've worked on. Even if they're small, well-finished projects show initiative and skill. Explain your design choices and what you learned from each project. Make sure it's easy to access online.

Network and Get Experience

Go to game development events, meet people who work in the industry, and look for internships or volunteer roles at game studios.

Attending game jams (events where people make games in a short time) is a great way to meet like-minded people and quickly build projects. Look for local or online game development communities. Many studios offer internships, which are brilliant for getting real-world experience and making contacts. Even if it's unpaid at first, the experience is invaluable for your CV.

Apply for Junior Designer Roles

Start applying for entry-level positions like 'Junior Game Designer' or 'Level Designer' at game development companies.

When applying, tailor your CV and cover letter to each specific role, highlighting how your skills and portfolio projects match what they're looking for. Be prepared to talk passionately about games and your design philosophies in interviews. Show them your enthusiasm and your ability to work as part of a team. Starting in a junior role is normal, and it's how you gain valuable professional experience and climb the career ladder.

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🎯 View Apprenticeships

Explore relevant apprenticeships that can help you kickstart your career in Games Designer. Apprenticeships offer hands-on experience and training while earning a wage.

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Career Progressions

This page showcases various career options and the pathways to reach them. Each career listed here shares transferable skills and knowledge, making it easier for individuals to transition between them.

Your current career is highlighted to help you see how it fits into the broader landscape of potential career choices. By clicking on any career, you can learn more about it, including the training and education required to pursue it.

Remember, progressing in your career often involves further learning and training. This page provides insights into future career options as well as those that can lead up to your current one.

These career progression decisions are informed by comparing the skills and knowledge needed for different occupations, along with data on how people move between them. Explore the possibilities and discover the exciting journey ahead in your career!

Sample Qualifications

A Games Designer's primary role involves conceptualising, designing, and often implementing game mechanics, levels, characters, and storylines. This aligns directly with the duties of a Computer Games Developer, who is responsible for the overall creation and development of video games, encompassing design aspects.

How to become

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role

University

You could do a foundation degree or degree in:

  • computer games design
  • computer games development
  • computer science
  • interactive media
  • mathematics

If you'd like a job that includes game design as well as programming, you could do a foundation degree or degree in a subject like animation or graphic design.

You may have an advantage when you look for work if you do a degree that includes a work placement.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • at least 1 A level, or equivalent, for a foundation degree
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

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College

You could do a college course before moving on to a higher level qualification. It may help you to get a trainee position with a development company.

Courses include:

  • computing
  • creative media and games development
  • T Level in Digital Software Development

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

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Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Higher Apprenticeship to get into this career, such as:

  • Software Developer Level 4
  • Junior VFX Artist or Assistant Technical Director Level 4
  • Game Programmer Level 7 - postgraduate level

Foundation apprenticeship

You may be able to start in a junior or assistant developer role by doing a Software and Data Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship.

You can apply for a foundation apprenticeship if you're aged 16 to 21.

If you're aged 22 to 24, you can apply if you:

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • no specific qualifications or experience to apply for a foundation apprenticeship
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

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Work

You could start with a company as a games tester if you play a lot of games.

You'll usually need a computing qualification or some relevant work experience. Employers will also be interested in your talent and creative ideas.

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Career tips

You can create a portfolio of work or online demo to highlight your skills to potential employers.

You can get information on how to start creating your own games from Into Games.

You can also search for games companies and educational institutions, offering courses in digital gaming, on the UK Interactive Entertainment (UKIE) games map.

Further information

You can get more advice about working in games development from ScreenSkills and Into Games.

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