Life As a Video Game Designer
Occupation 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.
Video Game Designer Responsibilities
- Provide feedback to designers and other colleagues regarding game design features.
- Prepare and revise initial game sketches using two- and three-dimensional graphical design software.
- Develop and maintain design level documentation, including mechanics, guidelines, and mission outlines.
- Review or evaluate competitive products, film, music, television, and other art forms to generate new game design ideas.
- Collaborate with artists to achieve appropriate visual style.
- 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.
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Video Game Designer Required Skills
These are the skills Video Game Designers say are the most useful in their careers:
Programming: Writing computer programs for various purposes.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Types of Video Game Designer Jobs
- Mid Level Game Designer
- Game Designer/Creative Director
- Senior Gamemaster
- World Designer
- Design Director
Job Demand for Video Game Designers
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 287,200 jobs in the United States for Video Game Designer. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 9.3% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 26,600 new jobs for Video Game Designer by 2026. There will be an estimated 22,400 positions for Video Game Designer per year.
The states with the most job growth for Video Game Designer are Washington, Utah, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in Alaska, Maryland, or Mississippi. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Video Game Designer Average Salary
The average yearly salary of a Video Game Designer ranges between $47,350 and $144,820.
Video Game Designers who work in District of Columbia, Maryland, or New Hampshire, make the highest salaries.
How much do Video Game Designers make in different U.S. states?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $87,060 |
| Alaska | $98,830 |
| Arizona | $85,010 |
| Arkansas | $73,670 |
| California | $103,270 |
| Colorado | $102,470 |
| Connecticut | $100,340 |
| District of Columbia | $117,540 |
| Florida | $78,900 |
| Georgia | $90,140 |
| Hawaii | $89,960 |
| Idaho | $80,610 |
| Indiana | $79,310 |
| Iowa | $78,810 |
| Kansas | $79,300 |
| Kentucky | $79,420 |
| Louisiana | $66,600 |
| Maine | $79,790 |
| Maryland | $113,330 |
| Massachusetts | $92,110 |
| Michigan | $76,400 |
| Minnesota | $81,650 |
| Mississippi | $81,280 |
| Missouri | $82,610 |
| Montana | $68,430 |
| Nebraska | $86,230 |
| Nevada | $72,610 |
| New Hampshire | $112,440 |
| New Jersey | $99,210 |
| New Mexico | $79,540 |
| New York | $90,750 |
| North Carolina | $88,650 |
| North Dakota | $70,730 |
| Ohio | $82,440 |
| Oklahoma | $78,490 |
| Oregon | $79,610 |
| Pennsylvania | $87,040 |
| Rhode Island | $81,290 |
| South Carolina | $92,100 |
| South Dakota | $81,250 |
| Tennessee | $74,000 |
| Texas | $90,290 |
| Utah | $76,890 |
| Vermont | $72,220 |
| Virginia | $105,270 |
| Washington | $91,620 |
| West Virginia | $83,660 |
| Wisconsin | $74,600 |
| Wyoming | $75,780 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Video Game Designers
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Video Game Designers:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Hypertext markup language HTML
- JavaScript
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Python
- MySQL
- Microsoft Project
- Microsoft Visio
- Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
- Structured query language SQL
- Linux
- Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator
- Extensible markup language XML
- PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor
- C
- Practical extraction and reporting language Perl
- Blackboard
Becoming a Video Game Designer
Education needed to be a Video Game Designer:
How many years of work experience do I need?
Where Video Game Designers Work
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
References:
Image Credit: Intel Free Press via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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