What I should Know

Everything starts with an idea or a concept. It might be a cool character, a story, or your vision of a game world. While game design might sound like something on the creative side, you also need to have some technical knowledge and background to communicate with your team effectively.

What Makes A Game----The main components of designing a game are:

1. Graphics-the visual presentation of the game

2. Game Mechanics-elements the player is actually engaged with in the game

3. Audio-the additional feedback. The Core of a game is the Game Mechanics.

Where do you begin when designing a game?

The Design Process: Anything can inspire a game: life, TV, Movies, emotions can inspire a game. All these things can inspire the elements in a game. Explore a lot of options. If it can work on paper, it can probably work on screen. Copying from the classics is a great way to learn. Drawings help visualize game play scenarios-making paper prototypes.

Game design is an art and science-play games so you get ideas and it helps to study other designer's methodsPatience -You will probably fail more times than you will succeed and that is normal. Learn from your design choices and Don't give up. Games are fun and awesome.

Career and Real World Application

Game Designer

Average Annual Salary: Approximately $68,000
Minimum Required Education: High school diploma, bachelor’s degree often preferred
Job Overview: These professionals oversee a game’s rules, storylines, gameplay, world-building and other functions. Video game designers apply creative skills to produce engaging games that are both fun and playable. They should be comfortable with game programming and visual communication.

Game Developer

Median Annual Salary: Approximately $78,800
Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree
Job Overview: Game developers write code to create video games for various platforms including computers, gaming systems and mobile devices. As a game developer, you might also test games to find and eradicate faults. Game developers should have skills in coding and system design, and they should work well in team settings. To learn more, see our guide on how to become a game developer.

Mobile App Designer

Median Annual Salary: Approximately $66,000
Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree
Job Overview: Mobile app designers create the stories and visual elements for mobile apps and games. Some app developers freelance for multiple clients, while others work for large technology corporations. Although mobile app designers can sometimes enter the field after completing a coding or game design bootcamp, many employers prefer candidates with game design degrees.

Character Designer

Median Annual Salary: Approximately $51,000
Minimum Required Education: High school diploma
Job Overview: Character designers work with digital gaming and media production companies to create and animate characters for games, television and film. Although this career does not require a specific degree, character designers usually have several years of experience designing characters or video games.

Special Effects Artist

Median Annual Salary: $98,950
Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree
Job Overview: Video game special effects artists incorporate effects and graphics into video games to make them appear more realistic and immersive. They work closely with other members of design and development teams, including storyboard artists and testers, to ensure that their artistry adheres to a game’s overall aesthetic, theme and goals.