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.

  • 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.
  • Provide test specifications to quality assurance staff.
  • Create gameplay test plans for internal and external test groups.
Work Context
  • Electronic Mail — 96% responded "Every day".
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 91% responded "Every day".
  • Face-to-Face Discussions — 91% responded "Every day".
  • Work With Work Group or Team — 77% responded "Extremely important".
  • Spend Time Sitting — 72% responded "Continually or almost continually".
  • Contact With Others — 58% responded "Constant contact with others".
  • Level of Competition — 48% responded "Highly competitive".
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Work Activities
  • Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
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Detailed Work Activities
  • Analyze market or customer related data.
  • Communicate project information to others.
  • Update knowledge about emerging industry or technology trends.
  • Develop testing routines or procedures.
  • Communicate project information to others.
  • Design video game features or details.
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Knowledge

Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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Skills

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.
Reading Comprehension
  • Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Critical Thinking
  • Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
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Abilities

Originality
  • The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Originality
  • The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Fluency of Ideas
  • The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Near Vision
  • The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
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Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Achievement/Effort
  • Persistence
  • Initiative
  • Leadership
  • Cooperation
  • Concern for Others
  • Social Orientation
  • Self Control
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Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Data base user interface and query software
  • Structured query language SQL Hot Technology
  • Microsoft SQL Server Hot Technology
  • Blackboard software
Web platform development software
  • Hypertext markup language HTML Hot Technology
  • JavaScript Hot Technology
  • PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor Hot Technology
  • Ruby on Rails Hot Technology
Operating system software
  • Linux Hot Technology
  • Job control language JCL
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Education

Get started on your career:

Job Outlook

New job opportunities are very likely in the future.
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