Game developers are the masterminds behind the captivating digital worlds that many of us spend hours in. While game designers are more focused on managing the creative elements, developers play an important role in bringing these worlds to life.
If you're a fan of video games and have ever wondered how they're made, becoming a game developer might be the perfect career path for you. But the job itself is not as simple as you might think. Game developers often face many challenges, and like most other occupations, it's important for developers to regularly invest in upskilling themselves.
What Is a Game Developer?
Game developers are responsible for creating video games from conception through completion. This includes concept design, coding, testing, and debugging. Developing a game is a collaborative effort between multiple teams, including graphic designers, animators, sound designers, testers, and programmers. This means that there is often an entire team of people working together to create a single game.
As you can imagine, developers must have excellent problem-solving skills, as they need to troubleshoot any issues that arise during the development process. They also need good communication skills because they will be working closely with other members of their team throughout the process. It is important for them to be able to clearly articulate their ideas and solutions so that everyone can work together effectively.
There have been many instances in the past where game developers have botched their own games, sometimes due to overpromising, and in most cases, due to releasing an unfinished game. Needless to say, apart from hard skills, game developers also need to excel at soft skills.
How Do You Become a Game Developer?
The first step towards becoming a game developer is getting an education in computer science or software engineering. Most employers prefer applicants who have at least a bachelor’s degree in one of these fields, but some will accept experience instead if you already have knowledge of coding languages such as C++ or Java.
Once you have an understanding of common programming languages, the next logical step is to look for an internship at different studios. You can also apply for entry-level jobs to gain some hands-on experience and slowly work your way up.
Keep in mind that when you're starting off, you may have to work in different departments. For instance, some developers are responsible for coding the game world, while other teams focus more on mechanics or in-game interactions. There are often dedicated teams responsible for debugging and troubleshooting.
It is also important for aspiring game developers to familiarize themselves with popular game engines such as Unity or Unreal Engine 5 so that they can effectively build games using these tools. For those who don't know, Unreal Engine is an integrated graphics game engine that's used for building game worlds. There are quite a few websites where developers can find free Unreal Engine 5 assets, too.
Game Developers vs. Game Designers
If you're just starting your career in building indie games, there's a chance that you'll end up doing the work of both the game designer and the developer. However, in larger game studios, there's a stark difference between the work done by the game designers, the developers, animators, and modelers.
As mentioned above, a game developer is responsible for turning an idea into reality. They work with code to create the actual gameplay, graphics, music, sound effects, and other elements that make up the actual game.
They're also responsible for troubleshooting and fixing any bugs in games, too. In the past several years, game development as a whole has come a long way. Now, we have games being offered as a service, which means developers have to regularly monitor new bugs and issue patches and updates regularly.
The Roles and Responsibilities of Game Designers
If you're planning on becoming a video game designer, it's important to note that their roles are quite different. A game designer is responsible for developing the idea behind the video game from the concept level through completion.
This includes designing characters, levels, storylines, and challenges within the game itself, as well as determining how players interact with one another while playing online multiplayer games. This can mean anything from writing the narrative and designing levels, to creating characters and crafting puzzles. A game designer might also do some programming—but this isn't their main focus.
They must be creative problem solvers who can think outside the box while still keeping in mind how their ideas will affect the user experience during playtime. Additionally, they need excellent communication skills so that they can efficiently collaborate with other members of the development team, such as artists or programmers, who will help them bring their ideas to life on screen.
What Skills Do You Need to Become a Game Developer?
Game developers need to start by learning different programming languages. Some popular languages that game developers should know include:
- Python
- Lua
- C#
- Swift
- JavaScript
Experience with popular game engines like Unreal Engine 5, Ren'Py, Godot, Unity, or others might also be necessary for professional growth. Certain studios have their own game engines, like Frostbite, which was developed by DICE, a studio owned by EA.
Apart from improving your skills when working with game engines, as a developer, you also need to learn about middleware. For instance, one of the most popular middleware software suites used today is Havok, which is essentially required for adding physics and movement in popular video games.
Other popular middleware software suites that game developers might have to learn include PhysX, BeamNG, or Box2D. And, apart from hard skills, game developers also need soft skills.
Communication and teamwork are incredibly important in the game development community, especially because developers often work with tight deadlines and as part of larger teams. As a result, it's important to have a decent mix of both hard and soft skills to succeed as a game developer.
Starting Your Journey as a Game Developer
A career in game development can be highly rewarding both financially and creatively, but it’s not without its challenges; there will always be obstacles that need to be overcome along the way, but with hard work and dedication, you can become successful in this field.
If you’re considering pursuing this type of career path, then now is the time to start building your skillset by getting educated, gaining experience through internships or freelancing gigs, staying up-to-date on industry trends, and networking with other professionals in your field.
You might also want to start exploring different game engines. JavaScript game engines, for instance, are great for some indie development and can help you take your first steps in this industry.