What Does a Game Developer Do?

Level design, character animation, gameplay mechanics — these are just a sampling of the many important responsibilities of a game developer.

As a game developer, you could do it all — or you might zero in on a specific aspect of a game’s design, artistic feel or technical functionality. It really depends on your personal preferences and the size of your game studio.

What Are the Duties of a Game Developer?

Your duties depend on your role in game development.

“Game developer is a broad term," said David Carrigg, an assistant professor of game and simulation programming at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). “The largest roles in the industry, or at least those focused on developing the actual video games, are artists, designers and programmers.”

Here’s what you might expect in each area:

Game Art

Game artists are responsible for a game’s look. Their work, according to Carrigg, includes overseeing and developing visuals.

This may include:

• Character animation and rigging
• Character and creature design
• Vehicle and weapon design

Game Design

Game designers often take the lead in the early stages of game development, according to Brandon Crose, an assistant professor of game design and coordinator of game and interactive technologies at SNHU.

Crose shared some examples of what a game designer is responsible for:

• Core concept and narrative
• Gameplay systems
• Level design
• Playtests and collecting feedback
• What it “feels” like when a character runs, jumps or shoots

“They may do one thing really well, or a little bit of everything,” said Crose, who teaches game and narrative design. It all depends on the size of the team.

Read more: What Does a Game Designer Do?

Game Programming

Game programming brings a game’s design and visuals together. “Programmers add the logic to make the game function and react to player input,” Carrigg said.

Specifically, game programming responsibilities may include:

• Game engine development
• Interactive gameplay mechanics
• Scripting and coding
• System logic

Carrigg fell in love with programming in high school, when he realized he could pair it with his lifelong interest in games. As a game developer, he’s worked as a gameplay engineer for massively multiplayer online (MMO) games — and as an indie developer, consultant and studio founder.

What Skills Do You Need to Be a Game Developer?

The technical skills you'll need as a game developer will depend on your chosen specialty within the field. For example:

• Game artist skills: 3D modeling and digital sculpting, visual storytelling, texturing techniques and more
• Game designer skills: Creative writing, interactive storytelling, world-building, project management and more
• Game programmer skills: Scripting, algorithmic thinking, engine architecture, gameplay systems design and more

“Just like playing a sport, it takes hard work and a lot of practice to reach an expert level, and developing video games is no different,” Carrigg said.

That practice means building lots of games.

“When you finish one, move onto the next,” Carrigg said. “Start small, and keep challenging yourself to make more and more complex games.”

Communication and Collaboration in Game Development

Regardless of the technical skills you build for your area of game development, Carrigg noted that strong communication is a must in the gaming industry. That’s because there are often different types of developers involved in a single project.

Carrigg, who has spent much of his career on programming and other technical components of game development, shared just how interdependent the roles are.

“I like to tell people that I can make neat interactions and worlds you can run around in, but those worlds will be made up of grey cubes or mostly boring-looking art,” he said. “Artists can make really wonderful-looking characters and environments, but they won't interact or have any functionality without a programmer.”

Understanding your greatest skills as a game developer is also important when it comes time to apply for jobs in the field. Carrigg recommends having mentors for this very reason. They can help you identify your differentiators, which can, in turn, help you make your application stand out.

What Education is Required to Be a Video Game Developer?

Because the field of game development involves many different types of backgrounds, there’s not one specific type of education needed to become a video game developer. But many will choose to earn a bachelor’s degree.

“Most people working on video games have a four-year degree in the discipline they are involved with,” Carrigg said. “Without that, it can be incredibly hard to get started in the video game industry.”

At SNHU, you can earn a bachelor’s degree in game design and development — and select a concentration that aligns with the industry’s three primary roles: game art, design and programming.

You’ll find that job descriptions will also look for certain experiences — which might feel like a catch-22 if you’re just starting, Carrigg noted.

But if you’re earning a game development degree, you can start building your portfolio before you even get your diploma. SNHU’s recently redeveloped degree program includes studio courses that bring game art, design and programming students together in small groups to concept games, create prototypes and iterate until they have a playable video game.

“Anyone hiring a position within the game industry will be looking at what games you have previously developed, including how complex they are, their style and your personal contributions to those projects,” Carrigg said. By successfully completing a studio course, you can also highlight your technical skills — and that you know how to collaborate with other game developers.

Will Game Development Be Replaced by AI?

The simple answer is no; game development will not be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI). It is changing the way the work is done, though, according to Carrigg.

"I don't think it's something to be nervous about, but rather it's something to embrace,” he said. “Artificial intelligence is becoming integrated in our workflows more and more, enabling us to produce better games in a variety of ways.”

Video game developers have always been at the forefront of technological changes, according to Carrigg. In particular, he highlighted their involvement in advancing:

• Autonomous vehicles
• Cutting-edge visualizations
• Drone technology
• Real-time AI algorithms
• Virtual and augmented reality

“The technology we use in game development is now being used across many industries,” Carrigg said. This means you’re not limited to the gaming industry. You could cast a wider net.

In particular, he recommends looking at careers in the following industries:

• Architecture visualization and construction
• Automotive and aerospace
• Healthcare
• Mobile application
• Transportation and manufacturing

“I have friends in the game industry who have helped create feature-length films, museum exhibits as well as interactive store displays,” said Carrigg, who has also consulted on an autonomous delivery vehicle for a well-known package delivery company.

What he said keeps him excited about the field of game development is the advancements of technology and the ways in which game developers can apply it to their work.

Rebecca LeBoeuf Blanchette '18 '22G is a writer at Southern New Hampshire University, where she fulfills her love of learning daily through conversations with professionals across a range of fields. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a minor in Professional Writing at SNHU’s campus in Manchester, New Hampshire, and followed her love of storytelling into the online Master of Arts in English and Creative Writing at SNHU. Connect with her on LinkedIn.