8 Top Jobs In Gamedev Explained. Get The Grasp Of What’s Out There Waiting For You

Top Jobs In Gamedev are vast and varied, yet mysterious to many. In this guide, we’ll demystify them, unveiling career opportunities just waiting for your skills and passion.

Game Design 

One of the top jobs in Gamedev is to become a video game designer. The main task for the person to work at this position is to come up with a concept, think of the mechanics, and figure out the whole system on how, what, and when all will work in a cohesive game. They are the ones that have planned the vision and structure of the game. You need to keep in mind that it is one of the most desired roles and the competition will be fierce. You’d need to have experience working in a gaming studio and be familiar with the gaming studio working pipeline. You may even have to gain some experience working in other roles.
Want to know more? Read the interview with a Video Game Designer

Art & Animation 

Artists and animators are people that create the content that comes alive. To succeed in this section you will need to have an artistic background (composition, layout, typography, color, and light), great eye for details. Concept artist jobs are one of the most popular here, followed by animators and 3D Artists, on the other hand, there is a demand for guys that specialise in VFX and Lighting. Food for thoughts!
Want to know more? Check our ultimate guide to Game Art roles

Programming & Software

Both are technical roles and require solid skills in math and physics, some have entered the industry self-taught and the majority nowadays will have a degree to compete in the market. Those guys implement designers’ vision for the final game. Developers design software that makes video games work the way the designers want them to. Programmers create the code that converts those designs into instructions video game systems can read.
Want to know more? See our guide to Programming roles in Gamedev

Sound Design & Engineering 

Quite a self-explanatory job. The person in this position will create sounds and soundtracks for a game, and they will use computers as well as other electrical equipment to do so. Every, absolutely, every sound that you hear playing in the game was designed by an audio engineer or a sound designer, as they are called it that way too. Some studios will welcome guys with experience from within entertainment or other related industries.

Writing 

Two kinds of jobs here. The most obvious is a writer that creates scripts and stories upon which games are based on and of course write characters dialogues. The other kind, equally pivotal, is a technical writer that creates the accompanying documentation and instructions. For this job, you will need to show a great sense of freedom in creativity, along with a high interest in society and other entertainment-related industries.

Game Testing 

Perhaps this statement will be controversial amongst some of you… but we think that this role will get you a foot in the studio as it will expose how the gaming pipeline works. The game tester could be a long term career for some but for others, it will be a stepping stone into the position of perhaps a producer or other.
Want to know more? Review our QA game testing jobs guide

Producer

Producers are the ‘party planners’. They are the ‘go-to people’ when something goes wrong or needs fixing, as they oversee all the guys on the team, keep the production of the games within the budget and deadlines.
Want to know more? Check out this entry about video game producers

Tech Art & Animation 

The Technical Animator is responsible for developing and maintaining animation systems, rigging, pipelines, and processes used by the animation team. They should be able to solve any technical issues related to art and animation production. The technical artist is a relatively new job in the game industry and acts as a link between the artists and the programmers working on a game. Both roles are something of a hybrid between an artist, animator, and a programmer and acting as fixers and solvers. They work out how the tools and game engines can be developed to overcome the challenges.

Are the top jobs in gamedev something for you?

Here’s our take on jobs in game development but hey, there’s much more going on in game industry! If you’re interested in pursuing a career in game development, check out our gaming jobs section!