It’s not typical for real-world jobs to be associated with fun. However, a career in game development was lucky enough to qualify for being exciting, rewarding, and bankable. The competition is high though, followed by a wide range of skills necessary for this area.
According to a report by Developer Nation, there were 26.8 million active software developers in the world at the end of 2021, including game engineers. So what does it take to land a career in game development? In this post, you’ll discover a checklist of skills a budding game coder needs to forge their path in the field.
1. Narrow down your field
First and foremost, you should decide where to channel your efforts. Game development comes in different flavors, including mobile, PC, and other platforms. Moreover, game developers can be engaged in different areas of product creation.
This includes gameplay engineers, game programmers, AI developers, and others. While this choice shouldn’t necessarily limit you in exploring this knowledge base in full, you’ll have a better understanding of your future game development job requirements.
2. Learn computer programming
First of all, you need to be on common grounds with game-building software. To do that, you’ll need to master the best coding language for games, be it C#, Python, or JavaScript. Each of them comes with pros and cons and is a better fit for different purposes.
Thus, C# is considered the best programming language for games that are used across various game engines. However, it has a steep knowledge curve, thus being quite challenging for fledgling programmers.
Python, on the other hand, is another best language for game development, that is a lot easier to master. Being versatile and easy to learn, Python also has its own set of modules called Pygame, which allows developers to model their future games.
3. Find common ground with game engines
Besides coding languages, you need a game engine to empower a gaming product. The latter includes a wide range of tools for you to build graphics, physics, scripts, and other things. Unreal Engine is considered one of the best game creation platforms in the industry owned by Epic Games.
Essentially, it is a multi-platform 3D game development tool catered to businesses of all sizes as well as to personal use. This tool helps game engineers employ real-time technology to turn ideas into compelling visual content.
Unity is another go-to set of tools that had a massive overhaul last year. It is available for creating both 2D and 3D games while offering a rich set of features along with wide compatibility across platforms.
Godot and CryEngine are also widely employed to develop immersive video games with cutting-edge functionality. According to popular job platforms, Unity and Unreal Engine are among the most demanded skills in the market.
4. Jump into your first project
Once you have some theoretical base under your belt, it’s time to try your hand at creating a full-fledged game project. However, you shouldn’t run after a massive 3D project with sophisticated functionality. Instead, consider going for a small game in 2D, which is technically similar to 3D projects.
To do that, you should first decide on the game concept, its genre, viability as well as potential features or mechanics. After that, you should flesh out the main details in a game design document, even if it’s a simple game.
Creating a prototype is also an important step in game creation, which will help you avoid inconsistencies and other flaws in the design process. It’s critical to address these issues as soon as they develop because they might have a detrimental influence on the user experience.
5. Build your portfolio
Before any game dev company can hire you, they should be able to assess your skills and experience even if you’re an entry-level coder. A solid portfolio is one of the best ways to showcase your acumen. We recommend putting the best pieces in your list of works and keeping your portfolio relevant to the position you’re applying for.
When you add the games to the portfolio, add screenshots of game scenes or tech demos to introduce the piece to the audience. You can also include the installation link to allow the employer to test the game.
The Bottom Line
Game development is a rapidly developing field with great potential for both game publishers and game developers. And although the shortcut to game development revolves around a field-related university degree, it is still well possible to forge your way as a self-learner.
Your learning path won’t be breezy, yet will be packed with an exciting knowledge base. Programming languages, game engines, and other fundamentals are what can bring you closer to your dream job and secure your place in the game development arena.
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