About This Career

Designs core features of video games. Specifies innovative game and role-play mechanics, story lines, and character biographies. Creates and maintains design documentation. Guides and collaborates with production staff to produce games as designed.

This career is part of the Information Technology cluster Information Support and Services pathway.

A person in this career:

• Balances and adjusts gameplay experiences to ensure the critical and commercial success of the product.
• Creates core game features, including storylines, role-play mechanics, and character biographies for a new video game or game franchise.
• Devises missions, challenges, or puzzles to be encountered in game play.
• Solicits, obtains, and integrates feedback from design and technical staff into original game design.
• Conducts regular design reviews throughout the game development process.
• Develops and maintains design level documentation, including mechanics, guidelines, and mission outlines.
• Documents all aspects of formal game design, using mock-up screenshots, sample menu layouts, gameplay flowcharts, and other graphical devices.
• Creates and manages documentation, production schedules, prototyping goals, and communication plans in collaboration with production staff.
• Provides feedback to designers and other colleagues regarding game design features.
• Provides feedback to production staff regarding technical game qualities or adherence to original design.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would sit most of the time. There's some walking and standing. You may have to lift and carry things like books, papers or tools weighing 10 lbs. or less.
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
• Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
• Work in this occupation involves sitting more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Seeing clearly up close
• Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
• Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

• Regular working hours and limited travel