As more people turn to games for entertainment, the demand for great games and, therefore, game designers and developers is increasing. Getting into the gaming industry can be hard as it involves creating whole worlds while ensuring players can enjoy the worlds you create. Breaking into the industry requires that you have some qualities and it is these qualities that will make you a successful game designer.
A Love for Video Games
Once a game designer has been involved in the design and development of a few games, things might start becoming stale. At this point, they may no longer be satisfied with their jobs. Successful game designers love video games. Their enthusiasm helps keep them from getting bored and their love for games leads them to develop games they know they will love and enjoy playing.
A love for video games can also push game designers to go out of their wants to come up with new game concepts to keep things fresh. An innate love for video games has also been shown to be a great motivator, a factor that is important for added creativity.
Good Problem Solvers
Video games are a lot more complex than they were a few years ago, and they are becoming increasingly so. This means that small issues in game development that were once solved easily are now not so simple.
Therefore, game designers must have the right problem-solving skills to overcome these problems.
Complex problems can arise as glitches and bugs that make the game unplayable, technical issues that make the game unplayable on certain devices, or issues that make it harder for players to get interested in a game.
Knowing How to Balance Challenges with Rewards
While game designers must know how to solve the problems associated with designing and developing a game, they must also know how to create problems and challenges in the games they create. It is these challenges and problems that players have to overcome and solve to win the game.
When creating these challenges, game designers must understand how to balance challenges and rewards (winning). This is because a game that has problems that are too hard to solve is frustrating for players while games that are too easy to win are boring. Good games need to have solvable problems that cannot be easily solved. This is the best way to create games that provide ongoing entertainment for all who attempt these games.
Ability to Work as Part of a Team
Unless you work on indie projects, video games are rarely developed by a single person. Because of this, the most successful game designers know how to work as part of a team. Being able to develop a relationship with other team members makes it easier to complete projects as it makes everyone invested in the project’s success. It also reduces friction among team members, leading to a better work experience.
The best game designers are creative, motivated, have an understanding of game design, and are team players. All of these qualities make it easier to be invested in a game’s success and improves the chances of releasing successful games, making you a successful game developer.
