job description for a video game designer

Video Game Developer: Job Description (Shared Resource from Target Jobs)

March 9, 2021

What does a video game developer do?Typical employers | Qualifications and training | Key skills

Video game developers, also known as game developers or video game programmers, write code for games for a variety of formats, such as PCs, consoles, web browsers and mobile phones. They take the video game designer's ideas, drawings, rules, and turn them into a playable game with visuals and sound through writing code.

The work of a games developer typically involves:

Looking at the design specifications of video game designers
Writing code to turn the designer's concepts into a playable game
Using application program interfaces (APIs) – a set of pre-built commands that allow different software to interact
Programming the game's terrain
Programming artificial intelligence for non-player characters within the game

PayScale research suggests that game developers and programmers can earn above £30,000, even in starting roles. Find out the typical starting salaries for graduates in IT jobs here.

Typical employers of video game developers

Video game developing companies (known as video game developers and video game studios)
Video game publishers

Vacancies are advertised online – by employers and on IT jobs boards such as IT Jobs Watch – as well as by recruitment agencies, careers services and by TARGETjobs.

View our graduate IT and technology vacancies.

Qualifications and training required

There are routes into video game development for university graduates. Other posts in related fields may be open to school leavers.

Graduates will require a degree in computer science, software engineering or a related subject. If you have an unrelated degree but are proficient in relevant programming languages and familiar with the gaming industry, you could also be eligible for entry-level positions. Work experience and a portfolio of work will become essential early on in your career in this very competitive industry.

School leavers may progress to video game development by undertaking an apprenticeship in software development or a related role. To find out how you can get into this career via a school leaver route see the IT section of TARGETcareers, our website for school leavers.