What skills are needed to become a game developer?

Programming, maths and physics skills are the most valuable. We would also recommend tapping into creative skills such as: 2D/3D artistry Music production Audio production and sound design Narrative design Game development can be a solo or co-operative effort. You can become a jack of all trades if working alone or a specialist if working with a team who can pick up other areas.

What programming languages should I learn for game development?

Common languages include: C++ C# Python These languages are used by most industry-standard game engines. Gaining experience in these languages will help you during your career as a game developer.

Becoming a game developer | Step by Step Guide

Gaming is a global industry, with development studios and opportunities around the world. You could take a job in a city close to you, or in far-flung destinations such as the USA, Canada or China.

If you have a love for games and want a deeper understanding, then becoming a game developer is an amazing way to earn a living from your passion.

In this article we will cover the following main steps for anyone who wants to become a game developer:

Learn the fundamentals
Build a portfolio
Get some work experience
Game development FAQs

Game development at a glance

Average salary: £18,000 - £38,000 (prospects.ac.uk)
Average working hours: 35-40 hour office hours, with expected overtime during end of development. Independent developers will likely have more irregular working hours.
Employment opportunities: Full-time & part-time employment for large development companies or contractor work for more flexibility. You can also work independently as an ‘indie dev,’ making your own game to your own rules.
Who is it for? Lovers of video games, programming, maths, and physics. Those with a technical skillset who want to do something creative and passion driven.

Programming languages are the building blocks of game development. You need to be able to code to tell your game engine what you want your game to achieve. The more advanced your programming abilities, the more you’ll be able to get out of the game you’re developing.

Knowing different programming languages will make you much more employable across the industry. Different games and engines will use different primary development languages.

Here at the University of Central Lancashire, we have a number of courses available to help you build your coding skills both for game development or for the wider computing world in Computer Science:

If programming is the practical application of building a game then game design is the theory behind it all.

Game design is what keeps players engaged with a game. Core gameplay loops, rewards systems, narrative progression and more – these are the key aspects of any successful game.

Our BA (Hons) Game Design course will tell you everything you need to know about modern game design. It also dives deeper into game development tools such as game engines and asset creation.

We also have a Games and Gaming research group bringing together games designers and games developers.

With these two major skills at hand, you’ll be ready to start developing games at your own pace. You can do this in a number of ways.

Chances are, as you are interested in game development, you’ll already have a game in mind – but it’s fine if you don’t. Experimentation is a big part of creating your own game - we encourage you to play around with different game engines to try and make something you enjoy playing.

We recommend starting out simple – the original Super Mario Bros. isn’t complex on paper, but it continues to be one of the most successful video game franchises of all time as they iterate on the formula.

Starting out with simple games will deepen your understanding of game design and core game mechanics. The more you master the fundamentals, the more you will be able to experiment with them to create something masterful and unique.

If you’d prefer some direction in your game development, then consider taking part in a game jam. Game jams give you the opportunity to make something quick purely for fun.

Game jams are community events where you are given a very short amount of time to develop a game. The game usually must meet certain criteria, and follow certain rules. You will aim to meet the criteria with your own creative vision and skills.

Game jams are perfect as they can also be your first chance to develop a game alongside another team. The team will likely be small, but each developer will own their own part of the game as you work to the very tight deadline.

Not only that, once you have finished your game you have a full group of people ready to play it. Other participants of the game jam will play your game, and in turn you’ll play theirs. This is a fantastic way to discover different kinds of games – as you’ll get to play many games from the jam.

You’ll also meet a bunch of other up-and-coming developers. Meeting other people during a similar point of their career could help get your foot in the door later down the line too.

Indie game website itch.io hosts jams you can get involved with at any time.

There are many game projects out there looking for talented game developers to contribute on a voluntary basis. This is a good opportunity to pick up some work with flexible hours, contributing your efforts on a schedule that suits you.

A lot of people who become game developers start out on community projects. Getting your name in the credits of a community game or mod will be a big boost for your portfolio.

Many games started out as independent modding community projects. We encourage you to look around the modding communities of your favourite games to see if there’s any way you can get involved. You never know, your project could go on to become a major franchise.

Get some work experience

Once you’ve built up a varied portfolio, the next thing you’ll want to do is to start your career. Gaining job experience is the next step, and your portfolio will help with that when it comes to interviewing for roles at development studios.

You can look for entry-level jobs on the following websites:

You can also use generic job websites such as LinkedIn, Indeed and Google.

If a game development studio makes games you love, it’s always worth keeping an eye on their official website job listing board too.

Entry-level positions won’t pay the best, and the work might not be as involved as you might like it to be, but you’ll learn everything you need to know about the games industry. Gaining this knowledge and experience will help you secure more senior jobs in the future.

Go indie

One of the largest changes in the gaming industry over the past 20 years is the rise of independent development, or ‘indie devs.’

Indie development is perfect for those with a strong vision in what game they want to make. If you have an amazing idea, and you think it can be something successful, you can try making it by yourself or with a very small, close team.

Some of the best-selling games of all time were made by a single developer or by a very small team. Games such as Minecraft, Terraria or Stardew Valley were all made, or continue to be made, by an independent developer.

In any case, developing your own game will give you lots of experience and knowledge that you can choose to take to a larger employer if you ever wanted.

Game development FAQs

No, you don’t need a degree.

Undergraduate and postgraduate programmes teach a full suite of skills needed to become a game developer, and the qualifications can help you earn employment, but It is not strictly needed to get a job.

If you prefer self-taught methods of learning, there are plenty of options available. Popular engines like Unreal Engine have a wide variety of learning resources to help you pick up game development.

A game engine is the framework for video game development. They often feature development tools that help a developer create a game alongside their programming and development skills.

Gaining experience with different engines is essential to ensure that you can work for many different development studios, as different studios will use different engines.

Popular industry-standard engines include Unreal Engine, Godot, Unity and CryEngine.

If you have in-depth technical skills, you may be able to earn employment developing bespoke engines for specific game development studios – however this practice is slowly losing popularity in favour of industry-standard options.

Take your next steps

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Computer Games Development, BSc (Hons)
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Games Design, BA (Hons)
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How to become a web developer

Your saved courses

How to become a game developer

Game development at a glance

Learn the fundamentals

Build a Portfolio

Make your own game

Join a game jam

Contribute to community projects

Get some work experience

Go indie

Game development FAQs

Take your next steps

Computer Games Development, BSc (Hons)

Games Design, BA (Hons)

How to become a web developer

How to become a game developer

Game development at a glance

Start your journey to your dream career

Learn the fundamentals

Learn programming

Understand game design

Build a Portfolio

Make your own game

Join a game jam

Contribute to community projects

Get some work experience

Go indie

Game development FAQs

Do I need a degree to become a game developer?

What is a game engine?

What skills are needed to become a game developer?

What programming languages should I learn for game development?

Take your next steps

Computer Games Development, BSc (Hons)

Games Design, BA (Hons)

How to become a web developer

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