Most commonly reported Work Activities

• Interacting With Computers Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Thinking Creatively Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems Analysing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Getting Information Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Documenting/Recording Information Entering, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• Organising, Planning, and Prioritising Work Developing specific goals and plans to prioritise, organise, and accomplish your work.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events Identifying information by categorising, estimating, recognising differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

The Work

A game designer comes up with ideas behind a game, and is responsible for how those ideas will manifest as rules, themes, stories, and emotions during gameplay.

This job involves extensive communication with the team, to make sure the vision is clear for everyone involved, and that this continues to be the case throughout development.

Game designers can take on many specialities and roles:

• A Systems Designer works on the “big picture”, and decides all of the overarching themes and rules that will apply in the game.
• A Narrative Designer focuses on the plot, characters, and world-building. They explore ways to tell a story through gameplay.
• A Level Designer takes parts of the overall game and story, and weaves them together into “levels” for the player to experience.
• A Content Designer works on individual pieces of content, such as the available cars in a racing game which can be used across many levels.

In a small studio, there might be a single game designer working on all of the above.

Game designers need to know about other game industry disciplines, and the constraints they work under. Otherwise, they risk asking the impossible of other teams, which is unfair and could erode trust. 

Other roles like artists and sound designers often contribute very meaningfully to the overall game design.

Work tasks...

• Write or contribute to a Game Design Document (GDD), a technical paper which describes all of the concepts in a game, the amount of content it will have, and the features it will need.
• Convince management or game publishers that a game is worth creating and investing funds into.
• Experiment and explore possibilities to figure out what works, what features to keep, and most importantly “find the fun” in the game.
• Model the internal systems of a game using spreadsheets, which can help fine-tune the balance and feeling of a game.
• Communicate regularly with all internal teams to keep everyone on the same page and ensure resources are being prioritised towards what the game needs.
• Listen to player and tester feedback, and make adjustments to guide the game towards being the best it can be.

Most commonly reported Work Tasks

• Balance and adjust gameplay experiences to ensure the critical and commercial success of the product.
• Provide feedback to designers and other colleagues regarding game design features.
• Create core game features, including storylines, role-play mechanics, and character biographies for a new video game or game franchise.
• Devise missions, challenges, or pussles to be encountered in game play.
• Guide design discussions between development teams.
• Develop and maintain design level documentation, including mechanics, guidelines, and mission outlines.
• Create and manage documentation, production schedules, prototyping goals, and communication plans in collaboration with production staff.
• Present new game design concepts to management and technical colleagues, including artists, animators, and programmers.
• Conduct regular design reviews throughout the game development process.
• Solicit, obtain, and integrate feedback from design and technical staff into original game design.

Further Information

• Games Designer - from: N.C.S. [UK]
• Games Designer - from: Discover Science & Engineering
• Games Designer - from: Discover Science & Engineering
• Games Designer - from: Discover Science & Engineering

This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:

Creative

Creative people are drawn to careers and activities that enable them to take responsibility for the design, layout or sensory impact of something (visual, auditory etc). They may be atrracted to the traditional artistic pursuits such as painting, sculpture, singing, or music. Or they may show more interest in design activities, such as architecture, animation, or craft areas, such as pottery and ceramics.

Creative people use their personal understanding of people and the world they live in to guide their work. Creative people like to work in unstructured workplaces, enjoy taking risks and prefer a minimum of routine.

Enterprising

Enterprising people like situations that involve using resources for personal or corporate economic gain. Such people may have an opportunistic frame of mind, and are drawn to commerce, trade and making deals. Some pursue sales and marketing occupations. Many will eventually end up owning their own business, or in management roles in larger organisations. They tend to be very goal-oriented and work best when focused on a target. Some have an entrepreneurial inclination.

Game design is a tough discipline to break into. It’s one thing to have lots of ideas, and it’s another to be trusted by a team of professionals to uncover excellent ones that will maximise the “fun” in a particular project.

For an entry level role in game design, a solid candidate should have a portfolio of games they’ve worked on, and an excellent ability to communicate the underlying ideas and design decisions taken in each project. Ideally they will also come recommended by people they’ve previously worked with.

Therefore, to break into the industry an aspiring game designer should work on their portfolio and their network.

To build a portfolio, it is essential to make lots of games. Enrolling in a Game Development course can offer a structured environment for learning through team-based project work. This also helps develop a network.

In 2019, there were over 580 educational institutions in Europe offering game development courses.

For students, focusing exclusively on game design can be a “trap”. Game designers learn their craft by making games. If someone only wants to design games and relies on others to make them, they could become very dependent on others for their career progression. It is preferred for a game designer to bring at least one "hard skill" for making games to the table — be it scripting, art, sound, or otherwise.

The internet has countless resources for learning game design. Many game designers are self-taught or learn the craft through “modding” existing games. Still, it important to adopt a structured process: to build a portfolio, get regular feedback, and grow a network.

Board games are just as valid as video games when assessing a game designer. There are several board game meetups for game designers in Ireland.

Training & Development 

FET Centre Traineeship Software development, Automated Software Testing, ICT Systems and Principles for IT Professionals NFQ level 5 search FET courses

FET centre Post leaving cert Computer Games Programming, Computer Programming, Programming and Software Development, Games Design & Development, Software development for apps/ games / network Architecture, Multimedia Production with Games Design NFQ level 5-6 search PLC courses

Apprenticeship Route

Software Development Associate Professional is an apprenticeship style “learning by doing” format of ICT skills development which has been endorsed by the industry and government. This is a two-year programme during which candidates who are competent tech enthusiasts attain a Level 6 ICT and Professional Development Award Search apprenticeships

Higher education entry routes CAO Software Developers typically have a degree in Software Development or Computer Programming. Other relevant disciplines include Computer Science, ICT, Computing and Software Engineering NFQ level 6-8 search CAO courses

Professional Development 

Springboard courses Conversion Software & ICT development courses are also available via at NFQ level 6-9 search Springboard courses

Postgraduate Study Options Software Design & Development, Software Design with Artificial Intelligence, Software Design with Virtual & Augmented Reality NFQ level 9 

Skillnets Software Network 

Further info...

• IntoGames — Game Designer
• Hitmarker — Game Designer

Last Updated: April, 2023

Salary Range (thousands per year)* €30k - €70k

Salaries vary based on employer, project, experience, role, duties, sessional rates, and location.

Data Source(s):
Blake & Filip/ Indeed/ Payscale/ Prosperity.ie

Last Updated: July, 2024

* The lower figures typically reflect starting salaries. Higher salaries are awarded to those with greater experience and responsibility. Positions in Dublin sometimes command higher salaries.

View Salary information from Indeed.ie
Note: data not aways available

This occupation has been identified as a Job in Demand by the most recent National Skills Bulletin.

This information has been derived from the Solas National Skills Bulletin (2023).

Employment has grown strongly for this occupation each year over the five-year period, particularly between 2020 and 2021, where it grew by over 9,000 persons. Those employed are primarily male (83%), working full-time (98%), and 85% were aged 25-54 years (exceeding the national average of 69%). Four-fifths were employed in the ICT sector, with the remainder spread across many sectors. Recent job hires in 2022 exceeded any employment growth indicating that job churn is a factor for this occupation. Almost two-fifths (39%) were non-Irish citizens (compared to a national average of 19%). At over 4,300, the number of employment permits issued in 2022 was almost equivalent to the increase in employment over the same time period. Although the number of new employment permits issued in the first five months of 2023 have slowed, they remained above 2021 levels. Most employment permits were issued for the ICT sector, for software engineering/development roles, although permits were also issued across many sectors of the economy.

There was a high volume of difficult-to-fill mentions in the Recruitment Agency Survey (various developer roles) and vacancies for software engineers were the most frequently cited occupation in the Skills for Growth data as being difficult to fill, with demand occurring across a range of sectors including manufacturing (e.g. med tech), fintech, ICT, and professional services; the most commonly sought technical skills included scrum/agile and SQL, while transversal skills such as data analysis, data management, communication and problem solving were also in demand. After other engineering professionals, this occupation had the highest number of job postings advertised online in 2022, although the number declined by 6% compared to 2021. 

While shortages are likely to have eased somewhat compared to earlier years, demand for software developers remains high and shortages are likely to persist economy-wide, including in the industry, finance, education, health, and wholesale/retail sectors. 

• Smart Futures

  • Discover Science & Engineering, Wilton Park House, Wilton Place, Dublin, 2
  • Click Here

• ICS - The Society for Chartered IT Professionals in Ireland

  • 87-89 Pembroke Road, Dublin 4
  • (01) 237 7788
  • [email protected]
  • Click Here