Games design

Get a head start in creating the next generation of innovative games by developing your creative and technical skills with a games design degree

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

• Applications developer
• Concept artist
• Game artist
• Game designer
• Games developer
• Multimedia programmer
• Multimedia specialist
• Software engineer
• VFX artist

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Animator
• Artworker
• Cyber security analyst
• Data scientist
• Database administrator
• Forensic computer analyst
• Graphic designer
• Penetration tester
• Software tester

Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Work experience

Employers want to see examples of how you design games and other interactive media projects, and an online portfolio of your work is a great way to show this. Enable prospective employers to try out your work by ensuring the demo can be downloaded or if this isn't possible, have some video footage of the game in action available.

Take advantage of any studio visits, field trips or work experience as part of your course to develop your skills and build up a network of industry contacts. Look out for opportunities to test games before they go on the market as this can help you get a foot in the door.

Employers value the ability to work in a team as well as independently. Taking part in game jams will provide the chance for you to develop your teamworking skills as you design big game projects online. This experience will also help you to develop your social network, project management and problem-solving skills.

Any experience or volunteer work gathered in a creative, design or interactive role will improve your chances of getting into games design. Options include work with a web design company, design agency, advertising agency or multimedia development firm.

Search for placements and find out more about work experience and internships.

Typical employers

There are over 2,000 UK-based game design developers in the UK, ranging from small independent studios to large multinational producers and overseas games companies with headquarters in the UK. As it's an international industry, there are opportunities to travel if you want to.

Games design is a fast-growing sector, and opportunities are emerging in areas such as business, education and healthcare, as more companies and sectors find uses for in-app or online games.

The UK video games market was estimated to be worth almost £8billion in 2023, with video game technology in other sectors, such as healthcare and film, bringing in around £1.3billion.

Other employers include advertising and broadcasting companies, creative agencies, and PR and communications firms.

Games design is a competitive field, so contacts and recommendations are helpful, and you should be prepared to network.

Find information on employers in information technology, media and internet, creative arts and design, and other job sectors.

Skills for your CV

As a games design student, you learn how to design, document and communicate your design ideas and turn them into finished games. You can apply your game design skills to a range of design challenges, both within the games industry and in other industries where these skills are desirable.

You also gain a range of transferable skills valued by employers. These include:

• teamworking and communication - from collaborating with teams consisting of developers, programmers and artists and forming good working relationships at all levels
• technical ability - as you become familiar with a range of programming languages and software packages
• organisational skills - for effective workload management and meeting deadlines
• presentation skills - to present your ideas to others in a way that is easy to understand
• commercial and sector awareness - of what makes a game popular and where enthusiasm lies within the games industry.

Further study

Popular options for further study include Masters degrees in 3D computer games design, commercial games development, artificial intelligence for games, games programming, games engineering and mobile app development.

Further study allows you to create high-quality advanced artwork and game designs that are useful for your portfolio. This can give you an advantage in the workplace over undergraduates. Look for industry-focused courses that have strong links with employers.

Some students pursue a PhD following their Masters, although this isn't very common.

For more information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see Masters degrees and search postgraduate courses in computer game design.

What do games design graduates do?

A fifth (20%) of games design graduates are working as programmers and software development professionals 15 months after graduation. 11% are working as graphic and multimedia designers, 6% as IT operations technicians, 3% as IT user support technicians and 2% as quality assurance technicians.

For a detailed breakdown of what games design graduates are doing 15 months after graduation, see What do graduates do?

Graduate Outcomes survey data from HESA.