Computer Games Developer

Typical Salary

£19,500 To £59,000

Typical Hours

30 to 40 a week

evenings / weekends occasionally

How To Become a Computer Games Developer

You can get into this job through:

a university course
a college course
an apprenticeship
working towards this role

College / University

You could do a foundation degree or degree in:

computer games technology
computer games development
computer science
interactive media
mathematics

at least 1 A level, or equivalent, for a foundation degree

2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

You could do a college course, which may lead onto more advanced qualifications or a higher apprenticeship, or help you to get a trainee position with a company. Courses include:

A level in Computing
T level in Digital Production, Design and Development
Higher National Diploma in Creative Media Production or Games Development

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and computing

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a

Apprenticeship

You could do a higher apprenticeship as a software developer or junior 2D artist.

5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

You could start as a quality assurance (QA) tester if you have plenty of experience of game playing.

You'll usually need an IT qualification or work experience. Employers will be interested in your talent and creativity. You may also find it helps to have A levels or a diploma in relevant subjects like computing or media production.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

design skills and knowledge
analytical thinking skills
the ability to write computer code
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
maths knowledge
the ability to come up with new ways of doing things
the ability to use your initiative
complex problem-solving skills
to have a thorough understanding of computer systems and applications

Day To Day Tasks

Your day-to-day tasks could include:

deciding what a game will look like and how it can be played
coming up with your own original ideas or working from an existing concept
creating the game's visual characters, objects and scenery
producing concept art and drawings or storyboards at the planning stage
bringing the characters, objects and scenery to life with computer modelling and animation software
creating the code to make the game work

Working Environment

You could work in a creative studio or in an office.

Career Path & Progression

With experience, you could become a senior developer, producer or technical director.

If you develop your own successful game independently, you could increase your income significantly.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Career tips

You can create a portfolio of work or online demo to highlight your skills to potential employers.

Further information

You can get more advice about working in games development from ScreenSkills.

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.