Game designers are always looking to improve. Are you making these common mistakes during interviews?
If you are a game designer, you know how competitive and challenging the industry can be. You need to showcase your creativity, skills, and passion in every project you work on. But what about when you are looking for a new job or a promotion? How do you ace the interview and impress the hiring manager? Here are some common mistakes that game designers make during interviews and how to avoid them.
Before you apply for any game design position, you should do some research on the company, the team, and the project. You want to show that you are interested in their vision, their culture, and their goals. You also want to demonstrate that you have some knowledge of the genre, the platform, and the audience they are targeting. Doing your research will help you tailor your portfolio, your resume, and your answers to their specific needs and expectations.
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Chad Divine
Designer
Right now I am doing research on submitting a game pitch to a publisher. A few of them supplied free downloadable prebuilt pitch deck templates which include a comprehensive explanation of what they are looking for. This has helped me prioritize what I need to put together for the pitch.
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Karthik Bindumon
Game Designer | Gamification Consultant | Ludology and Neuroscience Aficionado
In addition to knowing the basics about the company's history and recent projects, it is important to delve deeper into their design philosophy and core values. It also demonstrates your ability to align with the company's strategic goals and contribute to their ongoing success. By presenting yourself as someone who understands the unique context of the company and can bring value from day one, you transform the interview from a simple Q&A session into a genuine conversation about shared vision and growth.
Game design is not just about the final product, but also about the process of creating it. You need to show how you approach a game design problem, how you generate and test ideas, how you collaborate with others, and how you iterate and improve your design. You can do this by using examples from your previous projects, by explaining your design decisions and trade-offs, and by showing sketches, prototypes, or documents that illustrate your process. Showing your process will help you showcase your skills, your creativity, and your professionalism.
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Karthik Bindumon
Game Designer | Gamification Consultant | Ludology and Neuroscience Aficionado
Great game designers don't just generate ideas—they analyze, break down, and enhance them while engaging with player feedback and collaborating with their team to establish a unified vision. Share the evolution of your game like a story: highlight pivotal moments, challenges that sparked creativity. Interviews should demonstrate not only competence but also your passion and dedication to creating games with a profound impact.
When you talk about your game design experience, you need to be specific and concrete. You need to use numbers, metrics, and facts to back up your claims and achievements. You need to use examples, stories, and scenarios to demonstrate your skills and abilities. You need to use details, features, and mechanics to describe your game design vision and solutions. Being specific will help you stand out from the crowd, prove your value, and communicate clearly.
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Karthik Bindumon
Game Designer | Gamification Consultant | Ludology and Neuroscience Aficionado
Simply stating, "I designed a successful game" is not enough; you must quantify success and break down the elements that contributed to it. Instead of saying, "I improved player retention," mention, "I increased daily active users by 30% over six months by implementing a robust progression system with daily challenges and rewards." This level of specificity not only highlights your achievements but also demonstrates your understanding of key game design metrics. Moreover, providing concrete examples is essential to showcase your thought process and problem-solving abilities. Share stories of obstacles you faced, explaining the challenges and the innovative solutions you devised.
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An interview is not only a chance for the hiring manager to evaluate you, but also for you to evaluate them. You need to ask questions that show your curiosity, your enthusiasm, and your fit for the position. You can ask about the company's culture, the team's dynamics, the project's challenges, the feedback process, the expectations, or anything else that is relevant and important for you. Asking questions will help you learn more about the opportunity, build rapport with the interviewer, and express your interest.
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Chad Divine
Designer
Interviewers want to know that you are curious about them, even interested in them. They are not interested in hiring a drone. Be curious before hand and be prepared to get answers and following the rabbit down the hole.
Last but not least, you need to be yourself during the interview. You need to show your personality, your passion, and your values. You need to be honest, confident, and respectful. You need to be positive, enthusiastic, and humble. You need to be yourself because that is what makes you unique, authentic, and memorable.
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Chad Divine
Designer
You've heard fake it til you make it. This may be true in some cases but not in your presentation of who you are. Do not fake it. They will know...if not eventually.
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Chad Divine
Designer
It's always a great idea to include parts of your story that are a bit off the beaten track. Don't be afraid to share some personal slightly related experiences, but Keep it classy "San Diego."
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