In this article, We will see how to become game developer and the complete roadmap of it. After reading this article, you will know how to make a career in game development, how to get a job as a game developer, and also how you can make a handsome amount of money from it. So let’s explore the Game Development Roadmap.
What Is Game Development
Game development covers game concept, testing, and game creation. A lot of core talents are required for video game production. A game’s mechanics, player engagement, and rewards can all make or break it.
While video game developers have many options, they need to be skilled in the specific areas that they are working in. In this article we will look at game developer skills.
Game development is one of the fastest-growing industries across the globe with over 2.34 billion gamers worldwide. It requires an interesting blend of technical and creative skills to produce interactive video games for individuals and groups.
Why Game Development?
According to Wikipedia, The video game industry is involved in developing, marketing, and monetizing video games. It encompasses dozens of job disciplines and its parts employ thousands of people worldwide. As of 2018, July, video games generated sales of US$134.9 billion annually worldwide. In 2021 it was around US$180.1 billion
So there is so much potential in the game development industry. As it is a growing industry, many opportunities will be there for you. The only focus should be the learning for you to become a game developer.
So let’s start exploring the game development roadmap and we will see how to become game developer.
Game Development Roadmap
1) Choose Your Programing Language
There are many programming languages that can be used for game development, such as Python, Java, JavaScript, C#, C++, etc. But for game development, there are two absolute winners, C# and C++. These are the two prominent languages in this field that are very powerful. Thus learn C# or C++, But remember according to the language that you choose and learn, your further path will be decided. Yes, of course, you can switch any time according to the requirement.
Focus on the concepts such as,
- Object-oriented programming
- Working With Events
- Data Oriented Programming
- Design Patterns
- Exception Handling
- Multithreading
2) Choose Your Game Engine
As you are a beginner in Game Development, it is best to start with a known Game Engine. They are quite useful in general as they provide various functionalities for your games like 3D and 2D graphics rendering, audio support, animation, collision detection, artificial intelligence, networking, etc.
The most popular Game Engine is Unity, As it is quite easy to learn, And also has the personal edition which is free.
Another popular Game Engine is the Unreal Engine which can be modified to create unique games.
However, eventually it doesn’t matter what Game Engine you use but what matters is that you stick with that game engine so that you understand it well enough to use it in future projects.
On a side point, it is not absolutely essential that you use a Game Engine. In fact, not using a Game Engine will mean you have to do most of the technical work yourself, which is hard but will provide you many learning opportunities. It will even be useful in case you have to develop the design patterns for game programming yourself some time in the future!
3) Learn The Basics Of Game Engine And Programming Language
After the selection of your game engine and programming language, The next step is to learn the basics of the game engine as well as the basics of the programming language. Learn about the Game Development Pipeline and how it works.
Whatever game engine you pick but the basic game development concepts are the same like Character Controller and Visualization part, In the end, visuals and the game mechanics are important.
In Engine, Learn all about it’s basic interface and it’s tools. In Programming, Write basic code like character movement.
4) Create A Basic Game
Don’t try to develop AAA titles at the beginning of your career in game development. Start to develop some basic games like Endless Runner, Replica of flappy birds etc. Develop some prototypes so you will get the confidence when you will have some working games on your mobile phone that you have developed on your own. This will boost your confidence.
5) Start Developing 2D Game
Start creating small projects and try replicating small 2D games such as Flappy bird or Pac-Man etc. Working on projects is the best way to polish your skills. Working on simple 2D games will help you clear concepts such as 2D Game mechanics, 2D Layering, Canvas and much more. Also, you will learn the different aspect of the game development.
6) Start Developing 3D Game
Start creating small 3D games like Endless Runner like temple run, Or any casual games that take less time to develop. In 3D you will learn different aspects of game development like Character Controller, 3D Physics, Some other game mechanics like Camera Rotation, etc.
These days it’s all about 3D games that are getting so much popularity. Think of Pubg or maybe Call of Duty, etc. These games are known for the graphics and the real-life experience that they give to the user. Thus, start learning how 3D games work, How to develop 3D games. The game industry is also all about 3D games and graphics these days, Thus, it will boost your chance to land a good job for you.
7) Get started with Multi-Player Game programming
Modern games are all about multi-players, thus it is necessary to understand how we can implement multiplayer programming. Such as connecting with the network and showing the real-time reflections of your game to all other clients on the network.
Thus, Try getting hands-on and creating mini multiplayer games, It will create a good impact on your resume. You can check the Udemy Courses on multiplayer game development.
So this was the Game Development Roadmap for you. Now have an idea of basics in the Game Development Roadmap. now let’s understand, how you can get the job as a game developer.
How to get a job as a game developer
So once you created your portfolio, Now you apply for jobs but where? So there are multiple platforms where you can apply for jobs like Naukri.com, Monster.com, etc.
But nowadays the easy way to get a job is LinkedIn, Build your network on linked in and post that you need an Internship in game development and there are strong chances that you will get a positive response.
What is the average salary of a game developer
Basically, it depends on so many factors like Education, Technical Skills, It also depends on the company, and several other factors. So there is no hard and fast rule of deciding the average salary of game developer.
But according to glassdoor, The average salary of a game developer in the united states is $85K PA. In India, The average salary is 30K-50K PA.
Conclusion
So if you are an absolute beginner and don’t have knowledge of any programming language then I would suggest you start with Unity, Because it’s easy and user-friendly compared to Unreal. Learn C# to work with unity.
And If you have already knowledge of C++ then you can go with the unreal engine.
These suggestions were based on the programming language. But it also depends on your goals like what kind of games you want to develop.
If you are aiming for casual, hyper-casual, or 2D games so I will strongly recommend you to go with Unity. If you are aiming for open-world games and photorealistic visual quality then I will suggest you go with the unreal engine.
If you want to begin learning Unity and C# you should definitely check out this unity course.
Hope this post will help you to make you career in game development and to become game developer in the future. Here are some of my suggested articles that may also be helpful for you learn more about the game development.
My Recommend Articles
So what are your thoughts on a career as a game developer? Let me know below in the comments. Or If you have any queries you Contact Me.
Aakash Solanki
I am a professional unity game developer. I have a passion for creating immersive gaming experiences. For me writing articles feels like giving back to the community we have learned from. My hobbies involve playing games and writing articles and sometimes I also create youtube videos.
