Here's how you can ace common interview questions for game design positions.
Landing a job in game design is as much about showcasing your technical skills as it is about nailing the interview. When you're sitting across from your potential employer, they're not just assessing your ability to design engaging game mechanics or create compelling narratives; they're also gauging your problem-solving abilities, your teamwork mindset, and your passion for gaming. It's crucial to approach each question with clarity and confidence, providing thoughtful answers that reflect your experience and your vision for the future of gaming. Remember, the interview is your stage to demonstrate how your unique blend of creativity and technical prowess makes you the ideal candidate for the role.
When asked about your favorite games or projects you admire, be prepared to delve into specifics. Discuss what you love about these games, focusing on design elements like mechanics, storytelling, and user experience. Your enthusiasm should be palpable, but it's equally important to be analytical. Explain what works well in these games and why, possibly drawing parallels to your own design philosophy. This is your chance to show that you not only appreciate good game design but that you also understand the underlying principles that make games successful.
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Play games through the lens of your chosen field. For example, I play games for fun and then I play games like a designer. I look at levels, pacing, flow, beats and shape language of a map. I analyse and take notes of what a game does well and where it needs improvement. I examine player affordances and how they are presented to players. I ask questions like: how does a player experience this? What are the pain points or friction? What could have been designed better and why? It doesn’t matter your discipline you can breakdown and research any game or its subsequent features by looking at it through your career lens. Take lots of notes and think about what you discover, this will help you answer many of the deeper questions.
You'll likely encounter a question about a design challenge you've faced. Here's where you can shine by outlining a specific problem you encountered in a past project and explaining how you addressed it. The key is to demonstrate your problem-solving process: identify the issue, explore various solutions, implement the most effective one, and reflect on the outcome. This narrative not only shows your resilience but also your ability to learn from experience and apply those lessons to future challenges.
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I love these types of questions! You should prepare answer for how you dealt with a particular challenge. What did you do to overcome it? How did you move forward and learn from that process? Game development is rarely without friction, so Lena into those areas of challenge and show what you’ve learned. We have all been there!
Game design is rarely a solo endeavor, so expect questions about teamwork. Discuss your experience working with others, emphasizing communication, flexibility, and conflict resolution. Share a story where collaboration led to a better result, highlighting how you contributed to the team's success. It's important to convey that you're a team player who can adapt to different roles and work styles, and who values the collective effort over individual accolades.
Your technical knowledge will certainly be tested. Be prepared to discuss your proficiency with game engines like Unity or Unreal Engine, and if applicable, scripting languages such as C# or C++. If you've worked with particular tools or technologies, describe how they were instrumental in your projects. It's not just about listing skills; it's about conveying an understanding of how these tools enable you to bring creative visions to life.
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By effectively communicating your technical expertise in game engines, scripting languages, tools, and technologies, you demonstrate your ability to bring creative visions to life and contribute meaningfully to the game development process. Be sure to discuss how you have utilized these skills and technologies to create immersive gameplay, high-quality visuals, and interactive narratives. Explain how your technical knowledge has been instrumental in the successful execution of past projects. Provide specific examples of how it has directly contributed to the realization of creative visions and the enhancement of gameplay experiences.
Interviewers are interested in how you approach the creative aspects of game design. Talk about how you generate ideas, how you iterate on them, and how you refine them into final concepts. It's beneficial to describe a methodical process, perhaps starting with brainstorming sessions, moving through prototyping, and ending with user testing and feedback. This shows that you're systematic in your creativity and committed to producing the best possible game experience.
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In my experience, both as the interviewer and interviewee, no one expects groundbreaking ideas on the spot, and evaluating your creative approach is challenging given the nervous setting. Instead, game design questions typically aim to gauge your understanding of the company's projects more than anything. For instance, I'd ask someone interviewing at Magic Tavern how they would maintain high player retention throughout the year for our next mobile game. If they mention frequent content updates, events, or new social features, I know they're at least familiar with our type of games. However, if they suggest a huge MMO-like expansion years in the making, which isn't typical of casual mobile games, then I'll raise an eyebrow.
Lastly, be ready to discuss where you see the industry heading and how you plan to contribute to its evolution. This question assesses not only your industry knowledge but also your ambition and foresight. Talk about emerging technologies, new gaming platforms, or evolving player expectations, and align these trends with your own career trajectory. It's an opportunity to demonstrate that you're forward-thinking and eager to be at the forefront of game design innovation.
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You should always play the games you are interviewing for or at the very least watch videos and familiarise yoursef with the IPs of the studio you are interviewing with. It is never a good look to not be familiar with a company’s games. Most of the people interviewing you are passionate and excited about what they work on and the last thing they want to hear is that you are not familiar with their studio or their IPs. Now of course if that studio is a startup it’s a different story, and if that is the case find a comparable game you can discuss.
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