Writing a Game Design Resume: Your Step-by-Step Guide

By Indeed Editorial Team

Published 15 May 2022

The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.

Game designers are responsible for creating concepts, artwork and animations for computer games. To become a game designer, it's important to have a combination of creative and technical skills. Understanding how to highlight your strengths in your resume and matching these to the job description can help you secure an interview when applying for roles. In this article we, explain what a game design resume is, outline what a game designer does, provide a step-by-step guide on writing a resume for game design and share an example you can use as a source of inspiration.

What is a game design resume?

A game design resume highlights your achievements and experience in designing video games. A well-written resume can demonstrate to a hiring manager that you have the skills and ability to proceed to an interview. It ideally highlights that you fulfil the requirements of the role and acts as your first introduction to a potential employer.

What does a game designer do?

Game designers invent, develop, create and produce video and computer games. They may write the storyline and dialogue, create characters or develop the game's mechanics. They typically work alongside game developers, producers and animators. Their role involves making creative decisions about elements of the game and applying design, modelling, narrative imaging and animation to game environments. Employers may scan your resume to see if you've had experience performing some of these tasks.

7 steps to writing a resume for game design

To develop an effective game design resume, follow these steps:

1. Include your contact details

It's good practice to put your contact information at the top of the page. Include a phone number and an email address that you regularly check. Positioning these details at the top of your resume makes it easy for a hiring manager to find out how to contact you. It's not necessary to include your full address, but it's good to include your suburb and state. If you have an online portfolio that highlights your recent work or achievements in game design, you can include a link to demonstrate your skills.

2. Create a professional summary

A professional summary usually appears underneath your contact details. Including a summary of two to three sentences that highlights your achievements can help a hiring manager determine if you're a good fit for the role. Consider emphasising your technical expertise and include evidence of your skills. For example, list any specific game elements or characters you developed. Your professional summary is typically the first thing a hiring manager sees. Try to match your skills to the list of skills in the job description.

If you're a recent graduate, consider writing a resume objective rather than a summary. An objective outlines your knowledge, skills and what you can offer to the organisation. Explain how the role you're applying for matches your career objectives. Ensure you customise your professional summary or objective for each job application so it matches the job description and aligns with the organisation's values. Also, try to quantify any achievements with data or numbers to demonstrate your expertise in real terms.

3. List your work experience

When listing your experience, it's important to include any relevant and recent work experience that showcases the skills you can offer. Begin with your current or most recent role and include the name of your previous employer, the dates you worked at the organisation, its location and your job title. When listing your primary responsibilities, try to use bullet points to help a hiring manager identify your experience.

Focus on responsibilities that align with the duties of the role you're applying for and include any key accomplishments. These accomplishments can consist of awards you've received, the number of downloads your games have achieved or star ratings from users. When listing your responsibilities, consider how much development experience is necessary for the role. If it's considerable, try to focus on any IT and computer science experience you may have. Also include details about how you've contributed to designing games.

4. Highlight your skills

Listing your skills in a separate section can help a hiring manager quickly identify whether you're capable of the job. Try to include skills from the job description and be sure to check you're using the correct terminology to describe your skills. Consider organising your skills into different sections to improve readability. For example, you could create separate sections for technical skills, core game design skills and soft skills. Some non-technical skills you might include are project management, communication, teamwork and organisation. Some game design skills you may wish to include are:

motion design
mock-up design
rule set development
game scenario creation
2D and 3D character design
knowledge of game design tools
familiarity with popular game platforms
knowledge of scripting languages

5. Include your education

If you're an experienced game designer, it's a good approach to list your education after your work experience. If you're newly qualified, consider listing your education before your work experience. This way, you can highlight how your recent qualifications have given you the necessary skills and knowledge for the job.

When listing your education, include your degree, the name of the university or institution, the year you completed your study and information about the coursework or your academic achievements. If you've completed any specialised courses related to game design and development, such as a course in scripting languages, include these and focus on the benefits or skills you gained.

6. Include any other relevant information

If there's other relevant information that demonstrates your suitability for the role, you can add another section at the end of your resume or wherever it best fits. For example, if you've done volunteer work as a game designer, you can include this as a sub-section of your experience or education section. It can be helpful to include a section on your hobbies or interests, particularly if you take part in competitions in the gaming industry.

7. Proofread your resume

Consider taking a break after writing your first draft so you can return with a clear mind to proofread for grammar and spelling errors. When reviewing your resume, check the dates of your work experience and education to ensure there are no mistakes. You may also consider asking a family member or friend to check it.

Example of a resume for a game designer

Here's an example of a game design resume to help you create your own:

Melinda Thompson
Perth, WA
mthompson@email.com
0455-678-910

Professional summary
Talented game designer with over five years of experience in creating multi-player games in a deadline-driven environment. Built over 200 levels for a variety of 2D and 3D games. Excited to join Matlock Studios to help design online mechanics and gameplay systems.

Work experience
Game designer
NextEx Games, Perth, WA
October 2020-current

designed the vision for games and led the implementation of features and game systems
developed new ideas for players' life cycles
expanded existing systems and incorporated feedback from UX testing
designed five AAA games
increased player success rate by 120% by working collaboratively with the UX team and incorporating measurable tests to drive strategy

Gameplay designer
TRX Gaming, Melbourne, VIC
August 2018-September 2020

created combat encounters and narrative events within different game worlds
collaborated with partners to deliver a cohesive scenario experience for end users
built gameplay scenarios and over 150 levels for 20 multi-player games across a range of genres

Game artist
RightOn Games, Perth, WA
January 2017-July 2018

developed a range of 2D and 3D characters for over 15 action games
worked with other game artists on interface design, marketing and new content
improved existing games by effectively using gaming skills, increasing downloads by 20%

Technical skills

proficient in Flash, Photoshop and Illustrator
advanced knowledge of GameMaker Studio
understanding of game prototyping and level design
good knowledge of Java, Python, HTML and CSS
excellent understanding of game systems and platforms

Additional skills

excellent organisation and time management
great communication and teamwork
critical thinking and analytical skills
documentation experience

Education
Bachelor of Science in Games Software Design and Production
Gosford University, 2016
Undertook a professional practice unit collaborating with other students to recommend, develop and implement new technology for a client. Other skills gained include:

3D graphics and animations
games software design
games mechanics
games software development and production
user interface design for games
artificial intelligence and interaction design

Hobbies and interests

multi-player games and online tournaments
puzzles
drawing
playing the guitar

Please note that none of the companies, institutions or organisations mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.