Everyone is passionate about being good at something. Yet, being good at something usually takes time. Sadly, we normally don’t see any immediate effects of our improvement. However, if you want to become a better game developer, you have to understand that there is a journey that you will have to go through. In this article, we will provide you with a set of tips that will help you how to grow as a game developer.
In This Article
- Why You Should Set Yourself Challenges
- Why You Should Keep Learning
- How Being User Focussed Lets You Make Better Games
- Why Playing Games Makes You A Better Game Developer
- Why Working in a Teams Helps You Grow as a Game Developer
- Why Asking For Feedback is Important
- How a More Diverse Skillset Makes You More Valuable
- Summary
- Conclusion
Why You Should Set Yourself Challenges
First off, if you always stay in your comfort zone you will never get anywhere. Of course, this sounds rather harsh, but we all know it to be true. A good game developer is always keen on taking up new challenges, even if they know it will be difficult. You might have even started working on a game recently where you realized there could be challenges in the future. Such challenges should not discourage you from working on your game.
Another benefit to challenges is that you actually discover new fun areas that you never dared to venture in. For example, you might never liked the idea of programming because you’re afraid of the math. However, now that you are actively doing it, it actually turned out to be something that is really fun.
Why You Should Keep Learning
Similar to setting yourself challenges, you can also partake in courses (on Udemy) or attend conferences. It is not unusual for even the most veteran game developers to brush up new knowledge and skills.. They simply understand how important this is and it made them the veterans they are today. Recognizing if you have a gap in your knowledge or skills should be seen as an opportunity. To grow as a game developer, you should act on these opportunities.
However, what is important is that you set yourself a set of learning goals. Also, don’t just start working on 3 courses at the same time because you’re in a hurry to get better. Instead, try focusing on one goal at a time and give it time to sink in. Often such courses give you lots of examples. Yet, you never really learn about the practices they preach until you start applying them.
How Being User Focussed Lets You Make Better Games
One fast way to deliver better games is to become more user focussed. This means that you try to develop the game with the player in mind. Usually, this is what we refer to as User Experience and it will have a big impact on how your game is perceived. Let’s face it… We all want our games to be perceived as fun.
Learning how to give your players a better experience is challenging. It’s always a huge gray area as there are many schools of thought debating on what is good user experience. Next to that, it can really vary per game genre. Yet, you can also learn a great deal about analyzing the user experience in games that you enjoy playing. Simply try to get a sense of all the things in the game that give you a better playing experience. Try analyzing why the game is fun and what aspects ‘feel good’.
Why Playing Games Makes You a Better Game Developer
Now here is a tip we can all get behind. In order to grow as a game developer, it is important to play (and keep playing) games. Not just the ones you enjoy to play, but also games that you wouldn’t normally touch. As we mentioned before, next to playing the game you should try analyzing the game. For example, try breaking down its elements, its balancing. Try to figure out how the AI works and how the sound impacts the whole game. Try breaking a game down until you would have gathered enough information so you could develop such a game yourself.
Why Working in a Teams Helps You Grow as a Game Developer
Sadly, it you are working alone it is difficult to gauge your own skills. Some people overestimate themselves while others sell themselves short. However, by working with others in a team, you can get a better idea of your skills. Next to that, working in a team offers many learning opportunities. Sometimes even life lessons that you can’t experience anywhere else.
Now, If you are interested in working in a team, then there are several ways to do it. When you’re looking to become a better game developer as a hobby or as a career we highly recommend partaking in Game jams. These gatherings are great because you’ll get to work very close with a group for a short amount of time. During a game jam, you will learn a great deal. Not just about game development but also about project, time management and teamwork.
Why Asking For Feedback is Important
While working within a team, it is a good idea to gather feedback from your teammates about your work. If you want to grow as a game developer, it is extremely important that you’re open to suggestions on how to improve. This may seem very daunting if you’re new to game development because there are so many people that know so much more. Yet, what is important is that you set rules regarding the feedback. Also, you will find that many people are very willing to help you learn new things.
Nobody likes receiving negative feedback about their work. A major element in asking for feedback is that you request for both positive and negative feedback. If you are very insecure about yourself, you might even ask people to provide you with 2 positive things and just 1 negative thing about your work. In the end, it’s about working with the feedback and getting more comfortable with yourself.
How a More Diverse Skillset Makes You More Valuable
The final tip is to make sure that you diversify your skillset. What we mean by this is that you don’t specialize yourself in a particular discipline while simply discarding the rest. For example, you will never get better at graphics programming if you spend no time on learning how artists create their art.
A valuable game developer knows a little about everything. This is because when game elements get together, experienced developers are able to integrate them better and deconstruct them easier. Both are equally handy when creating a planning or when you are designing a new system. The more knowledge you have, the better you are able to steer a game project further down its development pipeline.
Summary
What you learned in this article:
- A good game developer is always keen on taking up new challenges, even if they know it will be difficult.
- Recognizing if you have a gap in your knowledge or skills should be seen as an opportunity.
- Try focusing on one learning goal at a time and give it time to sink in.
- Try to develop the game with the player in mind.
- Analyze the user experience in games that you enjoy playing.
- Try breaking a game down until you would have gathered enough information so you could develop such a game yourself.
- Working in a team offers many learning opportunities.
- If you want to grow as a game developer, it is extremely important that you’re open to suggestions on how to improve.
- A valuable game developer knows a little about everything..
Conclusion
We hope these tips will make it more clear on how to grow as a game developer. As with everything, it will take time, but the rewards are certainly fulfilling. Just remember to take a step back from time to time to see where you have come from and where you currently are. With every new bit of knowledge you learn and every bit experience you earn you will become a better game developer.
Further Reading
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