Are you considering to do a minor in Game Design? Of course, it sounds like a lot of fun to create games for a living. Yet, game design is a very broad term. As a result, it’s not always clear what you will be learning and how relevant it is for a career in game development. So is a game design minor worth it for you and what are some considerations to make before enrolling?
What is a Game Design Minor?
In most education systems, a minor is a secondary course that complements your major. In the case of a game design minor, it acts as a course to complement your major with subjects that teach you about game development.
However, game design is a broad term that can mean a lot of things. When considering a minor in game design, it is important to get a clear idea on the topics that will be covered. In the games industry, game design is strictly referred to as the process to design games. Yet, universities will often use the title ‘game design’ for minors to attract more students while its contents are more akin to game development.
The Difference Between Game Design and Game Development
Before deciding to enroll in a Game Design minor, be sure to understand that there is a difference between Game Design and Game Development. Usually, Game Design is a specialization that deals with creating and maintaining a vision for a game while Game Development is usually referred to as implementing a game technically.
What do You Learn During a Game Design Minor?
Each education program around the world has their own take on a Game Design minor. Therefore, it is hard to summarize what you will learn during a game design minor. However, most programs will offer you some of subjects from the table listed here.
| Subject | Description |
|---|---|
| Game Programming | Developing a small game in a popular engine such as Godot, Game Maker, Unity or Unreal |
| Level Design | How to build a level inside a popular engine and how to make it fun |
| 3D Modeling | Creating 3D models for props, characters, environments and integrating these into a popular engine |
| Animation | Brining characters and other objects to life with animations. |
| Shader Programming | Constructing various visual effects often found in 3D environments |
| VR/AR | Building interactive VR and AR experiences |
| Entrepreneurship | Learning about the business processes behind developing, publishing and monetizing games. |
Is a Game Design Minor Worth it?
In short, doing a minor in game design is worth it if your major is also also relevant for video game development. However, just a game design minor alone is not sufficient to pursue a career as a game designer. Simply put, the minor lacks the depth of knowledge and skills required to develop successful games.
In addition, since game development is hard work you should should be really passionate about it. If you want to read more about why it’s hard to be a game developer, we recommend you to read our article.
Is Game Design a Master or a Minor?
Practically speaking, game development can be split up into four main specializations: Design, Art, Programming and Business. All of these specializations have enough depth for a bachelor’s degree alone.
When looking at the strict definition of Game Design, there is an awful lot to learn about how to create and maintain a vision for a game. Also, you have to learn about how to effectively communicate design to a team and adjust a design as needed. A minor lacks the depth to cover all the aspects that go into designing a game.
What can You Become With a Game Design Minor?
An important consideration to make before enrolling in a Game Design Minor is to ask what career opportunities it presents. Possible careers for students that have a relevant game development Major include:
| Career | Description |
|---|---|
| Game Designer | Deciding on a vision for a game and maintaining it |
| Level Designer | Designing levels and balancing them accordingly |
| Sound Designer | Designing sounds for games |
| World Designer | Design a world in which a game or experience takes place. |
| Game Programmer | Implementing a game technically according to a design |
| Game Artist | Crafting art to make a game visually appealing. |
| Game Tester | Joining a Quality Assurance team and test games according to a predetermined test plan. |
| Serious Games Developer | Developing educational games to encourage behavioral change in people |
| Data Visualization Specialist | Visualizing data in 3D environments using game technology |
| VR/AR Developer | Developing interactive experiences in VR and AR |
Can I be a AAA Game Developer With a Minor?
Most triple A game studios only hire students that have obtained a bachelor degree relevant to game development. However, exceptions are made for students who’s portfolio’s stand out. It is crucial for anyone to demonstrate that they posses the knowledge and experience to develop, finish and publish a fun game with a team.
Can I be an Indie Game Developer With a Minor?
Most people wonder what degree is needed to become an Indie Game Developer. Compared to AAA game studios, it is easier to get a job at an indie studio with a minor in game design. However, this is mostly because the are more indie game studios than AAA game studios in the world. You will find a lot more competition trying to apply at a triple A studio.
Finally, with all the tools available today, it’s also very easy to start your own indie game studio. When doing this, it is recommended that you have knowledge about running a business. This is because most of the time, making a fun game is not enough to sustain an indie studio.
Summary
What you learned in this article:
- When considering a minor in game design, it is important to get a clear idea on the topics that will be covered
- Doing a minor in game design is worth it if your major is also also relevant for video game development
- Game Design is a specialization that deals with creating and maintaining a vision for a game.
- Game Development is usually referred to as implementing a game technically
- Since game development is hard work you should should be really passionate about it
- A minor lacks the depth to cover all the aspects that go into designing a game.
Conclusion
To conclude, we hope you now have a better understanding whether or not a Game Design minor is worth it for you. We looked at what most Game Design minors have to offer and if it’s relevant for your career goals. If you found this article helpful, please share it.
Further Reading
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