Education Paths & Gaining Experience

Self-Taught

• Free Courses
• YouTube Tutorials
• Read free books, guides, blogs, forum posts

Higher Education

• Community College
• University

Bootcamps & Courses

• Game Design bootcamps
• Art bootcamps
• Paid Online Courses

How Do I Get Experience?

Make Games or Part of a Game

Practice in your free time

There is only one way to get experience, and that is by using your free time to develop your skills.

• If you want to be a designer, then design, iterate, then document game mechanics and player experiences.
• If you want to be an engineer, then engineer tools and systems or implement designs.
• If you want to be a producer, then manage game projects.
• If you want to be an artist, then make art.
• If you want to be a tester, then report bugs.
• If you want to be a marketer, then make promote games on social media.
• If you want to be a community manager, then build and moderate a community.

The Video Game Industry is an Entertainment Industry, and you need to show that you have experience. Document your skills and accomplishments through your resume and portfolio.

Collaborate on group projects

Several game development communities allow individuals to collaborate with each other on game projects. Most are voluntary projects with potential rev-share agreements, and some do it on a paid contract basis.

Participate in Game Jams

Game jams are a great way to test your skills and make new friends. Encouraging you to create a game in a short timeframe.

Global Game Jam Ludum Dare Itch.io Jams

Resources