Game Designer Job Kit

CAREERS

withSTEM JOB KIT ™

Game Designer Turn ideas into playable experiences through creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving

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TOY RUMBLE, ISABELLA BONAZZA, DANIEL PIERI, RYAN HOLM, NATHAN IVANOFF, XAVIER MANAGREVE

the next level Design, build and launch your own games with hands-on learning from day one.

Torrens University Australia Ltd, ABN 99 154 937 005, RTO No. 41343, TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12209 (Australian University), CRICOS Provider Code: 03389E T/A Billy Blue College of Design at Torrens University Australia (Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane) and Media Design School (Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne & Sydney). Information provided in this document is current at the time of publishing (May 2026). T2271

FOREWORD

Game on

Be part of the single biggest entertainment medium in the world, while also educating, inspiring and fostering community

G

ame design is the craft of creating systems that spring to life with a player’s touch, generating epic battles, brain-busting puzzles, and of worlds that pulse with the promise eplay gam ring adventure. It’s about enginee of trol con take and empowering players to r othe no their entertainment in a way medium can.

Dr Dan Staines Senior lecturer, Billy Blue College of Design

IMAGES: SUPPLIED

t Video games aren’t just entertainmen , stry indu ure, though – they’re art, cult only just community. And the thing is, we’re ound prof the and erst und now star ting to te its ecia appr to and ium med power of this rm. capacity to educate, persuade, and info ning defi the Mark my words: video games are . medium of the new millennium to If you’re creatively inclined, it’s hard with rich as stry thin k of another indu ld opportunity as games and you shou e. spac this in er consider a care The first step is getting the right ost two qua lification at Billy Blue. I spent alm to um icul years redesigning our games curr the in ts ensure it reflects the major shif uates for gaming industry and prepares grad t. nex ing where the sector is head entrate In our game design degrees, we conc t asse is first The rs. pilla on three core ess of production, which is basically the proc els, making all the ‘stuff’ – thin k 3D mod so on animations, level architect ure and e. gam o – that goes into a finished vide re our whe , tion Second is design and idea ing pell com elop dev students learn how to them m sfor tran and tch concepts from scra into playable experiences. and Fina lly, there’s project management skills the production, which encompasses all work s team re and techniques needed to ensu best the together effectively to produce urces at possible games with the time and reso their disposal.

Bachelor of Arts (Ethics), UNSW Sydney Game design lecturer, The Wentworth Institute

Da favouritne’s game “Deus Ex. Th is

game w epiphany for me, de as a sor t of monstrati that v ideo ng g intellectua ames cou ld be lly and that p nourish ing powerfu l, lay can be a transfor experienc mative e.”

hear more from Dan about what the world of gaming at Billy Blue is like in this video: bit.ly/drdanstaines

At the end of their time with us, our graduates are equipped to make thei r mark on the industry. Alumni have gone on to work at a variety of loca l and internationa l development studios and game com panies, and have even star ted their own indi e studios.

Making games is one of the most crea tively rewarding experiences you’re ever likely to have. Enjoy exploring this Job Kit and all that game design has to offer.

Dr Dan Staines Senior lecturer, Billy Blue College of Design

PhD in Game and Interactive Media Design, UNSW Sydney

Editor, nextmedia

Course content developer + lecturer, AIE Institute

Adjunct lecturer, Macquarie University Senior lecturer, Billy Blue College of Design / Torrens University

Check out CareerswithSTEM.com for more insights, information, inspiration and advice about game design careers!

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GAME DESIGNER

DEEP DIVE

e t a e r c d n a e d o C

Game design and development is all about crafting unforgettable experiences. Are you ready to bring to life bold new worlds?

Myths busted There’s a big gap between what people think agribusiness is and what the job is really like! Let’s separate the myths from the reality.

#1 “The best games are developed by big companies.”

Reality: Indie gaming studios and developers drive a lot of the innovation in gameplay and storylines within the industry.

#2 “Making a video game is quick and easy.”

Could you be a game designer?

What is a game designer?

Someone who designs and develops video games for mobile, PC and consoles.

They work with technical and creative departments to come up with prototypes and concepts, plus oversee the process of making the game – from laying the design foundations to the game hitting the app store.

They’re also experts at knowing what makes games fun and use this in their storytelling and designs to make the gameplay experience for the user.

CAREERSwithSTEM.com

Count how many sentences apply to you: You love games

1 ’re a problem solver 2 You You enjoy blending 3 creativity with logic You’re great at stor ytelling 4 and world building want to work with software and tech 5 You You’re interested in 6 psychology Did you get a score of four or more? You would make an incredible game designer!

4

Reality: It’s actually an extremely complex process that involves many different components. These include game design, programming, user interface, storytelling, audio engineering, quality assurance… And we’re just scratching the surface here!

#3 “To make a video game, you need to be really good at programming.”

Reality: There are two sides to game development. These are game design and game programming. Game design is more focused on the creative and conceptual elements of a game, so this is perfect for someone who wants a slightly less technical role.

Course guide To be a game designer, you’ll need a solid qualification. Check out what Billy Blue College of Design offers:

Game design by the numbers 608.5 million =

2,443 =

the income generated

by Australian game development studios in 2025

13.7 =

the number of full-time employees in Australian game dev studios

the percentage increase in game designer and game developer job growth over the next five years

Game Design: • Advanced Diploma of Game Design and Development achelor of Game •B Design and Development Programming: • Advanced Diploma of Game Programming • Bachelor of Game Programming

Pick your path Skill up

WORDS: LOUISE MEERS | IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK | BY THE NUMBERS STATISTICS: NTERACTIVE GAMES & ENTERTAINMENT ASSOCIATION, SEEK

To find out more, visit bit.ly/billyblue-gaming or scan the QR code

Billy Blue perks with Studying game design l: u’l yo s Billy Blue mean

e ✔ Make games from day on ✔ Work alongside industry experienced lecturers ct ✔ Undertake a major proje as part of your studies, ready to showcase your work to future employers ial ✔ Understand the commerc ’s rld realities of the wo largest entertainment industry and how ethical global games get made ns ✔ Have flexible study optio to get your study/life balance just right

At Billy Blue, you’ll get hands-on with tools gaming giants and studios use through the below industry and academic partners.

Unreal Academic Partner Program Billy Blue is an official Unreal Academic Partner.

This means Bachelor of Game Design and Development students gain access to world-leading Unreal Engine tools and resources used by top game studios worldwide.

PlayStation® First Academic Development Partner Game Programming students get to develop games using the PlayStation® 5 Platform with exclusive access to Professional Development Kits and Tools.

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Character Artist AVERAGE SALARY:

$78,000 - $94,000 Game Designer AVERAGE SALARY:

$117,000 - $145,782 Environment Animator AVERAGE SALARY:

$111,734 - $172,005 2D/3D Animator AVERAGE SALARY:

$97,500 - $123,068

$

$

Video Game Programmer

AVERAGE SALARY:

$79,500 - $96,000 C++ Programmer AVERAGE SALARY:

$79,500 - $108,500

$

App Developer AVERAGE SALARY:

$82,500 - $126,000 Gameplay Programmer AVERAGE SALARY:

$87,034 - $96,000 *Salaries according to au.talent.com and are in AUD

GAME DESIGNER

REAL PEOPLE

Levelling up

his career! bby will soon become Karl Dalrymple’s ho

K

om Gustav from ent, I wou ld say embod ies hop Exped ition 33. He e g rou nded in wh ile remain ing re experiencin ality. Despite g doubt, pan ic, and defeat, he co to push forw ntinues ard.”

Fun fact

Final Fantasy X inspired Karl to pursue game desig n!

karl Dalrymple game design student

Bachelor of Game Design and Development, Billy Blue College of Design at Torrens University (current student)

“If you want to be in game design, stay curious, keep creating, and don’t be afraid to try new things.”

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WORDS: LOUISE MEERS | IMAGES: SUPPLIED, GAMESPRESS

since arl’s been an avid gamer rs, yea the er Ov . he was a kid ity, ios cur to ned tur n his passio how and he began to wonder g were yin pla s wa he the games rolling made. This led him to en Design in the Bachelor of Game Blue. ly and Development at Bil d the oye enj So far, he’s really ly on ot “N . rse depth of the cou h suc , ory the ed have we explor es, gam eo vid hin as ethics wit the but we’ve also worked on ry step eve ng rni lea e, sid cal practi gh ou from initial blockouts thr del.” mo a ng to rigging and animati to e lov uld After uni, Karl wo while become a game designer, skills in his p elo dev continuing to ation. cre et ass d an g 3D modellin e, Karl As for his dream workplac talented believes there are many s creating dio game development stu ing part of “Be es. incredible experienc a major e lik l fee any of them would .” eer car am dre step toward my eer car a on n kee o If you’re als ommends in game design, Karl rec ve tools in experimenting with creati your spare time. nder, or “Free software such as Ble Unreal d an ity game engines like Un how e lor exp you Engine, can help ng ati cre rt sta d an games are made s. say he ts,” jec pro all your own sm of les your “As you learn, keep examp tches, 3D work, whether they are ske es. These models, or even simple gam time and r ove h will show your growt enjoy you at help you discover wh .” ign des e most about gam

Game chara Karl’s most cter like “At the m

Play by your own rules

nicolas wood director at rollmop games studio

Want to know what it’s like to have your own games studio? Nicolas Wood talks it through below

N

Studio, icolas runs Rollmop Games inal, orig g atin cre on s use which foc more and s interesting indie experience s. ces pro n atio importantly, enjoying the cre the ting put are Currently, he and the team cial mer com ond sec finishing touches on their ers play e, gam the release, Laballatory. In machines, explore a laboratory filled with creating and n ctio fun y the working out how to escape. a New ton’s Cradle in order d on finding our use foc s ject pro t “Our firs est ablishing footing in the industry and to make our toolsets and infrastructure e,” Nicolas agil proces s sustainable and es, of course, gam ing explains. “We were mak enable to ls too ing but we were also mak tried and are ls too se Tho t. game developmen dy to embark on tested now, and we are rea space! something big ger.” Watch this rking with The best par ts of his job? “Wo ing that we eth som a team to design and build proces s ign des the WANT to build. I also find

Let’s go!

Check out Rollmop Games Studio’s first game, Tetro Runner, on Steam: bit.ly/tetrorunner and their upcoming title Laballatory: bit.ly/laballatory

A typical day for Nicolas 7am I take my coffee to my work station and open up the task lists, Unity and Rider. I also open YouTube and browse the video headlines for any big releases or gaming related news.

10.30am

By this time, I’ve picked some small jobs off the task list to build momentum.

After a few quick wins, I pick a larger task and get stuck into it.

ver y exciting.”

’ Nicolasa g me favouritegrew up

1pm I’m either grooving along or banging my head on the desk – both are common.

I “Diablo 2. oth the d an lack b play ing it nd the desire to a capabil ity e heav y cur tain th separate e game ia from th of nostalg e that star ted experienc am ing!” me in g

2pm Short break for a second coffee! If I’m stuck on a problem, I might switch over to some modelling or other asset generation.

WORDS: LOUISE MEERS | IMAGES: SUPPLIED

4.30pm

Meet with the team’s other main developer. This keeps us aligned and serves as a general check-in on task status. It also offers us the chance to showcase what we might have built.

Technical writer for defence industry firms

Bachelor of Game Programming, Billy Blue College of Design at Torrens University

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Director at Rollmop Games Studio

GAME DESIGNER

NEXT STEPS

skill up

If you want to be an excellent game designer, you’ll ne ed to scrub up on the following soft skills:

✔ Communicatio n ✔ Creativity ✔ Empathy ✔ Flexibility ✔ Problem solving ✔ Resilience ✔ Teamwork ✔ Time managem ent

r game design career Here are the cheat codes to kickstarting you

Watch

Follow

How the Inventor of Mario Designs a Game (YouTube)

Shigeru Miyamoto’s design philosophy is explained in this video.

See what Billy Blue students and alumni are up to:

@whoisbillyblue Scan here to watch!

Hideo Kojima: Connecting Worlds (Disney+)

Billy Blue College of Design

Get a rare insight into the creative process of Metal Gear’s designer as he launches his own independent studio.

And be inspired by these game designers and developers:

Try out these games developed by local designers: Polar Pathways

back Help a little penguin trying to find his way ways rpath /pola to his community: bit.ly

Salmon Rush

g A falling object game – score points by gettin the g durin fish of types the bear to eat the right salmon rush: bit.ly/salmonrush

An indie developer making a psychological horror game about investigating a teenage girl’s computer!

read

@gameloftbne Scan here to watch!

‘How to Create a Video Ga me’

by Dr Dan Staines

A leading game development studio in Brisbane that’s published titles like Carmen Sandiego and My Little Pony.

Ever wondered how games go from an idea to something people can actu ally play?

Here’s the step-by-step breakd own: bit.ly/createavideogame

@playsidestudios

Australia’s largest developer!

They create games for PC, mobile, console and virtual reality.

kli

play

@SonderingEmily

How Minecraft was Made (YouTube)

Find out more about the humble beginnings of the best-selling video game in the world.

Billy Blue College of Design

Electives chec

st Choose these su bj ec ts you’re still at sc while hool: ✔ Desig n and te chnolog y ✔ Sof tware desi gn and developmen t ✔ Visua l arts

apply

y Blue College of Explore scholarships at Bill University: s ren Design powered by Tor s hip lars bit.ly/TorrensScho

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This edition was published on 17 June 2026

WORDS: LOUISE MEERS | IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK

Get the job!