The game designer is undoubtedly the most characteristic and at the same time the most controversial profession in the game sphere. Probably, no specialty throughout the industry is surrounded by such a romantic halo. Some believe that gamemeraduers do not exist, others in response intelligibly explain what their immediate and unique role is.

And now, while philosophical disputes are underway about whether to be or not, the market at this point remains pretty heated: game designers are looking for projects, and projects – game designers. What role do these “city crazy” play, which can easily not be able to draw, program and sell, but still remain in demand?

SPICE Recruitment employees talked with those who know about the intricacies of this profession firsthand.

Participants in the conversation

Alexander Podrezov , Game designer at Zeptolab

Artem Radchenko , Leading game designer in Nival

Anton Mikhailov , Leading game designer at Tortuga Team

Ivan Slovtsov , Game designer at Ice-Pick Lodge

Andrey Torchinsky , Gameloft game designer

Yaroslav Kravtsov , Designer levels in Mail.ru Group

Vitaly Agafonov , Leading game designer in Nival

Andrey Popovich , Senior game designer, Wargaming.Net

What does the game designer do?

Alexander Podrezov

In general, the task of the designer is to come up with the rules, to balance the game so that it is interesting, honest and evokes certain emotions (excitement, a sense of achievement, awareness of their skill). The designer determines what elections the player makes and how they affect the game situation. For example, what weapon a character can use against a certain enemy and why.

Artem Radchenko

I am engaged in the design of the game and its components – especially the rules by which the game works. This requires, among other things, the understanding and design of the basics of the gameplay – what, why and why the player does, why he is interested in what experience he gains or worries.

Actually, here it is necessary to design (in other words, to design) many different game systems and a mechanic – how the combat system interacts, a rewarding system, a development system, how they work in their own and in conjunction with others. This all needs to be documented and conveyed to other participants in the development process so that the whole team has a single vision and understanding of the game and the final goal.

► Each element of the game should be in harmony with the rest, without this good work, it will not work for anything.

Anton Mikhailov

We only finished the continuation of our strategic game Braveland Wizard. With her example, I can say that the work of a game designer begins earlier than someone else. A small concept document is created, which is shown to the team and discussed. Then the decision is made: to make such a game or not. It is necessary to convince people that the concept is interesting, and for this you need to believe in it yourself and have a vision.

Further, the game designer paints the game in detail. A design document describes the game in detail. For Braveland Wizard , For example, this is a multi -page "Executiveist", where the parameters of fighters, bosses, the progress of the hero, the level of complexity are calculated. A separate document sets out a plot, describes game locations, select examples of how certain fighters and opponents should look like.

After that, the "field work" is already going on. The result is constantly being watched, everything is discussed, improvements are made. Work on the game is going.

► Fallout 2 One of the few games where freedom of action is not an empty phrase. Now imagine how difficult it was to calculate all the capabilities of the player!

How they become gamed -designers?

A reasonable question arises: how to get into this profession? Study at Scream School and achieve internships, expand the functionality of the more familiar positions of the artist or programmer, score your own project in the evenings?

As any activity that does not require special education, this profession accumulates people with a wide variety of history.

Alexander Podrezov

I got to the industry by chance. Of course, like many others, in my youth I dreamed of making games, but I could not even imagine that I would really do it.

I was at competitions in Taiwan, when a letter came from a friend describing the scriptwriter’s vacancy at Stork, in my hometown of Orel. I, an unemployed sociologist, interested a vacancy. In addition, by this time I had a single literary prize for participating in an accidental competition.

The phrase “who got into this world – has become happy forever” refers not only to the cinema, but also to the gaming industry. Having received invaluable experience at Stork, I decided to move on. But where could the former athlete, sociologist, marketer and screenwriter go? Of course, to Moscow. I was lucky: I quickly found a job in Glu Mobile, and it was great! Of course, I did not have great design experience, but the company mastered new technologies and a new monetization model, https://twinky-win-casino.co.uk/ and I was useful. Like my knowledge of English. In addition, I was ready to study.

► to answer for the development of games, it is not at all necessary to be able to program (although it will definitely come in handy). Benois Sokal, for example, is an excellent artist, and this is noticeable.

Ivan Slovtsov

I entered the game industry from the front door – I started to make games. At some point, the question arose "what is now?". I had a certain amount of money for which I could hold out for some time, as well as the circle of acquaintances, like me, who wanted to "do something of my own". And at that moment the “seditious” thought occurred to me to do what I could not even dream of – video games.

I am an avid player, and it always seemed to me that making games is the best work of all possible (by the way, it turned out to be true, at least for me). But I could not even think that I would someday do it myself and earn money on it.

It turned out that “making games” is a little more difficult than creating amateur cards or modifications. But finish the game to the end and sell it much harder than it might seem at the beginning.

I have proclaimed myself a gamemerator in our newly made team as the most “playing” person (and as the least qualified in the code and art). The experience of conducting projects in IT helped me a lot here. As a result, it turned out that in the indie project it would not be possible to be “just a game designer”, so I had to study in addition a game on Duda and balalaika, but this is a completely different story.

► The magnificent Sickle and Hammer was created by fans of Silent Storm Operations, who were noticed in time for publishers. In general, a lot of talented gamemeracies began with modifications of their favorite games.

Andrey Torchinsky

This happened in the third year of the university. I was then fond of 3D art and wanted to become an artist, not a designer. I even made a couple of orders as a freelancer, but that was all ended. When he wrote a diploma, he began to seriously think about where to go further and look for options. They didn’t take me an artist-there wasn’t enough skill, there was no specialized education-but they offered the position of a level designer in the MMO project.

It seemed to me a good compromise – to, so to speak, to join and catch. I had a little experience in developing modifications (I made cards for CS And Alien Shooter ) that also played into my hand. At the same time, it was possible to talk with more experienced artists, work with tools and everything is like that.

So I ended up in It Territory.

There was no clear border, just once I began to combine the responsibilities – to write scripts, quests, and start monsters in the admin panel. Along the way, I talked tightly with other gamemeemes, listened and studied. The final transition occurred when I got to the mobile unit. There was no longer a work associated with the creation of large locations, and I focused on game activities, chips, learning curve and other.

Yaroslav Kravtsov

Since childhood I liked to create games. For me, the game is primarily a special experience that cannot be obtained in any way. Therefore, hands were drawn to construct this experience, gathering into a single whole work of programmers, artists, soundtracks. Being an amateur, I dealt with a ready -made engine and asses, and when I rose to a professional level, I had to learn to communicate with people. This is a very important skill for the designer.

I left on dtf.ru resumes, where I honestly and verbose that I could not do anything, there is no professional experience, but I played a lot and did amateur levels, and therefore I want to be a level designer. By modern standards, such a resume is a complete failure, but then, in 2007, there was a golden time, and they took me to work in a week.

► level design is especially important for session online games. Each box on de_dust2 for some reason is needed.

Vitaly Agafonov

I always liked computer games, and at times I got into the editors and scripts of those games that it was easy. Having graduated from the MHCMAT of Moscow State University and having worked a year in certification by “almost in the specialty”, I came to the seemingly obvious conclusion that it was not too interesting to do eight hours a day for two or three hours allocated on a hobby in the evening-not the most Fascinating schedule. I looked at companies involved in the development of games, vacancies, which, according to the requirements, could go through mathematicians, chose their favorite, sent out the resume.

Persistently knocked on the vacancy of the junior game designer in several companies, including Nival. First in the form on the site, then to the email address of the personnel department, even coped with the phone on the status of the resume. Then there was a couple of interviews with designers who were remembered by the format: instead of the usual questionnaires “question-answer” and logical tasks of the type “Name ten pluses of round shape of the covers of the sewer hatch”-an almost informal conversation about the hobby, the analysis of gaming mechanics and various classes of characters in the characters in Dungeons & Dragons. This attitude pleasantly surprised.

► Flexible editors of cards not only significantly prolong the life of the games, but also give beginner developers a chance to break into the Premier League.

Artem Radchenko

From childhood I dreamed of becoming a game designer. Made his cards, modifications and missions for Red Alert 2, For example. More serious work has already begun on text assignments to supplement " Space rangers 2 " – I was then an active community member and, when I turned up the opportunity to work for my favorite game, I gladly agreed.

Then I worked on mobile games for almost a year and I received the basic skills of professional game design, but later I realized that I did not like the work on the "mobile phones". Then he saw a vacancy to the level designer, responded, did a test task, and they immediately took me. And then I moved to Nival, where I work to this day.

I began as a level designer, but sought to develop in both directions, the benefit in Allods Team, where I worked, it was very good with this – the duties of the level designer were almost no different from the duties of the game designer.

Actually, in the same place, communicating with experienced colleagues, reading relevant literature and solving design problems, I turned into a game designer. Later, having decided to move on, I moved to the St. Petersburg Office Nival to the position of the leading game designer and now I am developing " Blitzkrieg 3 ".

► amateur and not very modifications for the cult “blitzkrieg” have been created so much that you can’t count.

What mistakes do game designers make?

Gam -designers with completely unlike experience behind them, coming from a variety of directions, still often step on the same rake. Although there is an opinion that they do not learn from other people's mistakes, it is always good to have the instructions "how to do not do".

Anton Mikhailov

No need to take a large project. It is better to start small. And keep in mind that the game designer is partly the architect. Completely without understanding programming in no way. He must be aware of the consequences of certain decisions. Will the team be able to do this? Will the scattered parts of the game work together? In general, you have to keep a lot of factors in my head, and in order to learn to hold the focus of the project, it is better to start with small games and bring them to the end. And, of course, from the project to the project you need to increase the bar.

► Jenova Chen started with small projects in all respects, but here Journey You can't call a little one.

Ivan Slovtsov

The game design can be approached from different angles, and not one of them will be “true” or “wrong”. Someone creates a game mechanics with which it would be interesting to deal with how it is visualized, and begins to add details around it (" Mario ", Angry Birds ). Someone takes emotion, mood or idea and tries to convey it with the help of the game ( Gone Home, Papers, Please).

Sometimes completely amateurish "non -canonical" approaches to the creation of games form new genres and games that become cult. Creating a “list of rules”, the gamemeranean limits itself strongly, and often you can miss something very important, which ends outside the “correct game design”.

Perhaps the only thing I can advise: do not think that game design is just. The creation of a game is like drawing up a map of the area that changes every time you go to bed. The next morning you can realize: that which seemed to you obvious and undeniable does not correspond to reality.

► Dear Esther Initially, was an experiment, a modification on the engine Half-Life 2. And now? Now we have a whole new genre. It is often contemptuously called a “walking simulator”, but we prefer the term “interactive parach.

Andrey Torchinsky

First increase your authority. Start small: show that your ideas are correct, that they work. Even if these will be small minor chips, but the chips are correct. Then people will begin to listen to you. Shouting “I'm a game designer, I know better than you!»Definitely not worth.

Do not have a word for everyone and agree with everyone. Have your point of view and do not be afraid to defend it reasonably. This does not mean that you should be a stubborn ram and ignore someone else's opinion, but spinelessness is unacceptable. Why do you need a game designer for which all decisions are made by other people?

Andrey Popovich

It is important for a novice game designer to understand that the development of games is 90% business and only 10% creativity. Simply put, games are created not for the realization of the creative potential of the team, but for the sake of money. Therefore, the game must satisfy the needs of a certain target audience. The task of the game designer is to choose a set of game features that will meet the needs of the selected audience.

To do this, you need to be able to step on the throat personal preferences and make the game not for yourself, but for players. It's not easy at all. You have to put yourself in place, say, housewives and analyze the concept of the game in terms of what it can be interesting to the kitchen to the kitchen, and what is superfluous in it.

And only over time, having stuffed your hand and gaining experience, can you slowly introduce your ideas, adapting them to the needs of a particular audience.

► high sales and a huge audience – also quite indicators of the talent of the work.

Artem Radchenko

Do not solve the problems of the system with small "crutches". For example, in one MMOPRG there was a very complicated quest that many players with warrior characters could not pass. A bad design decision would give all warriors an increase during the performance of this quest, and good – look at the task mechanics and process it a little (or weaken the pressure).

You need to think more often on why force the player to do something specific. If the action does not carry a gameplay load, then it will not force the player to move his brains – and this is an excellent candidate for release or automation. For example, if the player needs to do the same in the same situation (the infantry is pressed the “Lay” button when the shelling begins), it is better to automate it (the infantry should come down when they are firing it).

You also need to constantly ask yourself a lot of questions – than at every particular moment the game is busy player? What he thinks about? Is there a significant choice in the decisions made by it? Is it bored with repeating actions? Is it too intense the gaming process? When it is time to let him do something else?

► one of the gamed -design errors of the first Mass Effect – Frankly boring trips on a combat all -terrain vehicle. The idea is curious, but it was not interesting to realize it, so in the second part we explored the planet already in a completely different way.

By whom and what the gamemeracies are inspired?

Copy successful products – the path is not the most successful, moreover, they do not argue about tastes, but there are games with which the resourceful game designer will be able to use as a textbook. Where to look for inspiration?

Anton Mikhailov

For me it is Dima Gusarov ( King’s Bounty, " Space rangers "), Alexander Mishulin ( Heroes of Might and Magic 5, Silent Storm), Andrey Kuzmin, aka Krank (" Vananers " And " Perimeter "). An interesting direction of gaming design is developed by Nikolai Dybovsky (" Mor. Utopia ").

It is more difficult with foreigners, but I really like the game design League of Legends, Starcraft 2 And Hearthstone. In relation to the history and dialogues, the king of the genre, in my opinion, is Tim Schafer ( Full Throttle, Grim Fandango, Broken Age).

Well, how can I not mention the icon of the industry – Siger Miyamoto? His most important games do not even need excess mention!

► It is difficult not to be inspired Hotline Miami – Small means of Dennaton Games have created an amazingly stylish and cult project.

Alexander Podrezov

I will not give examples of "large" games, since several designers usually work on them. To illustrate outstanding design work, projects of small teams are better suited. I really like VLAMBEER games ( Super Crate Box , Ridiculous Fishing ), where the designer works Rami ISmail, Dennaton Games games ( Hotline Miami ), there is a designer Cactus. However, most of all I am enthusiastic about the games from Teknopants ( Uberleben , Shoot First , Action Fist , 0space , Samurai Gunn ) which Beau Blyth creates.

Andrey Torchinsky

Tetris , Portal, Monument Valley, Clash of Clans, Little Big Planet, All nominees and IGF winners.

Yaroslav Kravtsov:

For me, at a special level of evolution of gamedes, there are games with a minimum of interface elements. Both parts Portal , Limbo, Journey , Flower, Gone Home , The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, Amnesia, Another World, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons and others. The designers of these games were able to do with those mechanics that they can convey to the player through the game world.

► it would be wrong to say that Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons "Leaves" on one creative idea. In addition to the unusual management of brothers, providing unique game experience, a well -set and incredibly beautiful story also plays a role here.

Vitaly Agafonov

Personally, I have always been delighted by designers, allowing not only to go through a certain plot workpiece from the authors, but also to create my own worlds and adventures. Of those that are remembered on the move, – Neverwinter Nights , " Heroes of Sword and Magic ", Series The Elder Scrolls.

Artem Radchenko

Almost all modern AAA class projects, which everyone has to be heard, and Battlefield , And Call of Duty , And Starcraft , And Dragon Age. I especially want to note Brothers: Tale of Two Sons , where is the best of the narrative design I have seen, as well as Divinity: Original Sin, where one of the best role systems over the past few years, with a huge number of combinations of spells, situations and opponents.

► Divinity: Original Sin It can well revive the fashion for freedom in role -playing games. But will other game designers go in the footsteps of Larian Studios?

* * *

The game designer is such a profession in which it is absolutely necessary to constantly be “in the topic”, quickly respond to the gaming industry trends and generate fresh ideas. To do this, you can use very different resources: from thematic blogs and periodicals to art works.

If you want to become a game designer, but do not know where to start – start, for example, by studying the blogs of your favorite developers. You will almost certainly open new facets of the game industry.

After many important conferences of developers, there are also archives of lectures and performances. For example, GDC Vault is full of free and very cognitive materials. There are records of reports from the annual DICE summit, and if you are interested in Russian -speaking events, you can delve into the archives of Devnight. Sometimes direct broadcasts are even conducted from such meetings.

Well, when you still decide to tell the world about yourself, our tips will probably come in handy!