Animators need a keen eye for movement, timing, and detail, along with creativity and a passion for storytelling through motion. Animation plays a crucial role during the production phase, translating concepts into lifelike or stylized motions. If you enjoy bringing characters and worlds to life, this role lets you shape the emotional tone of the game.


This hub page features animation job role descriptions, links to our learning content, and access to our online community, where you can continue your journey and connect with thousands of animators at various stages of their careers.

Portfolio Live: Animation: Ross Thomas Everson

Animation: Industry Standard Animation Tools, What Are They and How to Master Them

Build your skills

I love the magic of giving personality and emotion to a character and seeing them on screen and even interacting with them.

What's the latest?

Animation breathes life into games by creating dynamic, believable movements for characters, creatures, and objects, making the game world feel immersive and engaging.

Specialisms include Gameplay Animator, Cinematics, Technical Animator, Motion Capture and more.

Animation

Artists need strong visual creativity, an understanding of design principles, and proficiency in tools like 3D modelling or illustration software. Art is vital from early concept development to the final game, establishing the look and feel of the entire experience. If you're passionate about creating stunning visuals, this role shapes the game's world.


This hub page features art job role descriptions, links to our learning content, and access to our online community, where you can continue your journey and connect with thousands of artists at various stages of their careers.

Art: Worldbuilding 2D Concept Art with Anna Hollinrake

Art: 2D Character Design with Lucy Kyriakidou

Art: Concept Art, What is it, how do I do it?

The skills you need for this role are 3D modelling, texturing, a good artistic eye, art fundamentals (composition, colour theory, etc), teamwork, communication, a good work ethic and a general interest in video games.

Art defines the visual identity of a game, crafting everything from characters to environments, creating the aesthetic that shapes the player's experience and supports the game's narrative.

Environment Artist, Character Artist, Technical Artist, UI Artist and more.

Audio professionals must have a strong ear for sound, creativity in audio design, and a passion for music and storytelling through soundscapes. Audio is woven into every phase of development, from concept to post-production, enhancing the emotional and atmospheric depth of the game. If you love creating immersive audio experiences, this role is essential.


This hub page features audio job role descriptions, links to our learning content, and access to our online community, where you can continue your journey and connect with thousands of audio professionals at various stages of their careers.

Audio: SFX, Music and Dialogue how to work with all three with Greg Lester

Audio: Sound Design, on a budget

An Introduction to Game Audio Design by Greg Lester

I work on anything that makes a sound in the game. Anything you hear such as when you swing a sword, when a character speaks to you, when music is playing or when you click a something and it goes 'ping', I create those sounds and I tell the game how and when to play them.

Audio enhances a game's atmosphere through sound design, music, and voice acting, playing a crucial role in building emotional impact and player immersion.

Audio

Community and marketing experts need strong communication skills, creativity in campaign strategies, and a passion for connecting with players. These roles are vital before, during, and after a game’s launch, helping to build excitement and foster a loyal player base. If you enjoy engaging with audiences and promoting great content, this is your place.


This hub page features community and marketing job role descriptions, links to our learning content, and access to our online community, where you can continue your journey and connect with thousands of community managers and marketers at various stages of their careers.

How to get a job in Games Marketing and Community Building | Into Games Career Fair

https://youtu.be/9YxziamqqUQ

Learn more about game marketing with Katherine

It's great to be the "face" of gaming. It's a lot of work, but it's really satisfying when someone tells you how much a game you worked on changed their life.

Community and marketing drive player engagement and game visibility, building and sustaining a loyal fanbase through communication, campaigns, and feedback-driven strategies.

Community and Marketing

Game designers must have a strong sense of creativity, analytical thinking, and an understanding of player psychology. Designers work throughout the development cycle, shaping the core mechanics, systems, and player experience. If you love planning how games work and creating engaging interactions, this role lets you influence the heart of gameplay.


This hub page features design job role descriptions, links to our learning content, and access to our online community, where you can continue your journey and connect with thousands of game designers at various stages of their careers.

Level up your Level Design with Oliver William Walker   Q&A Session

Game theory  Its impact on game design and strategy Feat  Jack Murrell

Level Design  Game theory basics, aiming to create engaging and balanced levels

It’s hard to spend your time working closely on a game and still be able to take a step back and figure out if it’s fun and what could be improved. You have to be able to decide whether an idea is worth persevering with or whether you need to change direction, sometimes multiple times in a week (or day!)

Design is at the heart of creating gameplay, responsible for shaping game mechanics, levels, systems, and player interactions to ensure a compelling and balanced experience.

Design

Producers and operations experts need strong organizational, communication, and leadership skills, with a passion for managing complex projects and teams. They are involved in every phase of game development, ensuring schedules, budgets, and resources align. If you enjoy coordinating efforts and solving logistical challenges, this role drives the development process.


This hub page features production and operations job role descriptions, links to our learning content, and access to our online community, where you can continue your journey and connect with thousands of producers and operations managers at various stages of their careers.

How to get a job in Games Production | Into Games Career Fair 2021

Production  Project Management terminology

Production: Is everything Agile  When to and not to use AGILE

Production tips and advice from the Pros

I love being able to work with all the different teams in the company. There's always a lot to learn from different areas. It's also great to be part of the projects from the beginning - it's rewarding to see the project come to life and grow, as well as the team and myself, we're also developing together to make the best product possible. 

Production and operations ensure the game development process runs efficiently, managing teams, schedules, and resources to keep projects on track and within budget.

Production and Operations

A successful programmer needs strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and a passion for logical thinking and technology. Programming is essential throughout the entire development process, from prototyping to final release, ensuring everything works as intended. If you love coding and solving complex technical challenges, this role is at the heart of game creation.


This hub page features programming job role descriptions, links to our learning content, and access to our online community, where you can continue your journey and connect with thousands of programmers at various stages of their careers.

Find out more about becoming a Games Programmer with Into Games

Breaking into Games Programming with Pavle Mihajlovic

Programming: Roles & Applications of Computer Science for Game Development

Programming  Engine concepts and learning the language

Programming Engine Concepts

When I see players enjoying the game I spent long and hard making, it makes it all worth while. But I think the most rewarding thing is feeling like I'm working with other developers who love their craft.

What’s the latest?

Programming is the backbone of game development, responsible for writing and optimizing the code that powers gameplay, systems, and visuals, ensuring the game runs smoothly across platforms.

Gameplay Programmer, Tools Engineer, AI Programmer, Graphics Programmer and more.

Programming

QA testers need a keen eye for detail, patience, and a passion for ensuring high-quality player experiences. QA is involved throughout the development process, finding and documenting bugs and performance issues before release. If you love problem-solving and ensuring games are polished, this role is critical to delivering a flawless final product.


This hub page features QA job role descriptions, links to our learning content, and access to our online community, where you can continue your journey and connect with thousands of QA testers at various stages of their career.

Quality Assurance: Standard QA processes tailored for bug investigations

Quality Assurance: Tools of the trade

Finding bugs is just the start though. They need to be logged, prioritised and put in front of the right people for fixing. Once fixed they then need retesting to make sure it works and that the fix hasn’t broken anything else in the game.

QA ensures the final product is polished and playable by rigorously testing for bugs, performance issues, and other potential problems, maintaining quality standards before release.

Quality Assurance

Waypoint London Launch

This is our report on the state of social mobility in the UK games sector and what we can do about it.

Report: Social Mobility in the UK Games sector 2024

See how Into Games has supported Ayo in a role in games.

Superstar Spotlight: Ayotunde Norman-Williams

Devolver Digital sponsors 200 free WASD tickets for low-income future devs

Talks, workshops and panels to help you learn everything you need to know to build a career in games.

Games in the City Festival hits Staffordshire University on 11-15th December!

An exciting 12 month partnership to help create better to help create a more Diverse UK Video Games Industry

Into Games Partners with Staffordshire University London

Into Games are delighted to announce a wonderful arrival to our family of Partners - the brilliant folks at Sharkmob London are joining as Into Games Industry Partners for 2023!

Sharkmob are joining as Into Games Industry Partners

How to Send your Game Jam Performance through the Roof with Anything World

A 2D Animator brings characters, environments, and objects to life in a game by creating smooth, engaging animations.

2D Animator

A 3D Animator takes characters, objects, and environments and creates realistic or stylized movements that enhance the game’s storytelling and gameplay experience.

3D Animator

AI Programmers make the brains for the automated characters in the game.

AI Programmer

An Art Director defines and oversees the visual style of a game, ensuring that every element— from characters to environments—works together to create a cohesive and engaging experience.

Art Director

Associate Games Producer helps a project run to time and budget, clearing the way for the game developers to do their work.

Associate Producer

A Business Development Manager in the games industry helps studios grow by identifying new opportunities, building relationships, and negotiating deals that help the studio thrive.

Business Development Manager

A Campaign Manager is responsible for planning and executing marketing campaigns to promote a game before and after its release. They make sure the right audience knows about the game and feels excited to play it.

Campaign Manager

A Character Artist creates the heroes, villains, and other characters that players will interact within a game. They make sure that each character looks distinctive, visually appealing, and fits the game’s style.

Character Artist

A Chief People Officer (CPO) ensures that the people working within a game studio are supported, engaged, and thriving. This executive-level role is focused on creating a positive company culture and managing the overall human resources strategy.

Chief People Officer

The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) oversees all technical aspects of a game studio, including the long-term strategy for tools, technology, and infrastructure.

Chief Technology Officer (CTO)

A Community Director is responsible for shaping the long-term strategy for building and engaging a game’s player community. They ensure that players feel connected, valued, and heard, creating strong relationships between the players and the game studio.

Community Director

A Community Manager is the bridge between a game studio and its players. They engage with the community, foster positive relationships, and keep players informed and excited about the game.

Community Manager

A Community Moderator ensures that the online spaces where players interact—such as forums, social media, and Discord—are safe, welcoming, and free from toxic behaviour.

Community Moderator

A Composer creates the music and soundtracks that set the mood and atmosphere in a game. From epic battle themes to quiet, emotional moments, the composer’s work defines how the game feels.

Composer

A Concept Artist is responsible for designing the initial look and feel of a game’s characters, environments, and other visual elements. Their sketches and illustrations help establish the artistic direction that will guide the rest of the development team.

Concept Artist

A Content Designer focuses on creating in-game content, such as quests, missions, or interactive elements, that aligns with the game’s overall narrative and design.

Content Designer

A Creative Director shapes the overall vision for a game, guiding its artistic, narrative, and design elements to create a cohesive and compelling experience for players.

Creative Director

A Data Analyst uses player data to provide insights into game design, player behaviour, and monetisation, helping the studio make informed decisions.

Data Analyst

A Design Manager ensures that the game design process runs smoothly and efficiently, managing a team of designers and overseeing the creation of the game’s core mechanics and systems.

Design Manager

A DevOps Engineer ensures that the development process runs smoothly by managing the tools, infrastructure, and workflows that keep game development teams productive and efficient.

DevOps

An Economist or Data Scientist analyses in-game economies and player data to inform design decisions and ensure that in-game currencies, rewards, and progression systems are balanced and engaging.

Economist/Data Scientist

An Economy Designer creates the in-game systems that define how players earn, spend, and manage resources, balancing in-game economies to ensure fairness and engagement.

Economy Designer

An Engine Programmer develops the core systems that power a game, focusing on optimising performance, rendering, and physics to ensure that the game runs smoothly across different platforms.

Engine Programmer

An Environment Artist creates immersive worlds where players explore and interact, bringing landscapes, buildings, and other environmental elements to life.

Environment Artist

Shoutcasters are the voices of esports, commentating on tournament games at real-world events and online.

Esports Shoutcaster

An Executive Producer oversees the entire game development process, ensuring that the project is completed on time, within budget, and to the desired quality level.

Executive Games Producer

A Financial Accountant in the games industry ensures that the studio’s finances are managed effectively, overseeing budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting.

Financial Accountant

Finance Directors are responsible for a company’s commercial well-being, designing strategies to secure financial security and growth.

Financial Director

A Fullstack Programmer develops both the front-end and back-end systems that power a game, working across the entire technology stack to ensure that the game’s infrastructure and user experience are well integrated.

Fullstack Programmer

A Game Balance Designer ensures that the mechanics, progression systems, and multiplayer elements of a game are fair, challenging, and enjoyable for all players.

Game Balance Designer

A game designer creates the rules, mechanics, and systems that shape how a game is played. They’re responsible for crafting the player experience, ensuring that the game is fun, challenging, and engaging.

Game Designer

A Game Director is responsible for overseeing the entire creative and production process of a game, making sure that the project achieves its overall vision and goals.

Game Director

A Gameplay Designer is someone who puts the pieces together and makes the game interactive, challenging and most importantly enjoyable.

Gameplay Designer

The Gameplay Programmer writes code for the mechanics and logic that make a game fun to play.

Gameplay Programmer

A Games Journalist writes about video games, covering everything from game reviews and news to industry trends and interviews with developers. Their work informs and engages the gaming community.

Games Journalist

A Games Producer manages the development process, ensuring that the project stays on track, on budget, and meets quality expectations. They act as the bridge between the development team and other stakeholders.

Games Producer

A Games Publisher is responsible for funding, marketing, and distributing games. They ensure the game reaches its audience and is commercially successful.

Games Publisher

A Generalist Programmer works across various aspects of game development, providing support wherever needed, from gameplay mechanics to tools and systems.

Generalist Programmer

A Graphic Artist creates visual elements for a game, including logos, icons, menus, and other 2D assets that enhance the player’s experience.

Graphic Artist

A Graphics Programmer focuses on the visual aspects of a game, working on rendering, lighting, shaders, and visual effects to ensure that the game looks stunning and runs smoothly.

Graphics Programmer 

An HR Manager in the games industry ensures that the studio runs smoothly from a people management perspective, handling recruitment, employee well-being, and development.

HR Manager

An IT Engineer ensures that the technical infrastructure of a game studio runs smoothly, managing hardware, software, and networks that support the development process.

IT Engineer

A Junior Programmer works alongside more experienced developers to write and maintain the code that powers a game’s mechanics, systems, and features.

Junior Programmer 

A Lead Programmer manages the programming team and oversees the technical aspects of the game, ensuring that the codebase is efficient, scalable, and well-structured.

Lead Programmer

A Level Designer creates the game’s environments, designing levels that challenge players, guide them through the story, and create memorable gameplay experiences.

Level Designer

How does the colour of the mountains change as dawn approaches? How is torchlight reflected in the dragon’s eye? What’s the player’s visibility as the fog rolls in? 

Lighting Artist

A Live Operations (LiveOps) Manager is responsible for managing a game after its release, ensuring that it stays engaging through regular updates, events, and community-focused initiatives.

Live Operations Manager

A Localisation Manager oversees the process of adapting a game for different languages and regions, ensuring that cultural nuances are respected.

Localisation Manager

A Localisation Tester ensures that a game is properly adapted for different languages and regions, checking for translation errors, cultural issues, and text that doesn’t fit the game’s context.

Localisation Tester

A Marketing Assistant supports the marketing team in promoting a game, handling tasks like social media posts, market research, and administrative duties.

Marketing Assistant

A Marketing Manager plans and executes marketing campaigns to promote games, building strategies to engage players and increase sales.

Marketing Manager

A Monetisation Designer is responsible for designing the in-game systems that drive revenue, particularly in free-to-play or live-service games.

Monetisation Designer

A Narrative Designer is responsible for crafting the storylines, dialogue, and narrative elements of a game, ensuring that the storytelling fits seamlessly with the gameplay.

Narrative Designer

A Network Programmer ensures that multiplayer games run smoothly by designing and maintaining the network systems that handle player connections, data exchange, and synchronisation.

Network Programmer

An Office Manager ensures the smooth running of the game studio by handling a range of administrative, logistical, and operational tasks.

Office Manager

An Outsourcing Manager handles the relationships between a game studio and external vendors or freelancers, ensuring that outsourced work meets the studio’s quality standards and deadlines.

Outsourcing Manager

A PR Manager is responsible for maintaining the public image of a game studio, handling media relations, press releases, and brand communications.

PR Manager

A Performance Marketing Lead manages paid advertising campaigns for a game studio, focusing on driving engagement and sales through data-driven strategies.

Performance Marketing Lead

A Personal Assistant (PA) provides administrative and organisational support to senior management or executives in a game studio, helping them stay on top of their busy schedules and responsibilities.

Audio

Check out this course:

Develop an Industry-Ready Audio Showreel with Alexander Horowitz

Audio Roles