How Can I Be A Better Games Designer?

Welcome to another Into Games Twitter Q&A which we host lunchtime every Thursday with industry professionals. Last Thursday we had the amazing opportunity to interview Vicky Boyce, Game Designer at Rebellion and a part of our Video Games Ambassadors Program.

In this interview, Vicky talks about what games inspired her to work in the games industry, advice for women hoping to join the games industry and her top resources for anyone thinking of working in games design.

First off, you said in the past you wanted to be a programmer when you were in school. What game inspired you to explore a career in games?

It was Final Fantasy 7 on the PS1. It was the first ever RPG that I ever played, and at the time I was obsessed with writing stories. To me this game was like an epic fantasy story that I could play out. That's when it hit me - I want to make games, especially games like this.

What has been your proudest moment in your career so far?

Going to E3 in 2019 to help demo Zombie Army 4: Dead War. For the first time I was seeing players play a game that was still in development and getting their reaction first time, which was a fantastic experience.

As a women in a Senior role in the games industry, what’s some advice you have for other women looking to join the games industry?

You've worked hard like anyone else who wants to get into the industry, so show them what you can do and what you're capable of.

Don't be scared to reach out for support either if you need encouragement or advice. And if you can't get the role you wanted, see if there's another role that you can do. I thought I wanted to be a programmer the whole time I studied, but it wasn't until after I graduated that I found that I was better suited in design instead.

What are your favorite types of games to work on?

At time moment I primarily work on action shooters, but I have enjoyed working on open-world RPGs and would love the opportunity to work on an RPG again.

You’ve been a part of our Video Games Ambassador programme for a while now. What does being a part of the programme mean to you?

It means a lot to me, as there wasn't anything like this when I first started on my career journey games. I didn't know who to speak to or where to go for advice; I just assumed that studying programming and doing a gaming-related degree was the only way to do it.

I'm in the VGA programme because I want to help others who are starting off in their path to working in games, and to offer advice and info to those who are considering it.

Being a great communicator is such an important part about what you do as a Senior Game Designer. Do you have any advice for how to express your ideas effectively?

I like to write down my ideas before trying to express them to others. In my head my ideas are all over the place, and quite often when I try to say what my idea is straight from my mind it ends up quite jumbled and all over the place.

So for me, I find it easier to write down my thoughts on paper or in notepad first, and then re-write those notes in a more sensible, logical, way that makes it easier for others to understand.

How do you feel about the games industry now in comparison to when you first started?

It has grown such much over the past 12+ years. It feels more inclusive, welcoming, and understanding of others from various backgrounds and experiences too.

And, I'll be honest, there are still issues that you hear in the gaming press. But now we have platforms and way of holding those who are in the wrong accountable, and there's plenty of support out there for those who need it too.

Chris Sayers From Into Games Discord - Do you have any readings/tutorials/guides for someone who has not been able to study Games Design officially?

I do, here's some links that you might find useful:

Gamasutra

Game Career Guide

Games Industry biz

World of Level Design

Unity Unite Now

YouTube Channels:

https://youtube.com/MarkBrownGMT

https://youtube.com/extracredits

https://youtube.com/unity

https://youtube.com/UnrealEngine

Books:

The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses by Jesse Schell

The Ultimate Guide to Video Game Writing and Design by Flint Dille & John Zuur Platten

Tom from Into Games Discord - What transferable skills from previous roles helped you to get where you are today?

Studying programming has helped me with being a systems designer as I have a more technical understanding of how things work 'under the hood' so to speak.

And as a producer, I learnt skills like time management, conflict resolution, communication skills, etc. Those skills definitely helped me as a senior; the more senior you are, the more responsibilities you end up taking on.

Chris Sayers From Into Games Discord - What should a Game Designer should include as part of a portfolio?

It depends on the type of Designer you want to be or role you're applying for. E.g. for a Level Designer then show off some good-quality level designs that you have made in any tool.

One thing to note: Always go for Quality instead of Quantity - show us the best that you can do.

Thank you so much again to Vicky Boyce for spending time with us and to the team at Rebellion for being such a supportive studio! If you want to learn more about Vicky be sure to follow her on Twitter and if you're an industry professional curious about the Video Games Ambassadors Program, we're hosting an event on Wednesday 25th August at 12PM to talk about what we do and how to join. You can sign up for this event here and in the mean time please head to the official website.

Our next Twitter Q&A we'll have 2 previous winners from our Side Quest Game Jams, Claire Langton-Goh (The Great McButter Escape) and Akvile (Eggcellent Care).