The article below will give you a basic guide on game development and how to define your needs before you start looking for a team.

Learn about the different ways to find dedicated game developers who can create your next masterpiece.

need game designer freelance consultant in usa

What is Game Design? A Guide for Making Games

What is Game Design? A Guide for Making Games

Making video games can be a difficult and intensive process, whether it's a platformer for a child or a more complex game.

The complexity of video mobile games begins at the game concept stage, where all projects begin. Even though some may wish for it, just thinking about an idea does not make a game exist.

What is a game creator to do when they get an idea? Here is the beginning of the game design academy story, an exciting subfield in game development that is vital to the whole process.

This article will explore the basics of what game designing is, the career that it offers, and why game design is important to game development. You'll find a lot of helpful resources to help you learn how to design sort of games and use them in your projects.

This first section will look at game design at its most basic level. It will help us to establish the foundation for our career in video game developer design and also give beginners a better idea of what it is.

The planning part of making a game can be referred to as the design. It is a combination of technical and creative soft skills, which combine to create a coherent and fleshed-out idea.

People can then work on it using concrete tasks. It doesn't matter what the idea is as long as it is the inspiration for the design of the game.

This idea alone isn't enough to create a game. We're instead left with many questions.

  • How does Player look?
  • What is the best way to present "choices?" in a video game? Dialogue or gameplay itself.
  • What are the best ways to balance a video game that kills you in one hit? Is it single-player or multiplayer games?
  • Which weapons or items can you find in the video game?
  • What is the story behind these games?

You can go on for hours answering these types of questions. But you might not know that the answer to these questions forms a big part of game design! You can design a game by using these elements - the plot and characters, the level design, the gameplay mechanics, the aesthetics, the fun expressions, and the core mechanics.

Game designers must answer every little detail. They take the base idea and make a story out of it. It's a very specific narrative that explains what needs to be done to put together a complete video game.

The Technical Side

We can't ignore the fact that video game design remains a technically-based field, despite how creative it may sound.

In the USA, Game Designers and Freelance consultants are expected to have a basic understanding of math, programming, and computer science. In larger teams, the Game Designer Freelance Consultant may not have to do any programming at all.

However, they must possess the necessary background to supervise the production of the game. Suppose a game programmer in the team creates something that does not test.

In that case, the designer will have difficulty communicating the problem and average rate, as they may have unfamiliar skills with how the game is constructed. Having the technical knowledge will make it easier to communicate as you refine and polish the design.

It is also important to note that many game genres demand a lot of math. Suppose you are making a strategy city-building game, for example.

In that case, you will need to know how to calculate overhead costs or hourly rate, manage helpful resources, set up timetables, etc. It will be necessary to test, balance, test again, rebalance, etc. To do this and to make the original formulas, you will need a solid understanding of mathematics.

Game concept design is not just about the fun stuff. It can be about the mundane business side of things, like how to plan the game from scratch for the audience.

Differences from Game Developer

Let's take a minute to discuss the elephant in our room before we talk about professional careers for game designers.

How does a designer of games differ from game developers? It's a difficult question to answer because it is dependent on the personal circumstances of each designer, certain technicalities, and the contexts in which terms are used. We can break down the question as much as we can.

Most game designers are also game developers. Game design is not a separate field but rather a part of video game development.

Even if you are a UX/UI game designer, the people who work in these fields will still be considered game developers. They may have specialties but are still part of the team.

When people use the term "game developers," they don't refer to specific subfields. Instead, it is a general description of programmers that work closely with designers and helps plan the technical details like data structures and objects.

These developers are also expected to have an excellent understanding of computer science compared to those in other fields. This article goes into more detail on game development. Still, it is important to note that the two terms used are generally different.

One refers to planning, and the other to programming.

It is also worth noting that, in the independent sector, where most video games are developed solo, the "game designer" can be in total charge.

There is much overlap between the two. A game cannot be made without planning, and someone will have to design the game at some stage.

The best way to get around the world, however, is to concentrate on game design, as an individual subfield, rather than focusing on differences.

Everyone involved in the creation of a video game has a role to play.

Discover our Unique Services - A Game Changer for Your Business!

Game Design as a Career in the USA

Game Design as a Career in the USA

Let's take a look at the career of a game designer in the industry. This section is worth exploring, even if video games are only a hobby.

Game industry involves more than just playing and having fun. This section may give you a better idea of what you can expect if you decide to pursue this career.

Activities

We'll begin by discussing the types of things a game designer in the entire gaming industry might be doing. Many of these activities will not be surprising to you now that you understand game design.

Before we proceed, it is important to note that every video game and development gamemaker studio in the USA has a different game designer.

Some of these activities may not be done by a designer, depending on their team composition and the type of game they are working on (different video games require different technical skills), while others could do them all. Consider this list when you decide if this career is right for you!

Script/Story Writing

A game designer may spend considerable time on the script/story, especially if a narrative is part of the game. It involves establishing the story, the history of the place, the characters, the backstory, the plot, and possibly writing the entire dialogue.

The game designer can work with writers in larger teams to complete some of the various tasks. A game designer is often intimately involved with the creation of the story.

Plan and Create Game Art

A game designer is responsible for deciding the aesthetics of a video game. It can be character design, visual scripter environment design, and more.

Here, technical decisions are also made, like whether or not to use 3D graphics, pixel art, etc. In some cases, the game designer creates a concept and then gives it to a professional artist who will flesh out the idea into something usable that can be sent to creators of assets.

Other times, the concept art created by the designer can be used to create the game assets.

Designing Levels/Puzzles/Challenges

One thing almost all video games have in common is that there are "levels" - i.e., The game takes place in these spaces.

The Best Game Designer will plan out every aspect of the single-level games, such as a stage in a combat game. It can include planning battles and puzzles if the game requires it. A freelance game consultant or a freelance software developer can also help implement the levels by placing assets, etc.

This allows them to make changes as they progress to ensure the best possible game.

Plan Interfaces

If the UI/UX designer is not on your remote team, what will you do? All these interfaces, whether they are an inventory screen or a video game encyclopedia.

They can also be a simple text score. This is a very important aspect of a game, and designers spend considerable time on it. It's one of the primary ways that players receive information.

Also Read: Who Are The Most Famous Video Game Designers Of All Time

Gameplay

Video game designers are responsible for deciding the mechanics and gameplay of their games. This is more important than any of the other activities.

A game designer is crucial in making decisions about these things, even if they are just how quickly a character can jump. A game designer will usually start by writing a Game Design document to lay out everything for themselves or a team.

A game designer will then tweak the design to make sure that every detail is presented well and the player feels comfortable as they play the game.

Communication and Collaboration

Video game designers may also do this activity in the world of work, depending on how big their team is. We discussed in the previous activity how a game designer might delegate specific tasks to specialists.

In this case, the game designer spends a great deal of time collaborating and communicating with the remote team to ensure that everything produced - be it art or programming - meets the requirements of the design.

Programming

This activity is also entirely dependent on the circumstances. Many game designers are involved in some way with the game's programming.

It can be as simple as helping other programmers or overseeing technical aspects to ensure the game is in line with what was intended by the designer. Even if you do not program, having some knowledge of programming is useful, as certain aspects of the game's design rely on technical constraints.

Test and Change

Testing and changing is a huge step for designers of video games. Video games are not just supposed to be fun. They should also provide a quality, consistent experience.

In the USA, game designers will test every part of the game to determine how the game feels, if there are mechanics which are not working or affecting the game's competitiveness, etc. After these issues have been identified, game designers will tweak the design of the video game until it is as good as possible in terms of the core concept.

Game Development Process before You Hire a Full-Time Consultant

Game Development Process before You Hire a Full-Time Consultant

The first stage is the pre-production phase, in which the idea for the game is developed. Next, there's the production phase, where the game idea begins to take shape; it is also the most time-consuming.

Post-production is the last stage, in which all bugs have been fixed and launched. It is important to understand how the stages of development work so that you can define your game project's scope. You will also need to decide the professional and the number of them.

Pre-Production

Many people ignore this stage, thinking that the finer details will be worked out later. You are laying the groundwork for your future game projects.

You will have fewer issues during subsequent stages if the document you write is more detailed. What should you learn from this experience?

Budget for the Game: This allows you to determine how much money you're willing to spend and how many features your game can have.

Profit is important in the long run.

Gaming Platform: You can choose the gaming online platform. You can choose from a PC, iOS, or Android device, a console, and even cross-platform.

Reports claim that smartphone gaming is the most important online platform for the future. Then comes consoles, PCs, and VR.

Game Genre: You can choose between RPG, puzzles, simulation, adventure, and action. Here you define the intended gameplay.

You can define here the interaction between the player's world and the game.

You can create characters, game mechanics, and plots. According to the story, you create the achievements, the quests, the level logic, and the avatars of characters or players.

You may not require many features in some simple games, but if you wish to make your game grow, you will need more content.

Monetization: What is your plan for monetization? You can monetize your game by selling it, having in-app purchases, or through advertising.

Then, create a document that includes the storyline, UX/UI, and specific features. Once you're done with the design, create a prototype. Test it. The prototype will not be designed, but you can test it to find any bugs or see if your story is as you imagined.

Do not start production before testing.

Productivity

This is the phase of game development that takes the longest but also the most action. To avoid any risks, you should strictly adhere to the agreed-upon game design document.

Production is divided into:

Game Design and Animation: The game mechanics are handled by a Game Designer Consultant Freelance in the USA.

The level designer creates the levels that will provide players with challenges and rewards. 2D or 3D artists create characters, environments, textures, and visual effects. 3D artists prefer to use software like Maya and 3DSMax.

Photoshop is the most common software used by 2D artists and UI designers. Animation is the process of making art move.

Programming: Programmers write the code behind every game feature. They can be highly specialized in one area or more broadly specialized.

Developers, for example, may handle the entire programming of their games. Sound design. The sound engineers create all sound effects, music, and voices. They are in charge of all audio sounds.

Testing

Test the game thoroughly before launching it. A few game studios will hire testers and then divide them up into different groups to test the various features.

The testers check if the levels and areas of the game are accessible. They also look at whether everything is displayed correctly. Many will play the game through to the end to unlock all achievements.

Post-Production

You can upgrade and improve the game after it has been launched to give customers a better experience. You may have missed some bugs during the testing phase.

You can fix these bugs by listening to the comments of players. Release new updates and create special events.

Explore Our Premium Services - Give Your Business Makeover!

Team of Game Developers to Create a Successful Game

Team of Game Developers to Create a Successful Game

You now know what kind of professionals to include in your team. After you have a vision for the project, you will need to Hire Game designers that can bring your game to life.

It's not always easy to find game designers who are passionate about game design and video games.

Boost Your Business Revenue with Our Services!

Right Game Technologies for You to Hire Game Designer Freelance Consultant

Right Game Technologies for You to Hire Game Designer Freelance Consultant

You need to know the specific core technologies that your game is going to be built in. This will help you determine the level of tech knowledge that game developers need.

You can talk about your requirements in detail with a game senior developer. You will need remote developers who are familiar with game popular engines like Unity or Unreal and programming languages such as C++, JavaScript, Python, Java, Golang, and C#.

The game development team is made up of professionals who are proficient in all areas, including programming, 3D modeling, audio, video, animation, visual arts, and UI/UX.

Game development agency teams are sized according to the level of complexity. Twenty to twenty-five members were involved in the team that created a well-known video fun game.

A successful team of game senior developers can be anywhere between 1 and 30, according to the study. A small team is usually made up of two people: a designer and a programmer.

Extended Reality (ER), is a term that encompasses:

  • Augmented Reality (AR)
  • Mixed Reality (MR)
  • Virtual Reality (VR)

XR represents the fastest-growing sector of the industry. Virtual Developers Reality Conference's report indicates that AR and MR have more potential than VR.

Participants in surveys often say that AR has a simpler concept because there is less discontinuous innovation.

VR will also need to address a few other issues, such as:

  • Freedom of Movement Restricted.
  • Motion sickness is a condition that can cause nausea and vomiting.
  • Additional health effects that may occur.

There are also:

  • Prices of VR headsets are relatively expensive and have additional expenses.
  • They are complex to set up.
  • Upgrades to hardware (computers and consoles) are required.

AR, on the other hand, doesn't need any extra effort. While XR has other uses, including education, retailing, marketing, and travel, its main use is in the gaming industry.

The demand for skilled VR/AR/MR game developers is growing. XR developers must have excellent programming skills (C#, C++, JavaScript), as well as a thorough understanding of physics and mathematics.

MR programmers must be advanced software developers with a strong understanding of 3D and sound production. They should also have a good grasp of UI/UX.

Unity and Unreal are two of the most useful software tools available for VR development.

Options for Finding the Dedicated Game Designer Freelance Consultants

Options for Finding the Dedicated Game Designer Freelance Consultants

It cannot be easy to find a team of dedicated game designers. However, there are multiple ways to find and hire talented game developers.

  • Online game designer freelance networks.
  • Online hiring platforms offer more sophisticated sourcing for developers.

    You can hire and source game developers within 48 hours.

The Market for Offshore Development Talent in the USA

The Market for Offshore Development Talent in the USA

As a platform for hiring, Coders.Dev has a very different philosophy. Coders.Dev only works with software developers who pre-vetted companies employ.

The software allows tech companies to increase their production by adding full-time contract engineers.

It is a thorough process that ensures the developers listed are experts in their respective fields. In a surprisingly short period, Offshore Game Designer teams with the above expertise in the USA can be put together.

Our marketplace provides access to over 50,000 developers in the USA. This allows you to quickly hire game designers and engineers of the highest caliber.

Below are some examples of searches:

  • VR Developers
  • AR Developers
  • Unity Developers
  • C++ Developers
  • C# Developers
  • JavaScript Developers

The staff augmentation model may offer a viable alternative to the traditional in-house hiring process. Outsourcing is also cheaper, and you won't need to spend extra time vetting your partners.

Get a Free Estimation or Talk to Our Business Manager!

Conclusion

We hope that you now have an understanding of game design. No matter the size of the game, it is essential to have a good design.

Projects would fail quickly without game design. A concrete plan can help any Game Designer Freelance Developer in the USA bring their project to life.

A game designer is a highly-paid position, and there's a high demand for those with the necessary skills. Not only is it important to have a lot of creative ideas but also the ability to arrange them logically in an organized way, which results in a great game.

We've barely scratched this surface. Game design requires a wide range of abilities, from knowing how to guide the player to grasping high-level concepts such as game loops.

With the tools provided, you can dive into this field and possibly even enter the video strategy games industry.

Paul
Full Stack Developer

Paul is a highly skilled Full Stack Developer with a solid educational background that includes a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and a Master's degree in Software Engineering, as well as a decade of hands-on experience. Certifications such as AWS Certified Solutions Architect, and Agile Scrum Master bolster his knowledge. Paul's excellent contributions to the software development industry have garnered him a slew of prizes and accolades, cementing his status as a top-tier professional. Aside from coding, he finds relief in her interests, which include hiking through beautiful landscapes, finding creative outlets through painting, and giving back to the community by participating in local tech education programmer.

Related articles