Why You Won't Become a Genius Game Designer. And That's Not a Question.

What the talk is about

Liudmyla Mishchenko explains why nobody becomes a genius game designer by following a recipe, offering parting advice before she leaves the industry. First, hard skills are not enough: you need to understand the technology, be able to work with artists, and know player psychology. Second, study the genre and its audience by playing as a customer and understanding what players pay for. Third, a designer needs communication skills, brevity and the sense to stop in time instead of promising more than the team can deliver. Fourth, cool ideas don't always make money, and years of tenure are not the same as experience, so change genres and workplaces. In the Q&A she recommends self-study, an interactive-story portfolio and close cooperation between narrative and game design. Useful for aspiring game and narrative designers.