Hi guys,

Can you guys let me know what I need to learn for an entry level games design job? I've done a degree in games design but I still feel somewhat unprepared. I know how to write a design document to certain degree, I can write stories, I'm good at drawing, and I'm currently studying programming, but in terms specific details on the skills and knowledge I need, I'm not too sure. For example, in writing design documents, designing levels and coordinating play testing, are there specific things I need to know about them? Feel free to mention anything else that you think is important. Thanks

The phrase "entry level game design job" is an oxymoron. There are no entry level game design jobs. I just read your other thread in Programming, where you asked about what programmers should know.

What should you know for a game design job? Pretty much everything.

What entry level jobs can lead to game design? Pretty much anything.

I recommend you read this forum's FAQs.

And watch the Penny Arcade video at http://www.penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/so-you-want-to-be-a-game-designer

Don't ask for the minimum, that's not how you ever get hired.

So what job are you really looking for? Level design or game design? They interfere at some point, but still more often then not different people do them.

Game design is not an entry level job at all. Level design also is not.

Even though I have started my career as a level designer without any degree, my case is very special: I was doing maps and mods for over 8 or 9 years before I started looking for a job after finishing the high school (at that time I was 17 or 18 years old I believe).

This job might seem simple in its simpliest form - assembling a scene from assets pre-made by artists. Even experienced people from the industry fall for this myth. But in reality it requires some sort of a talent: 1) you have to have that "feeling" for composition and color to make the scene look good (believe me, when I was doing fan maps and mods and was really in this community, I've seen work of thousands people, and most of them didn't have this trait). 2) understanding what makes a level fun and how do you make it. Might sound easy too. But it's not.