You want to break into the gaming industry, but you have no experience. What’s your first step?

The most important thing at this point is to really understand what means each specific position in video game development, some are not easy to understand at first, like the Narrative Designer. It is also good to know that not every role has the same opportunities or the same weight, so only some will have access to full-time jobs, while others will be external freelancers.

Research and education: Study the industry's trends and key players. Networking: Connect with professionals via events and online platforms. Skill development: Learn programming languages or game design basics. Personal projects: Showcase your passion with small game creations or mods. Internships or entry-level positions: Gain hands-on experience. Continuous learning: Stay updated on industry trends and technologies.

Because making videogames encompasses so many different fields, it can feel overwhelming to try and get started on your own- but every little bit helps! Instead of making your own game, try and make a character or a rough demo, or design doc with your own ideas. Showing that you have a vested interest in the industry is a good first step to making it a reality.

The portfolio is one of the most determining things to get a job, but you have to make an effort to give something different or specialize in a specific technique, cause that's what they are going to look at. Treat the portfolio as a way to attract attention in the most demanding jobs and not as a simple meaningless showcase.

1. Attend industry conferences & events: GDC, PAX, GamesBeat Summit, Pocket Gamer, Game Jams, TwitchCon, hackathons, networking events are great places to meet professionals and learn about the hiring needs at their companies. 2. Engage in online communities: sites like Reddit, Discord servers dedicated to gaming, and platforms like LinkedIn and X offer valuable spaces for discussion and networking. 3. Start a blog or YouTube/ Twitch channel: share your learning process, game reviews, development tips, or industry insights can attract attention from within the industry and help you establish a name for yourself.

- Start by learning the basics. Choose a discipline within the industry you're passionate about, such as game design, programming, art, or sound design. There are plenty of online courses and tutorials that can help you gain the necessary skills. Unreal Engine is a good start. Create a Portfolio: Develop your own projects or contribute to open-source games to demonstrate your skills. Your portfolio should showcase a variety of work relevant to the gaming industry. Network: Attend gaming conferences, workshops, and meetups to connect with professionals in the industry. Online forums and social media groups dedicated to game development can also be valuable for making contacts.

1. Showcase your best work: include game projects you've worked on, contributions to game jams, and any relevant designs or code snippets. 2. Document your process: demonstrating your thought process, challenges faced, and how you overcame them can be just as important as the final product. 3. Tailor your portfolio: depending on the job or role you're aiming for (e.g., game design, programming, art), ensure your portfolio highlights relevant skills and projects.

Cultivate a lifelong learning attitude, always be on constant lookout to acquiring skills, knowing where you can be better. Especially more so in this rapid revolving industry, seek the things you are lacking and needing improvements on, look for experienced peers or connection to fill that gap and internalize the learnings into knowledge and wisdom that can be applied to yourself. Even more so, try to share with people about your learnings too. The more you share, the more opportunities to be exposed to like-minded people and exchanges can be made. Afterall the industry requires people to be adaptable on the fly.

Play games. Write down your experience. See if you are having fun. Not fun? Play another type of games. Still not fun? Dont apply, dont waster ppls time. Having fun but cant write? Explain and talk to yourself. Ask AI to ask you questions, answer them. Deconstruct your experience. Research and read news, trends, play more games. Stopped having fun? Great. Now we are talking. This is the line we see determination meets hobby. Beyond this line is where the veterans lie, scattered around, watching over other ppl to cross the line haha. Its a dangerous place, but it is fun. Well for people there it is.

Just start. An egg doesn't hatch into a fully-grown chicken. I once heard someone ask, how do you get into the game development industry - the answer? Why aren't you already in the game development industry? That answer is more profound the more you try to understand it.