Game Design: so much more than a job
When I started researching the (vast) subject of Game Design, I naturally hit the "Ok, what are the actual jobs in this field?" stage. A legitimate question for a newcomer like me, one that pulled me into a whole ocean of professions.
I knew game development wasn't a one-person operation (it already takes a lot of people to crunch that hard…), but I hadn't grasped the depth and specificity of design roles in video games. Behind the generic term "Game Designer" lies an ecosystem of complementary specializations, each bringing an indispensable expertise to the creative process.
In its " Video Game Profession Reference Guide " published in 2024, the SNJV (France's National Video Game Union) lists 57 professions specific to the industry, with nearly 15 in design alone.
As games have grown more complex and capabilities (both technical and human) have expanded, what a game can offer has changed radically over time, and so have studios' needs. No single profile can master every dimension of design. That's why the field has gradually fragmented into distinct specializations, which I've summarized in this article along with their roles, tools, and relationships with other types of designers.
The Game Design professions
Game Director
Their role: They carry the overall creative vision. They make final decisions on design, validate artistic and technical choices, and ensure all components form a coherent whole. They are often an experienced game designer who has grown into a creative leadership position.
Their tools: Jira, Confluence, project management tools, presentation tools, all design tools in read mode.
Their relationships: They oversee all design roles and coordinate with the art, technical, and audio directors to ensure the project's unity.
Hidetaka Miyazaki (FromSoftware) embodies this role: having moved from level designer to creative director, he carried the vision for Dark Souls and Elden Ring from start to finish.
Game Designer
Their role: They define the overall vision of the game: its mechanics, rules, gameplay loops (which we covered in this article) and the experience the player should feel. They write the Game Design Document (the project's bible) and arbitrate design decisions throughout production.
Their tools: Miro, Notion, Google Docs, Excel/Sheets (mechanic prototyping), Machinations (system modeling).
Their relationships: They work closely with all other roles. As the conductor of design, they are in constant contact with Level, System, and Narrative Designers, as well as technical and artistic teams.
Shigeru Miyamoto (Nintendo) remains the ultimate reference for this role: creator of the Mario and Zelda franchises, he laid the foundations of modern game design.
Level Designer
Their role: They design the game's spaces: layout of environments, placement of enemies, objects, and triggers. Their vision sculpts the rhythm of progression by alternating exploration, challenge, and reward. They translate abstract rules into concrete, navigable experiences.
Their tools: Unreal Engine (Blueprints), Unity (ProBuilder, Cinemachine), studio-specific proprietary tools, Photoshop (2D planning).
Their relationships: They collaborate with the Game Designer on vision, 3D artists on environments, the Sound Designer on spatial atmosphere, and the Quest Designer on mission staging.
Miles Tost (CD Projekt Red) was one of the public faces of Night City's level design in Cyberpunk 2077, explaining in several talks how the city's spaces guide the player.
System Designer
Their role: They create and balance the game's interconnected systems: combat, progression, inventory, crafting, skills. They model via mathematical formulas and ensure the game remains balanced and engaging (see the article on Feedback Loops) over time.
Their tools: Excel/Sheets (balancing), Machinations, Python or R (simulation), internal data analytics tools.
Their relationships: They work with the Game Designer on systemic vision, the Economy Designer on the game's economic systems, and programmers on the technical implementation of formulas.
Will Wright (Maxis) is the master of emergent system design: SimCity and The Sims are games built entirely around interconnected systems that the player freely manipulates.
Narrative Designer
Their role: They integrate story and lore into the game's mechanics. Their job isn't just writing: they design how the player discovers and experiences the story through their actions. They craft dialogue, its branching paths, and the narrative architecture of the world.
Their tools: Twine, Ink (Inkle), Articy:Draft, Google Docs, integrated dialogue engines.
Their relationships: They collaborate with the Game Designer to align narrative and gameplay, the Level Designer on environmental staging, the Quest Designer on mission cohesion, and artists on art direction.
Amy Hennig (Naughty Dog, Uncharted franchise) is one of the most recognized figures for the integration of narrative into gameplay.
Content Designer
Their role: They structure and produce the game's day-to-day playable content: events, challenges, rewards, loot tables. At the intersection of Narrative and System design, they ensure every piece of content fits coherently into the existing game ecosystem.
Their tools: Internal CMS, Excel/Sheets, scripting tools, proprietary content editors, Jira.
Their relationships: They work with the Live Ops Designer on the content calendar, the Narrative Designer on narrative cohesion, the System Designer on balancing, and QA on validation.
The Destiny 2 teams (Bungie) are industry references for long-term content management, having delivered regular content additions for nine years.
Quest Designer
Their role: They create the game's missions and quests: objectives, success conditions, rewards, and staging. They orchestrate sequences blending gameplay, narrative, and exploration to deliver memorable experiences to players.
Their tools: Proprietary scripting tools, integrated quest editors, Articy:Draft, Excel (progress tracking).
Their relationships: They work with the Narrative Designer on story cohesion, the Level Designer on spaces, and the System Designer on reward balancing.
Paweł Sasko (CD Projekt Red) is the benchmark for this role. Quest Designer on The Witcher 3, then Lead Quest Designer and Quest Director on Cyberpunk 2077, he delivered a GDC talk that has become essential viewing on the lessons of Quest Design.
Combat Designer
Their role: They specialize in combat mechanics: rhythm, attack/defense systems, hitboxes, gameplay animations, feedback (screenshake, slow motion). They aim to make every action satisfying and the game feel impeccable.
Their tools: Game engines (Unity, Unreal, etc.), animation tools, frame data tools, rapid prototyping.
Their relationships: They collaborate with animators on game feel, the System Designer on balancing, and the Sound Designer on impact audio.
Hideaki Itsuno (Capcom) shaped the combat systems of Devil May Cry and Dragon's Dogma — two franchises recognized for their game feel and the precision of their combat mechanics.
Economy Designer
Their role: They design and oversee the game's virtual economy: currencies, rewards, pricing, drop rates, and internal economic systems are their playground.
Their tools: Excel/Sheets (economic modeling), Tableau, SQL (data analysis), A/B testing tools, Machinations.
Their relationships: They liaise with the System Designer for coherence, the Monetization Designer for commercial strategies, the Product Manager for business objectives, and Data Analysts for KPI tracking.
Eyjólfur Guðmundsson (CCP Games) was recruited as chief economist to manage EVE Online's virtual economy: a case study that remains the industry reference twenty years on.
UX Designer
Their role: They ensure the player intuitively understands the game. They design interfaces (menus, HUD, tutorials), optimize interaction flows, and oversee user testing. As the guardian of readability, they promote a smooth and intuitive gameplay experience.
Their tools: Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch, heatmap and analytics tools (Mixpanel, GameAnalytics), paper prototyping.
Their relationships: They work with the Game Designer and UI Artist to translate mechanics into clear interfaces, and with QA to analyze playtest feedback.
Celia Hodent (Epic Games) oversaw Fortnite's UX and authored "The Gamer's Brain," a reference work on applied psychology in game design. She is one of the few public figures in gaming UX.
Technical Designer
Their role: They play a dual interface role during development: between designer and programmer, they implement mechanics directly in the engine via visual scripting or lightweight code; between design and development, they rapidly prototype ideas to provide an initial global picture.
Their tools: Unreal Blueprints, Unity (C#), Lua, Python, proprietary script editors.
Their relationships: A bridge between Game Designers and programmers, they translate design intentions into functional prototypes and facilitate communication between the two worlds.
No "celebrity" for this inherently behind-the-scenes role. Tim Schafer (Double Fine: Psychonauts, Grim Fandango) played this hybrid designer/scripter role early in his career before evolving toward creative direction.
AI Designer
Their role: They design the behaviors of non-player characters (NPCs): decision trees, state machines, perception and reaction systems. They make the game world feel credible and reactive — whether for enemies, allies, or background characters. Their work directly determines the player's challenge and immersion.
Their tools: Game engines (Behaviour Trees in Unreal, Unity ML-Agents), scripting tools, NavMesh, Houdini (procedural AI).
Their relationships: They collaborate with the Combat Designer on enemy intelligence, the Level Designer on navigation, and gameplay programmers on technical implementation.
Jeff Orkin (Monolith) designed the AI system for F.E.A.R. based on GOAP (Goal-Oriented Action Planning). Twenty years later, that system remains a reference cited at GDC talks.
Live Ops Designer
Their role: They manage post-launch content for live service games: seasonal events, time-limited challenges, content updates, item rotations. They sustain player engagement over time and adapt the game based on data. This is a role born from the live service era (games like Fortnite, Destiny 2, and Genshin Impact).
Their tools: Analytics tools (GameAnalytics, Mixpanel), internal CMS, Excel, Tableau, event management platforms.
Their relationships: They work with the Monetization Designer, System Designer, and Content Designer to plan content cycles. In parallel, they maintain close ties with community and marketing teams.
No well-known individual figure here: it's a collectively held role by nature. The Fortnite teams (Epic Games) and Genshin Impact (HoYoverse) are the industry benchmarks for post-launch content.
Accessibility Designer
Their role: They ensure the game is playable by as many people as possible: control remapping options, customizable subtitles, visual and audio assistance, adaptive difficulty modes. It's a fast-growing role, driven by player expectations and industry accessibility standards.
Their tools: IGDA/Game Accessibility Guidelines, Figma, accessibility testing tools (contrast, colorblindness), game engines.
Their relationships: They work alongside the UX Designer, Game Designer, programmers, and QA to integrate accessibility at every stage of development.
Ian Hamilton (independent consultant, co-author of the Game Accessibility Guidelines) is the go-to reference. He publishes regularly on the subject on his blog.
Monetization Designer
Their role: An increasingly central role with the rise of free-to-play and live service models, they design the game's revenue systems: microtransactions, subscriptions, battle passes, integrated advertising. They balance generosity toward free players with purchase incentives, while ensuring the gameplay experience isn't degraded.
Their tools: A/B testing tools, analytics platforms (Adjust, AppsFlyer), Excel, Tableau, player segmentation tools.
Their relationships: They work in tandem with the Economy Designer and System Designer. In parallel, they liaise with the Product Manager and marketing teams on player acquisition and retention strategies.
No identified public figure here. It's often an anonymous — and sometimes controversial — role. Will Luton, author of "Free-to-Play: Making Money From Games That Are Free," is a recognized reference in the field.
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