Sledgehammer Games’ Post

Here at the NetEase Games Licensed Games Studio Group we continually encourage and support our designers to pursue new knowledge of design areas outside of their current role's domain. We call this "cross-functional learning" and have made it into one of the capabilities of our design career plan, which means that all designers can create learning goals for themselves, set aside time to work on them, and have their progress count for their semi-annual performance evaluations. This quarter, I have decided to educate myself on Game Economy Design, which is a fascinating topic that I have not studied in depth before. During my research I have come across an outstanding article by Alexei Karpenko, which I highly recommend to anyone interested in the principles of functional in-game economies. You can find a link in the comments. Cheers! 🥂

🌟 Turning Challenges into Opportunities 🌟 For a while, I’ve been stressing about finding a job in the U.S., but I’ve realized it’s time to shift my mindset. Instead of focusing on what I don’t have, I’m using this downtime as a chance to sharpen my development skills and work on small projects I truly enjoy. If you keep stressing about what you lack, you’ll never take the steps to achieve what you want 💡 I’m incredibly grateful for my time at Cloverbite working on Cybit. A few months ago, I was a designer with zero coding experience, but now I feel confident creating AI, tech-art solutions, and gameplay mechanics without hesitation. I’m still at the start of my career—there’s so much to learn, and I shouldn’t be afraid to keep trying. I’m not running out of time; I have more free time to grow and improve! This year is all about making games, learning, and pushing forward 🎮 Here’s to staying motivated and making 2025 a year of creativity and growth! 🚀 #GameDevelopment #IndieGames #GameDesign #UnityDev #TechArt #AIProgramming #Motivation #LetsMakeGames #LevelUp

Following your passion can be done at any stage in life and be as rewarding. Our Yoobee graduate student, Leon Coertze has been featured in the below article for his journey as an adult learner who retrained and built a career out of his passion for creativity. Whether you're looking to make a career pivot or upskill, Yoobee will be with you every step of the way. Study online or on campus and rediscover your creative flow. #Yoobee #CareerChange #UpSkilling #Animation

🎮 The "Experience Paradox" in Game Development 💼 As a designer applying for AAA positions, I’ve often come across a familiar challenge—the request for "AAA experience" in roles that are meant to help us gain that very experience. It’s a frustrating catch-22, especially for skilled designers who are eager to make their mark in the industry. This cycle of needing experience to gain experience can be a significant barrier, particularly for those of us who have put in the work, but might not yet have that coveted "AAA title" on our résumés. One of the biggest frustrations comes when AAA studios call on universities and trade schools to train more talent, while at the same time turning down hundreds of applicants for lack of AAA experience. In my career, I’ve led game projects from concept to release, balancing technical and creative challenges, and delivering high-quality experiences—whether in indie spaces or personal projects. Working outside the AAA industry hasn’t limited my skills—it’s expanded them. With smaller budgets and leaner teams, I’ve taken on a broader range of responsibilities, gaining a deeper understanding of how all the elements of game development fit together. 🗨 What can the industry do to solve this "experience paradox?" I’d love to hear your thoughts and connect with others who’ve faced similar challenges. Looking forward to learning, sharing, and growing alongside this amazing community! 🚀 #GameDevelopment #GameDesign #ExperienceParadox #AAA #IndieDev #CareerGrowth #OpenToWork #Networking #LevelUp

🌟 Project 2: Ball Collector - Another step forward in my game development journey! 🎮 In this project, I worked on a fun and challenging concept: 🎨Ball Collector: - Players must collect balls and place them in baskets of the same color. - If the colors match, points are awarded, but if they don’t, the player's health decreases. - I implemented color recognition, health management, and point-scoring systems to enhance gameplay dynamics. This project gave me deeper insights into player interaction mechanics and UI design. Looking forward to applying these skills in future projects! #GameDevelopment #Unity3D #InternshipExperience #BallCollector #GameMechanics

As I reflect on my journey in game development, I've encountered both rewarding and challenging experiences. Over the past few months, I've been part of a project that has tested my limits in ways I never anticipated 🫧 One of the most significant takeaways from this experience has been the opportunity to dive into new areas of game development. I've learned to work with particle systems, VFX graphs, Shader graphs (even creating textures for cool visual effects), an intensive amount of redesigning documentation, and I even picked up some FMOD — skills I didn't expect to acquire during our final project. These experiences have been invaluable to me, and I'm proud of the progress I've made in these areas, especially since it wasn't something that I was taught but had to pick up at a moments notice 🌱 However, this journey hasn't been without it's difficulties. Working with a diverse team has highlighted the importance of clear communication and mutual respect. Unfortunately, there were times when this alignment was missing, leading to frustration, setbacks and cut content. One of the hardest parts has been dealing with unprofessional behavior. It's been a test of my patience, empathy and my usual quiet demeanor, but I've learned to stand up for myself and address issues head-on; something I would have never been able to do a year ago if I'm being honest. So I'm glad for the difficulties as well as the successes, as they've been helping me not only grow as a designer and a problem solver but also to become someone who speaks up when things were frustrating or uncomfortable. There were many late nights and early mornings, often working until 3am and starting again at 5am, to help my team get ahead when we were behind. This experience has reinforced the importance of adaptability for me. The late nights, so I could learn a new skill or overcome a challenge, and the early mornings to prep for the day and assign tasks based on the progress of the previous days. I also want to highlight the invaluable support of my level designer, Cole Webster. His level-headedness and unwavering support helped me feel grounded and reassured during many challenging moments. He always made me feel like I wasn't going through this alone. I really want to thank him and will always appreciate him as a friend but also as an incredible designer (Seriously he has cool ideas and always delivers!! 💫). As we approach our graduation, I carry with me newfound knowledge and skills that feel rewarding and give me a sense of success and direction. I'm proud of my personal growth and the new skills I've developed. ~~~ And to anyone facing similar challenges, remember that your own personal growth and dedication, are what truly matters. Keep pushing forward, embrace new learning opportunities, and be proud of your achievements; because through the midst of everything, it'll shine through. There's merit there in your hard work and people will see it, so own it! ✨️

Recently, I had the privilege of engaging in an in-depth conversation with a senior game designer involved in the development of an upcoming open-world fantasy game. As an aspiring game design and development scholar, this discussion not only offered valuable insights into the daily tasks and responsibilities of a game designer but also prompted a thoughtful reflection on their journey of entering the field of game development. During our discussion, we delved into the recurring "paradox" often faced when entering professional fields across various industries. Much like other disciplines where gaining experience is a prerequisite for obtaining experience, game design requires the creation of a game to truly understand the craft. However, this requirement extends further when transitioning into a professional environment. While the foundational knowledge acquired through college courses is invaluable, it differs significantly from the practical experience gained while working on a team within the industry. The developer emphasized the importance of team collaboration, referring to it as an aspect they wished they had experienced during the earlier stages of their career. The value derived from working on team projects is immeasurable, as it sprouts not only practical and technical skills, but also communication and problem-solving abilities. Consequently, even developers with impressive resumes and portfolios may find themselves overlooked for positions if they lack effective collaboration and communication skills, despite demonstrating clear proficiency in game design concepts. In conclusion, while academic training provides a solid foundation, true mastery in game design often comes from hands-on experience through collaborative team environments. Therefore, aspiring game designers should seek opportunities to engage in team-based projects to further cultivate the diverse skill sets required for success in entering the industry. Regardless of whether your task involved developing an entire game or just several systems or parts of the project, any experience involving collaboration is worth being highlighted. #gamedesign #gamedev #gaming #gamecareers #videogames

Art vs Artist 2024 Was a long journey this year. I finished college and got my second degree, dozens of courses, launched Enigma do Medo, and produced a lot of art, even though I wanted to make more characters. I've been working as an artist in the gaming industry for 7 years. I've worked in countless places and projects, and I hope in 2025 better and new opportunities will arrive after very turbulent years filled with mass layoffs, even with several success stories in the industry preceded by the dismissal of such incredible workers. We deserve visibility, we deserve to be paid fairly for our work, we deserve to be rewarded for the success stories we create and participate in. Unfortunately, there are no jobs for everyone, everywhere, and inequality is a reality that humanity as a civilization has not yet managed to overcome, because selfishness and greed precede the sanity of many human beings. I hope that differences such as me being a woman, young, and part of a minority due to my sexual orientation will one day become insignificant in the eyes of those who consume art, because as an artist, I am much more than the labels that deep-rooted prejudices about me can tell to the world. Despite being an artist, I'm not bad at exact sciences. I'm a programmer. I was a great student who only got A's and B's on my report card. I taught math and physics. But even so, when anyone looks at me, they see me as just a young woman, so "I don't deserve anything beyond what my gender and age can handle". I like what I do, I like games, I like art. I love physics. I love everything I draw and model. I have several other dreams that no amount of money or attempts to capitalize on would make me happy. I just want that being able to study them and enjoy them is enough in an environment where they tell you that everything must be profitable. I thank everyone who was with me this year. #gamedev #3dartist #3d #gameartist #3dmodeling #3dart #conceptart #sousllike #games

Ready to advance your career? We have essential tips for aspiring game designers! 😁 Curious about other professions? Let us know in the comments which careers you want more tips on! Your feedback helps us bring the best content to you.😉 👉 Don't forget to tag your friends and follow us for more insights and opportunities in the gaming world! Swipe to learn how to start your journey and make your mark in the gaming industry. 😆 #GameDesign #GamingIndustry #CareerTips #GameDevelopment #MundoGamerJobs #LevelUp #StayInTheGame

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 Kristian Toro, Technical Artist 𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆? I'm passionate about so many things, and I have dipped my toes in so many types of hobbies and jobs before. Game development covers several interests of mine at once, that it felt like a no-brainer for me to take this path. Since I started my journey with games, I have been able to have a hand in coding, designing gameplay, writing music and stories, creating art and effects, and connecting everything together as a whole. Seeing things come to life from your ideas, whether it be in a technical or creative way, is something really special. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵? I have many answers to this! But to not make an essay, the skilled leadership, the confidence and respect the Cultists have for one another, the size of the team, what area of responsibility I will have here, and the feel of ownership each of us get. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵? What I do best, procedural wizardry! I will help get our art into our game's world, and shape the world itself. The goal of my work is to get cool things done quicker, so that everyone gets more time to do even cooler stuff! #CultoftheNorth #EmployeeSpotlight