How to Build a Game Design Portfolio
TIPS FOR PRESENTING AND PRESERVING YOUR WORK TO IMPRESS STUDIOS AND LAND A JOB
Game design is an incredibly competitive field. Practical skills come before pedigree, and people skills aren’t far behind because making a game is such a collaborative effort. That makes portfolios incredibly valuable. Your portfolio is the best place to show off your projects and demonstrate your personality. Here are some tips on building yours, straight from professors at some of the top game design schools on these lists.
Be Specific
There’s no one-size-fits-all portfolio. A character or environment artist will focus on very different elements than a UI designer or an AI programmer in their portfolio. You need to research your field and determine what individual employers want to see up-front. That said, there are also some general boxes to check, and showing your work is the biggest one. On top of your own skills, this is a great opportunity to demonstrate how you work with others. Your portfolio pieces should answer the questions employers are likely to ask—questions like these: What were your goals with this project and did you meet them? What problems did you encounter while working on this project and how did you solve them? What, specifically, did you contribute to this project? Provide descriptions, asset lists, scripts and other details. How long did this project take you? What was your level of involvement throughout? Who did you collaborate with on this project? How did you coordinate your efforts?
Be Prepared
Many students struggle to put together enough work to flesh out their portfolio. But if you start collecting portfolio pieces early, you’ll get in the habit of identifying good pieces and you’ll never be short on samples. In fact, you’ll have a hard time narrowing them down.
Because you don’t want to include everything. In fact, it’s better to show two to four superb projects rather than a dozen average ones. You should only show your best work.
If some of your best pieces are class projects, that’s great. But you should aim for more. Continue working on class projects even after you submit them, and polish them until they’re professionalgrade. Seek out internships and game jams and other opportunities to gain experience and create portfolio pieces.
And never let your portfolio lapse. Even if you aren’t actively looking for a job, you should consistently update your portfolio as you work on bigger and better projects. Remember: collect pieces as you go and always show your best work.