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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Games Development

12 replies

KingCatMeowInSpace · 04/10/2025 18:05

Have anyone’s DC studied or are studying this at Uni ? My son’s interested in applying for this- specifically the design side rather than the programming side. Things like game ideas/rules/characters/quests/levels- nothing that involves good drawing skills but is great at ideas/imagination. Any jobs in this?

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TheRemedyQueen · 04/10/2025 19:39

I think there's a lot of games depts closing - Aardman closed theirs. Partly due to the advent of AI

KingCatMeowInSpace · 04/10/2025 20:18

Oh is there - I’ll need to look into it - just starting to explore it

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WinterFlyBoots · 04/10/2025 20:22

Tough industry to get into at entry level as AI is taking out these jobs, friends DD did degree and masters at Falmouth but no jobs so trying to freelance develop own game with fellow graduates who also can’t get jobs sadly. I have a teen doing Games Design qualification at L2 and was hoping to do a L3 but wondering whether to pivot into something else.

cantkeepawayforever · 04/10/2025 20:41

Abertay is one obvious place to try - but yes, tough to get into industry now.

fluffythecat1 · 05/10/2025 00:17

I wouldn’t recommend it for uni, have to balance the approx £60k on student loans against the subsequent job prospects.

marmiteloversunite · 05/10/2025 00:25

My DD just finished a degree in Game Design at Bournemouth and is now looking into other careers. There are just no jobs and many companies are making staff redundant rather than taking on anyone.

KingCatMeowInSpace · 05/10/2025 17:59

@marmiteloversunite Oh no - that’s terrible for your DD- they must be gutted after completing the degree and I assume enjoying it. Will they change path completely or are there other related carers that have more jobs?

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FKAT · 05/10/2025 18:01

Around 25% of employees in the European games industry lost their jobs in the past 2 years. It's still a massive industry obviously but there's market decline (after decades of growth) and consolidation / AI making fewer jobs available. It's also quite a new industry where veterans are in their 30s and unlikely to be retiring any time soon to make way for newbies.

Also games development departments tend to strongly prefer maths/engineering degrees.

FKAT · 05/10/2025 18:04

There are skills shortages in the creative industries though - your DC should check out recent Creative UK / DCMS or relevant industry bodies reports on what they are looking for - post production might be a route worth pursuing?

RampantIvy · 05/10/2025 18:12

A family member has a good degree in this and has worked in hospitality ever since because he has never been able to find a job that he is qualified for.

KingCatMeowInSpace · 05/10/2025 18:12

@FKAT that’s interesting re people not retiring making way for new starts- I hadn’t thought about that. He is also contemplating maths n stats n data analytics degrees if doesn’t do a Games degree. He’s not interested in programming/post production - it’s the other side he wants- coming up with game ideas and rules n what happens in different game levels etc - all that side of it.

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Wyattus · 27/02/2026 12:45

My cousin actually went this route. He’s all about the mechanics and world-building, not the drawing part. He ended up as a level designer, which is a solid career. Most studios hire a separate game art company to handle the heavy visuals, so his lack of sketching skills never held him back.

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