You

DO NOT NEED

to start with a

Big Game

A Powerful Computer

The Perfect Idea

Start by learning how games work. Understand rules, player choices, feedback, challenge, and fun. Make a small paper game, play it with someone, and improve it based on what happens.

There is no single path into the industry. You can study game design, or enter through QA, production, analytics, art, programming, or player support. Every role can teach you how games are built.

I offer mentoring for aspiring game designers who want practical guidance, portfolio feedback, or help thinking through a real design problem.

Bring an idea, a prototype, or simply a question.

Want to become a game designer?

Along the way, I have learned to:

Look at games from the player’s point of view
Turn vague ideas into clear design problems
Understand how rules create player behaviour
Balance creativity with development reality
Use prototypes and playtests instead of assumptions
Learn from what players actually do, not only what they say
Think about monetization without losing trust

I do not have a magic formula for becoming a game designer.

What I can offer is practical guidance from real projects, real constraints, and real design decisions.

Whether you are starting with a paper prototype, building your portfolio, or trying to solve a difficult system-design problem, I can help you find the next useful step.

Good games are designed through curiosity, testing, and iteration. You do not have to figure it all out alone.

Why learn with me?

I left a well paying job because I wanted to make games. I had no perfect plan. I didn’t have a big game idea, a beautiful portfolio, or a guaranteed path into the industry. I started in QA. That meant playing games, breaking games, writing bugs, and slowly learning how games are actually made. I watched designers work, asked too many questions, tried things, failed, tried again, and kept moving closer to the work I really wanted to do.

The journey was not a straight line. There were plenty of bad ideas, wrong turns, frustrating projects, and moments where I wondered whether I was wasting my time. But every failure taught me something.

Over the last 20 years, I’ve worked across mobile and AAA games, designing systems, economies, progression, monetization, and player experiences.

I’m sharing what I’ve learned because getting into game design can be confusing. There is no shortage of advice online, but not much honest guidance on how to connect creative ideas with players, development reality, and the business of making games.

You don’t need to know everything before you start. You just need to make something, play it, learn from it, and keep going.

I didn’t start as a game designer

Contact

Questions? Reach out anytime.

Email

hello@thegamebalancer.com