So you want to be a game designer?

**So, just quickly, tell us who you are and what exactly it is that you do.**

I graduated this summer with an MMath from Warwick, and am now running my own business as an independent game developer. I’m currently developing games for iPhone and iPad, and my first commercial release, _Greedy Bankers_, is available in the App Store now. I do all the programming for my games, as well as the artwork and animation.

**What is _Greedy Bankers_ about?**

_Greedy Bankers_ is a fast and frantic arcade-style puzzle game. Gems fall from the roof into your bank vault, and you need to arrange similar gems into squares and turn them into cash – bigger squares are worth more money! As the game goes on, robbers try to steal your gems, rubble drops in to block your path and your bank manager demands higher and higher amounts. It can get quite tense and addictive as it goes on, requiring quick thinking and strategy.

The idea behind the game was to come up with something “simplex” – that is, based around a simple mechanic but which naturally generates complex strategies as you get into it. It’s casual and intuitive to start, but once you discover the strategic side to gameplay, planning ahead and finding ways to build bigger gems, beating your score becomes compelling and addictive.

**What was your favourite part of making the game?**

Uploading it onto an iPhone for the first time. I prototyped the game for PC before working on the iOS version, but it was obviously better suited to a touch-screen than a mouse. Running it on the real device and seeing how fluid the controls were was very exciting. I take great joy in demonstrating the game to new players and seeing how they approach it.

I also did a lot of digital artwork for the game, including designing and animating the banker and robber characters. This was a refreshing change from coding, but I was surprised at just how challenging it was. I’ve been doing game artwork as a hobby for years, but artwork for a commercial product needs to be consistent and highly polished, which takes considerable concentration and effort. But it’s definitely worth it, especially once it’s all been polished and put together and you think “wow – I made that!”

**What made you want to go into games?**

I began programming games back in 2001, using a language called Blitz Basic. I’ve worked on all kinds of projects since then, in varying styles and genres. I joined the Warwick Game Design society when I started my degree, which is where I started working with other coders and artists. The society runs group game projects, competitions and 48-hour prototyping challenges, and I learnt a lot from collaborating with the other members.

This gave me a taste of what working on complete game projects was like, and through society events and trips, careers fairs, and websites such as Gamasutra I learned how commercial studios operated. After graduating I decided to become a full-time indie developer, as it would allow me full creative control of my own projects, and allow me to pursue my own ideas in the games medium. I have a lot of big ideas for games I want to develop and gameplay styles I want to explore.

**What would you tell somebody who wanted to make games when they’re finished at Warwick?**

My first piece of advice would be to join Warwick Game Design. Their competitions and events are a fantastic way to learn how to make games and to work with other aspiring developers. They regularly get in guest speakers from the industry, happy to tell you all about the realities of commercial game development.

Secondly, if you haven’t tried making a game before, why not start learning now? If you’ve never tried programming before, try Game Maker, which offers an intuitive click-and-drag approach to development. If you’re already familiar with programming, I’d recommend learning ActionScript 3.0 and the FlashPunk library, for making Flash games. Both products have extensive online tutorials.

Finally, make lots of games! If you want a job in a studio then having a diverse portfolio will give you a significant edge in front of employers. If you decide to go indie then you’ll have a wealth of prototypes which will make it much easier to start a successful project. And, most importantly, the more games you make the more you learn, and the better you’ll get at it.

_Greedy Bankers is out now for iPad and iPhone with a discounted release price of £1.19. Find out more at greedy-bankers.com. More on Warwick Game Design at warwicksu.com/societies._