This week, our guest speaker was Bea Grove, a Senior Game Designer with seven years of experience in mobile games. She shared her journey into game design. Bea initially aspired to become a physicist, but after falling ill, she turned to art as a means of creative expression. A conversation with a friend sparked her interest in game design, leading her to study Game Design and Art at the University of Southampton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After graduation, Bea joined a summer school program and applied for various positions in the industry. Her persistence paid off when she landed a job as a junior game designer. Over the years, she worked her way up to her current role as a Senior Game Designer at Kwalee. In this position, she has more creative input, responsibilities, and influence on game design. Bea also mentors students in Kwalee’s graduate scheme, helping them develop their skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bea introduced us to Kwalee, explaining that the company develops and publishes games. They have achieved one billion downloads, have 30 million active players, and have released over seventy games. Some notable titles include “Game Master”, “Derailed”, and “Town to City”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She offered valuable advice about the industry and portfolios. Bea emphasised that “there are more roles than you think” and reminded us that “AAA isn’t the only way.” I connected with this idea, as it is easy to focus solely on big studios and miss opportunities at indie studios. Bea also noted that mobile and web games are thriving, despite PC games often receiving more attention. She reminded us that many skills, even those from non-gaming jobs, can be helpful in this field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When discussing portfolios, Bea encouraged us to showcase our achievements from the past three years. She emphasised the importance of clearly detailing our roles, contributions, and areas of responsibility in projects. To conclude, she advised us to be authentic when entering the industry, to research the company and roles, but always to stay true to ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After her presentation, I shared some of my game ideas with Bea and received her valuable feedback. Her insights inspired and motivated me to make the most of my final year, continually developing creative ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
post grad <\/p>\n\n\n\n