Want to hire the best game developers? Here’s a list of top 20 game developers, the skills you must look for, and how to hire them!
With the world getting maximum entertainment from online games and video-based games, a career as a game developer can be quite interesting. If your company is involved in the curation of different types of games, you will need gamer coders who have a passion for games and technical skills and abilities.
A freelance game developer is involved in the creation as well as the production of games for PCs, consoles, online games, and arcade games. Different platforms and devices need different types of games. Thus, when you hire a game developer, it is important to know if the candidate will be able to curate games for the particular platform.
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Market for a game developer
The game developer market has the potential to grow by $53.33 million during the year 2020-2024. This means numerous opportunities will be available for video game developers. The game industry is one of the industries that is growing in spite of the global slowdown. The major reason for the boost in opportunities for games developer is the advancement in technology and expectation of entertainment for people all over the world.
Globally, Asia-pacific accounts for the largest share with a 40% revenue share in the gaming market. North America has the second-largest market in the gaming market. China offers maximum opportunities in terms of hiring gaming developers. Most of the revenue in the gaming sector is generated by mobile gaming.
Thus, if you are a mobile game developer, you can expect unlimited opportunities in the upcoming year. The mobile gaming sector is expected to grow at a rate of 5.5% during the period 2017-2030. The market will reach $57billion by the end of this decade.
Hiring game developers near me may seem challenging, as companies need to check technical skills as well as non-technical skills. But, taking a few steps and measures may help you in hiring the best video game developer.
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Things to note while hiring a game developer
If you are looking for a game development team, you need to pay attention to different points before hiring a game developer simulator. Pay attention to all these points to choose the best candidates for your organization.
1. Value for money
The choice for game coders for hire may vary depending upon the type of business you own. You need to choose a video game developer who can offer maximum value for the salary you are paying. The gaming industry is a creative and highly technical sector. Thus, it is important to choose a candidate who is not only skilled but also creative. Choose a video game developer who can offer maximum value for the money you are paying.
2. Game lover
Try to choose a video game developer near me who has a love for different games. If a candidate is not passionate about different games, there is a very less chance that he/she will be a good game app developer. Thus, hire a game developer who has a true love for games.
3. Part of Indie community
Always try to look for indie game developers hiring. Coming up with new game ideas can be quite challenging. If the candidate you are choosing is a part of the Indie community, there are chances that he/she will come up with good ideas and inspirations for Android or ios game programming.
4. Find a good Indie programmer
Try to look for game programmers for hire who has the ability and experience in developing as well as tweaking games. Try to look for a person who has specialized knowledge in a particular programming and coding language.
5. Usability
It is important to have an idea about the type of mobile games the person has curated so far. You need to check the usability as well as navigation of the game before you hire a mobile game developer.
6. Availability
It is important to know when the person will be available for the job. If you are hiring a game developer freelance, it is important to know about the timing for which the person will be available.
7. Confidentiality
If you are sure that the game developer will be able to create the best games, make sure that the person has a sense of confidentiality so that your competitors won’t steal the idea. Thus, choose a game coder net who has a sense of confidentiality.
8. Experience
The experience of the videogame developers is as important as creativity and skills. Thus, try to look for an android games developer with adequate experience of working in the game development sector.
9. Certification
You should also check the certification before you hire a games developer. This way, you will be able to know if the developer is skilled enough or not.
10. Team spirit
Since game developers have to work within a team, it is important to look for someone who has team spirit.
11. Qualities of best game developer
Hiring a freelance game programmer is not an easy task. It is important to look for certain qualities when you are thinking about choosing a game developer.
12. Passion
Try to look for a person who has a true passion for the development of games. The gaming industry is a passion-based industry, and thus, it is important to choose people with genuine passion.
13. Creativity
Creativity is another major aspect that you need to look for in a game developer. Creating games needs as much creativity as story writing. Thus, always look towards hire game programmers who have the needed creativity.
14. Excitement
The gaming sector is one of the most exciting industries. You don’t need a candidate who is laid back or lethargic. Try to look for a person who is excited about the game and passionate about creating a new game every other day.
15. Focussed
Going through different programming codes is not an easy task. The candidate needs to be focused enough to test different codes and programs while creating a game. Thus, hire game app developers who are focused.
16. Problem-solving skills
Another major quality that you need to look at before hiring game developers is the problem-solving skill of the candidate.
17. Technical skills
Every game developer needs to have technical skills so that they can get rid of technical glitches and issues in web game programming.
18. Analytical skills
You should also try to find game developers with good analytical skills if you want your organization to create the best games.
19. Stress management
Every other day, people are loving one game and abandoning the other game. Thus, try to look for a candidate who can handle stress and rejection because the gaming world is a highly competitive world.
20. Decision-making skill
If you are choosing an android game developer for a higher position, you should know that the person has the best decision-making skills.
21. Learning ability
The gaming world shifts through different trends. Thus, make sure that you hire an android game developer who has learning ability as per the changing trends.
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Game developer rate per hour
If you are thinking about hiring freelance game app developers, it is important to know the salary you have to pay. Freelance game developer salary can depend upon different factors like skills, expertise, and the experience of the candidate.
An hourly pay rate for game developers in the US is $40 per hour. The national average salary for top game app developers is $50,923 in the US.
When it comes to video game programmers for hire in Europe, the average salary that you need to pay is €39,453. In addition to this, different developers from different regions can expect different salaries. Freelancers and full-time employees demand different salaries. But, the average salary is around €40,000 in Europe.
Asia is one of the biggest markets when it comes to development. Different regions in Asia-pacific are hubs for game development. The average salary for freelance game developers in Asia is $87,998. For entry level freelance game development, you may have to pay an average salary of $63,265. The senior-level game developer will demand an average salary of $109,007.
Places to find the best game developer
Do you want to know how to find the best video game developers for hire? If yes, you need to know about the best sites to recruit mobile game designers. Following are the list of best places to find the best game developers,
- Indeed: You can find a game developer for hire by getting jb subscription by Indeed.
- Google for jobs: This is a free platform that will help you in hiring talented app game developers from all around the world.
- Glassdoor: Glassdoor is one of the most authentic platforms to find people available for jobs.
- iHire: This platform is specially created for game developers for hire. You can give your specifications and choose the best developers in an instant.
- Linkedin: You can use Linkedin paid version as per as free version to choose the best famous video game programmers.
- Monster: This is the oldest site that will help you in choosing the best developers from all over the world.
- Find jobs near you: This platform will help you in recruiting candidates who are located near you.
- Career builder: You need a few bucks to select the best candidates from this platform.
- unremot.com: This is one of the best platforms where you can find talented and experienced game developers as well as other freelancers.
- Toptal: Toptal offers free as well as the paid version of the job ad posting option.
So, look at any of these platforms and choose game developers as per your preference and needs. All these platforms will help you in the job posting in the free version as well as the paid version.
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Steps involved in hiring best game developer
Are you worried about how to find the right candidate for mobile game developer jobs? If yes, follow all these steps to choose the best freelance game developer for your gaming business and organization.
1. Ask for a referral
You can look for a reference from someone related to the game development field when you want to hire a game programmer. This way, you will be able to hire a suitable candidate for the job. Try to make sure to take reference from someone you trust.
2. Choose a certified game developer
It is always advisable to choose someone who has the needed certification. Even if you have a small business, a certified game developer can help you in curating the best game dev websites and games.
3. Lookout for hiring platforms.
Hiring platforms like Linkedin and unremot.com can help you in choosing game developers with maximum ease. These platforms make the task of hiring professionals easier and better.
4. Look for experience
It is highly advisable to choose a mobile game developer with the needed experience for the job. This way, you can be sure that you will get the task done by professionals with enough knowledge and experience.
5. Ask for the cost breakdown
One of the biggest questions that business owners face these days is how much do you need to pay to top ten game developers. Well, the answer to this question can depend on different factors like your need, the skills you expect, and the type of services you need. Make sure to keep your budget in mind when you are looking for game developers.
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Top 10 interview questions for a game developer
1. What is the basic structure for developing a game?
Rationale: This question will enable you to know if the candidate is clear about the basic concepts associated with gaming.
Sample Answer: The basic structure for gaming includes the game interface, the implementation of the interface, and the game source code.
2. What are the problems that you can face while developing games on Java?
Rationale: This question will enable you to know if the candidate is capable enough to work with Java.
Sample Answer: Some of the major problems that I can face include non-deterministic memory management issues, lack of third parties, and the game not working in all types of gaming consoles.
3. Why is C++ a more preferred language for game coders?
Rationale: This question will help you to know if the candidate is apt at technical skills.
Sample Answer: Most game developers use C++ as their primary programming language because it provides them more control as compared to C language and Java.
4. What is Pixel art?
Rationale: This is another technical question that can help you know about the technical skills and abilities of a candidate.
Sample Answer: Pixel Art is digital art that is created by drawing individual pixels rather than rendering a 3D model.
5. How can you reduce game lag?
Rationale: the rationale behind this question is to know if the candidate is smart enough to get rid of issues associated with a particular game.
Sample Answer: To reduce the game lag, I will either lower the performance setting or I will give the option to upgrade certain parts in the computer used by the customer.
6. Will, you be able to work on a tight deadline?
Rationale: This question will enable you to know if the candidate will be able to work in a tight schedule.
Sample Answer: Yes, I like to work as per the deadline. In fact, deadlines help me to increase my efficiency.
7. Can you work in a big team?
Rationale: This question will help you determine the team spirit of the candidate.
Sample Answer: Yes, I have experience working with a team.
8. Why did you choose game development as your career?
Rationale: This will enable you to know how serious the candidate is about taking the job
Sample Answer: I have had a passion for games from a young age. After my graduation, I got the needed technical skills, and thus, I chose to become a game developer.
9. What are the top three skills that every game developer must have
Rationale: The rationale behind this question is that if the candidate understands the requirement of the job.
Sample Answer: The top three skills that every gamer must have are analytical, creative, and technical skills.
10. Tell me about a time you had to work on several projects at once. How did you handle that?
Rationale: This question will enable you to know if the candidate is capable enough to handle work stress.
Sample Answer: I had to work on 4 projects all at once in my last company. My seniors and team head helped me in the project. I also tried to work late at night. Since game development is my passion, I had no issues in working more.
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Top 10 tools to use while hiring a game developer
If you are genuinely serious about hiring professional game developers, you need to use certain tools that can help you in the hiring process,
- Application tracking system – The Application tracking system will help you in streamlining the entire process of recruitment.
- Mobile recruiting tools – More than 2.8 million job seekers make use of mobile devices to get job listings. Mobile is taking recruitment to a new level. Thus, it is important to have a mobile recruiting tool.
- Chatbots – Let’s talk automation right out of the gate, specifically artificial intelligence (AI) and chatbots. If there was ever a way to reduce the time and cost, it is through intelligent automation. Thus, if you are looking to hire famous game devs, it is important to use chatbots.
- Sourcehub – Social media platforms like Linkedin can be the best platform that can help you in choosing the best candidate for a game developer app. Make maximum use of these platforms to choose candidates of your choice.
- Location technology – This will enable you to know the real-world geographical position of the candidate. This technology is especially important when you are thinking about hiring mobile game helpers as freelancers.
- Video interview – This will help you in taking face-to-face interviews with the candidate. The video interview tools are best at the present situation of the pandemic when people don’t step out much.
- Contact Out – This is a Chrome extension that can make it easier for you to find the email address of the people. This tool can be quite helpful in the recruitment process.
- Hiretual – This tool is highly beneficial for big app game development companies. It can be helpful in connecting the contact information you gather and can help in the next stage recruitment process.
- Know your worth – This tool can be helpful in getting rid of awkward situations that managers have to face while salary discussion.
- HireVue – In a situation where you have lots of applicants for a videogame developer, the tool can help you in narrowing down the choice.
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Dos and don’ts while hiring a game developer
You need to pay attention to certain Dos and Don’ts when you are hiring a game developer for a gaming company.
Dos,
- It is important to get details about the skills of the candidate.
- Try to get details about the experience as well as the past performance of the candidate.
- Try to check the versatility of the candidate in terms of using different tools and computer programs, and language.
- Check the communication skill of the candidate.
- Try to know how efficient the candidate is in terms of using different software programs and development processes.
- Know about the educational qualification of the candidate
- Try to get details about the salary that the candidate is expecting.
- Ask the candidate about the level of experience.
- Try to know the certification completed by the candidate.
- Get details about the soft skills as well as technical skills the candidate has.
Donts,
- Never depend solely on one candidate.
- Don’t select a candidate just by looking at the CV.
- Try not to outsource someone who doesn’t have the needed qualification.
- Try not to pay too much attention to only the experience.
- Don’t choose a candidate only on the basis of salary.
- Try not to overlook the personality and skills of the candidate.
- Never hire a candidate without taking up the interview round.
- Never hire a candidate who is not certified and skilled.
- Don’t overlook the soft skills of the candidate.
- Never choose a candidate who is not passionate about working in the gaming world.
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Where can I hire a game developer?
You can check different platforms like Linkedin, Unremot, and social channels to choose and hire a game developer. Try to choose a platform that has a big pool of candidates for the video game developer game jobs. This way, you can choose the best candidate suited to your needs and requirements.
How much does it cost to hire a game developer?
Most companies get worried about how much it cost to hire a game developer. Well, the answer to this question depends upon your requirement and the types of candidates you need. On average, you need to pay $40-50 per hour to a game developer.