How To Become A Video Game Tester (FAQ)
Of all the jobs in the game industry, Video Game Tester inspires the most excitement, curiosity, and passion. Maybe it’s the appeal of “getting paid to play games” (spoiler alert: testers don’t just play games all day). Or maybe it’s the dream of trading your soul-crushing job for a new career you’ll truly love.
Being a QA tester isn’t a top-paying job, but it’s not a bad way to earn a living. And it’s a common starting point for newbies to break into the game industry — in fact, I started my own career as a game tester, and used it as a foundation to build a successful (and, frankly, highly-paid) career making games.
But there’s a lot of bad information out there, including scammy websites that prey on the passion of young people. It’s hard to know what’s true, and what’s hype. That’s why I compiled this in-depth Q&A, based on my own career as a game tester, plus advice and insights from many other testers I’ve worked with over the years.
After reading it, if you still have questions about a career testing games, just ask me in the comments section below.
What are the first steps to become a game tester?
At a high, level, these are the steps. But the devil’s in the details. Be sure to read the rest of the article for in-depth advice (the links jump to sections down below).
- Learn what a game tester does, and decide if a job testing games is right for you
- Learn the basic skills and vocabulary of game testing
- Complete your formal education or training (optional)
- Write your game testing resume and cover letter
- Search for jobs and apply for the openings that fit your salary needs, location needs, and desired lifestyle
What exactly does a game tester do?
Game testers support a game development team by playing versions of the game that are under development, and reporting on any bugs that they find. Some of the tasks that game testers do might include:
- Play the build, looking for bugs and other defects
- When you find a bug, figure out how to reproduce it (“repro” it) predictably
- Type up a bug report, using the company’s bug-tracking software
- Submit the bug report to the game development team so they can try to fix it
- The programmer who receives your bug report might ask you for more details to help them track it down
There are many other things that testers do, such as attending meetings with the development team or the other testers in your group. But the bulk of the work of a tester is finding and reporting bugs as described above.
How can I learn game testing job skills?
To get hired as a game tester, there are several skills you’ll need to learn: how to find and reproduce (“repro”) bugs, how to write bug reports, and how to verify that the game development team has fixed them. There are also “soft skills” you’ll need to learn such as being a good communicator, detail-oriented, and self-motivated.
You can learn all of this and more by reading my book, Land a Job as a Video Game Tester. You’ll learn the basics of game testing, and all the steps to apply, interview, and accept job offers. It’s got everything you need to know to get a job testing games.
How much do video game testers make?
Testers can be paid hourly or they can be on an annual salary. Either way, the pay rate can vary a lot — it’s based on factors such as which game company you’re working for, what geographical location the studio is located within, and how many years of experience you have as a game tester or a game testing lead.
Read more about the specific salary numbers per job and years of experience in my article about video game tester salary. I update it with the latest pay figures every year.
Do I need a college degree to become a video game tester?
QA testing is generally considered an entry-level position in the game industry, and most companies do not require a college degree to be hired as a game tester.
But if you do get a degree, then you’ll have a much better chance of moving into higher-paying jobs in QA/testing, or even moving into other areas of game development like art, design or programming — game jobs that almost always pay a lot more than a job as a tester. So if you want to have a career in the game industry and not just a job then it’s smart to get an education.
In fact, many of the testers I’ve known over the years were working as testers so they could pay their way through college. They would work part time while they went to school, or even full time while they took classes in the evenings. (Many colleges have “evening degree” programs for working professionals.)
Then, after they got their degrees, they got a new job in the game studio doing what they went to school for — like art, programming or design. And you can bet they also got an enviable pay increase to go with the promotion.
How do I write a resume for game testing?
To apply for game testing jobs, you’ll need to write a good resume (called a CV in many countries), and optionally a cover letter. Fortunately, game testing resumes aren’t much different from any other resume, so you can start by using resume examples from other successful people in the game industry.
Just be sure to focus on your skills that match the needs of the specific job you’re applying to. If you’re not sure, start by searching for game testing jobs and then read the “requirements” section of the job posting to discover what skills and talents they want you to have before applying.
You should also ask a friend or family member to proofread your resume, because if you make any mistakes on spelling or grammar, it could cost you the job. Game testers need to be detail-oriented, and your resume is the first place employers will look to make sure you can dot your “i’s” and cross your “t’s” — literally.
Do I need to move to a new city to be a video game tester?
Most game testing jobs are near the larger game studios, which happen to be in the larger cities around the world. You may be able to find testing jobs in smaller towns and cities, but if you’re positive that you want to break into the game industry then you’ll have the best chances of finding work if you can move to one of the major cities for game development.
If the idea of moving to a different city (or even a different country) freaks you out, I urge you to keep an open mind. Many people move to a new town to start their first video game job, so there’s already a support network in place to help you out. The company that’s hiring you might even offer financial assistance to help you with your moving costs.
Can I get a job testing video games from home?
I asked one of my friends who has run several QA groups over the years, and he’s heard good things about uTest. They provide a “crowdsourced” testing service, and he thinks that many of their QA employees work from home.
But in general, if you want solid, full-time employment as a game tester, you won’t be able to work from home because nearly all game companies do not hire work-from-home testers. In fact, please be careful, because there are several scam websites that you need to watch out for. Learn more in my podcast about work from home testing scams. If it seems too good to be true… it is.
While the idea of working from home might seem appealing, most people actually prefer working in an office. You’ll learn much faster when you’re around other, more experienced testers.
And it’s also a great way to build a community, and make a group of tester friends who will help each other out later on in your careers. Working from home can be extremely lonely, and people who work from home often don’t advance their careers as often as people who work in the office.
Where can I search for video game tester jobs?
Nearly any game studio needs testers, and some of the big game companies like Nintendo, EA, and Microsoft employ hundreds of game testers either directly or through temp agencies. Like any job, you can start by searching for job postings near your city by searching the video game job boards list. You can also search on popular tech-industry job sites like Monster, or on job aggregator sites like Indeed.
For in-depth tips on how to apply and interview for tester jobs, consider getting a copy of my new book Land a Job as a Video Game Tester, because it’s chock full of info on how to do just that.
What classes would prepare me for game testing jobs?
Can I assume that you already love to play games? If so, start paying attention to the bugs in each game. Learn how to “break” the game by doing things inside the game world that the designers didn’t expect you to do.
Also, to be a good tester you need to be disciplined and focused. Pay attention in school and get good grades.
Some classes that could help you get a QA job might be: technical writing, computer programming (introduction), project management, possibly Microsoft Excel. You can also learn more about game design by reading through some of the top game design books.
Another thing to consider, is that there are hundreds of “indie” game companies, many of which are just one- or two-person teams building games in their spare time. If you offer to be a beta tester, or even offer to test their game for free, it can be a good way for you to learn game testing and put some testing experience on your resume.
What are the job requirements for game testing?
Since game tester jobs don’t usually require any specific education, hiring managers look for people who have certain “soft skills” that are seen in some of the best testers in the industry. Specific traits that game studios and testing companies look for in a good tester include:
- Focus: You need to have a good attention span, and not get bored of a game even after you’ve been testing it for a long time. And I mean, for a looooooong time — modern, triple-A games can take up to five years of development and testing before they’re released to the public.
- Detail oriented: You need to be able to spot bugs, figure out how to make them happen predictably, and describe the precise steps to the development team to help them find and fix the bugs. Nothing can be overlooked or slip through the cracks, because every bug that ships with the game has a negative impact on players.
- Writing: You’ll be communicating with the game development team and other testers by email and through notes in the bug-tracking software, so you’ll want to be able to clearly communicate your thoughts in written form.
Writing bug reports is considered “technical writing” so it takes more skill and practice than writing on social media. - Attitude: Companies look for testers who have a good attitude, are hard workers, and can be fun teammates. They’ll avoid you if you’re overly negative, sarcastic, arrogant, or angry. If that sounds like you, then start practicing a positive attitude now, so it will become a habit by the time you apply for jobs. No matter how skilled you are at testing, nobody wants to have a jerk on their team.
Are game testers required to travel for work?
Testers don’t normally need to travel very often, but it depends on what kind of company you’re working for. If you end up being a tester on a project that’s developed in a different town than where you’re testing it – for example if you’re working for a publisher in San Francisco but the developer is in Seattle – then you might need to travel occasionally. If you can’t travel for some reason, it’s probably not a deal-breaker for most testing companies.
Any travel that you may be required to do for work will be covered 100% by the company. They’ll pay for your flight and your hotel, and they’ll give you an allowance each day for food and other miscellaneous expenses. In general, business travel can be fun, and it’s a convenient way to see new cities. As a nice bonus, it also racks up your personal frequent flier miles.
What other kinds of software testing jobs are out there?
Besides a typical “game tester” job, there’s also a job that you may not have heard of yet called an “SDET” (pronounced “ESS-det”). That stands for “software design/development engineer in test.” It’s a cool job that’s basically a tester that writes computer code – code that tests the game in an automated way. So it’s like a testing job, but the salary is much higher since it requires programming skills. A programming degree or some programming classes would be really helpful for landing a job as an SDET.
For example, a large multiplayer online game might have 10,000 different areas that players can explore over several years of play. It would be impossible to test all of those areas manually, every time a new build of the game is created.
So instead of doing it manually, an SDET might write a test program that quickly moves the player character to each one of the 10,000 areas for a few seconds each. That’s way faster than a human tester could ever do it manually.
Which game companies are good to work for?
That’s really up to you! What kinds of companies do you like? Which games and types of games are your favorites? Which companies are in cities that you think you’d like to live in?
It’s a big life decision, so don’t expect to make it right away. Do some research online, and put some thought into it. Here are a few “rules of thumb” to help guide you:
- Work at a company that makes games you’re interested in. You’ll be spending a lot of time testing their games, and it will be more fun and engaging if you like what you’re working on. You won’t always get to work on stuff you love to play, but you should take that opportunity whenever you can.
- Work at a company that’s big enough to have different career options for you. You probably won’t want to stay in the same job forever. Try to work at a company that has several teams and several products, so you can have a chance to move up or change jobs after a few years. Better yet, work in a city that’s a game dev hotbed.
- Work at a company that has friendly, fun, nice people working there. You may be working very long hours for days or weeks before each game release, which will be much more enjoyable if the people you’re working with aren’t jerks. Research the studio on Glassdoor.com, and ask people who may have worked there in the past. Avoid companies that seem to be full of jerks.
How old do I need to be for a job testing games?
Technically, you need to be at least the minimum working age in your country, state, or province. But practically, most game companies won’t hire people as testers until they turn 18 years old.
If you’re not old enough yet, you can start preparing for your future job by following some of the advice listed elsewhere in this article, and listen to my podcast about getting a job in games.
Do testing companies provide health insurance and other benefits?
Not all companies provide health insurance to QA testers. Many companies hire QA as temporary (“temp”) workers, and are not required to pay for their health benefits. If a tester is employed through a temporary staffing agency, the agency may pay health insurance. Otherwise you should buy private insurance for yourself.
This is one reason why it’s best to try and get a full-time employment (“FTE”) testing job at an established game company. Most regions require that employers provide medical benefits to their full-time employees, so it’s often a safer way to go. If you can’t find and FTE job initially, you may want to consider working as a temp at first, just to learn the job and get some experience on your resume.
How can I start learning about game testing right now?
Learn how to become a game tester with my book, Land a Job as a Video Game Tester. You’ll learn the basics of game testing, and all the steps to apply, interview, and accept job offers. I worked hard to write a book that provides everything you need to know to get a job testing games, but if I missed anything then you should email me and I’ll answer any remaining questions you may have.
Do game testers get any bonus pay?
Some studios give bonuses and many do not, it just depends on which studio you work for. For companies that do give bonuses, it’s usually based on the success of a shipped product, or it could be based off of the studio’s revenue for the past year. Bonuses are usually a percentage of your annual salary, and are often anywhere from 5% on up.
Just keep in mind that bonuses aren’t guaranteed, and even studios that have given bonuses in the past aren’t required to keep giving bonuses in the future. So don’t count on it, because it might not happen. And when it does happen, just consider it, well, consider it a bonus.
Do game testers get any vacation or paid time off?
It depends on whether you’re working as a part-time, full-time, or temporary worker.
If you’re hired as a full-time employee, you’ll normally start accruing paid vacation time right away and can take vacation at any time, as long as it’s ok with your manager. If you’re hired as a temporary employee, then you usually would not get any paid vacation.
Note that temp workers can still take vacation from time to time, but you won’t be paid for the time you’re away from work.
Do companies provide the gaming hardware, or do I need to pay for them myself?
You’ll never need to buy your own equipment, because the game company you work for will provide you with a computer, the game system(s), and any other hardware or software you might need to do your job.
Often, you’ll be using a “dev kit” version of the game system, which is a specially-modified version of the hardware that allows developers to debug their games while they create them. Dev kits are often provided to game studios even before the hardware is announced to the public, so only official game studios — and you, if you have a job there — will have access to them.
Be aware that there are scam websites that will try to get you to pay for your own equipment in order to get a job testing games. Do not work with those companies! All legitimate testing companies will provide you with everything you need, because they’re legally required to do so.
Also, you should never have to pay money in order to find and apply for testing jobs. If a website asks you for money to help you find a testing job, stay away!
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I am born to play games. I played first game when I was 4 as my dad bought me console but now I want to be only game tester but being honest no one supports me in this i play 20to18hrs a day online different games almost all new old game I want to apply for game tester job how can I do it IDC about how much they paid am happy with small amount because that way i can do what i love.
Hi Samin, your comment made me chuckle! If you could get paid to play games, then everybody would do that for sure. The fact is that game testing is a lot of work, and sometimes it’s not even very fun. You don’t get to just play the game, you have to search for bugs and write a report for each bug you find. Sometimes you could write 20 or more reports each day. Then when the dev team fixes the bug, you have to go into the game to make sure it’s really fixed, which can take a while.
Since you love games, you should follow a career in games for sure. Become a programmer, artist, or game designer. Then you can spend all day making (and playing!) games of your own. Good luck!
Hi I have been wanting to be in video game industry’s since I was very little. And I’m not very book smart am a sports fanatic. I’m 18 and on my senior year. I don’t want to go to the military like my parents want so I want to pursue this dream. I could really use some eadvice and maybe a good company to start with. I’m very hard worker and focused on the solution rather then the problem. If you could help me out it could change my life. Thank you -Colten pol
Hi Colten, even if you go to the military, you could still attend college afterword and even have a game design career. I’ve worked with a number of game developers that came from the military, including one very good artist and one excellent game designer that now runs an indie game studio. You will always have options!
Hello Jason. Im 18 and just need a job as a game tester, but i have no idea where to start. Gaming is a passion of mine. Please get back to me.
Hi Alex, you may be able to find an entry-level job as a game tester. Maybe check out the game job search page to see if there’s anything near your town.
BTW, I’m working on an e-book about how to get a job as a game tester, but it won’t be released for maybe 2 more months. But check back then if you still need a little help.
UPDATE: I finished my new book, it’s called Land a Job as a Video Game Tester. You can get it here: http://gameindustrycareerguide.com/tester-book-pdf. I hope that helps!
Well… All i do is gaming all i mostly ever wanted to do is game and it would be ARWSOME to be in the industry thats if there is one in New Zealand but if there is, i really want to just test game and do reports because i played games with a lot of bugs and i do make reports about them etc… But this is a job i would love to have!!! Sincerely – Harry Wilson McGill
Awesome! If you’d like more detailed info about becoming a tester, check out my book on learning to test games.
Hi my names Jay J King and I was wondering if i could become a video game tester, and the other thing is is graphic design part for the video game tester, and i’m 13 years old and i’m a 8th grader and I wanted to become a video game tester since 7th grade
Hi Jay, video game testers don’t do any graphic design. If you’re interested in video games and art, you should explore some of the art-related jobs in video games.
Hey Jason, I really hope you reply to this because I can use the advice. I’ve been playing games since I was about 8 and ever since I love pointing out glitches and bugs. Because of this I would love to become a game/QA tester. Unfortunately I’ve been looking for advice online to find colleges for a while now, and I’m running around in circles. If you email me I would be able to get into more detail and information about my situation. I greatly appreciate any advice you give me, thank you.
Hi Aidan, you don’t generally need to go to college to become a game tester, if you learn the basics then you can apply for jobs. Check out these resources to get you started:
What does an artist do in the video game industry?
There are many different art jobs in video games. You can read about some of them at the game careers article.
Hello Jason,
I’ve been playing video games since the original launch of the Xbox 360 console. I’m 17 and I am very eager to go into this field of work. I’ve found countless bugs through my years of gaming and I always try to help people on the community forums for that game! Knowing that people get paid for doing this, I thought I might give it a go and get paid for doing something I love! I know there are hundreds of comments and you hear stories like this all the time. To tell you the truth, I’ve never been good at perusing things that I wanted to do. I spend hours and hours of research and I can never find the right information I need. I never have the proper guidance. I loved this forum. It helped so much and actually gave me hope that I can do the thing I love to do the most one day as a career. I really don’t know where to look for a job in this field at. I live in a small city, the only work here is just small restaurants and other small companies. I wonder, should I move to a different city and pursue my dream? Is there anyway I could work for a company from home? Could I test games and spend the hours and hours of researching and locating bugs from the comfort of my room? Please give me guidance.
Thank you!
Hi Brandon, it’s unlikely that you can find a testing job working from home. You’ll have the best shot by moving closer to a city that has a lot of game dev studios. If you find a city you like, you could apply to jobs and try to get a job offer before you move – that way you wouldn’t be jobless in a new city, which can be a struggle!
Hi Mr.Jason
As A Hardcore Gaming Enthusiast,I Would Like Like To Know Different Areas And Skills Required To Get Into The Gaming Industry.I Am Not Good At Programming,What Other Areas Can I Work On? Like you Mentioned Artist or A Game Designer In your Comments,What Does It Really Take To Be That and Is Degree a Necessity? As I Am Currently Pursuing B.B.A.
Drawing Is One Of My Hobby I Absolutely Love And Am Quite Good At That,I Am Curious Yet Anxious To Know What Would Be The Best Suitable Way To Join Gaming Industry?
You should consider 2 things as you make this decision:
1. What skills are you good at, and what would you enjoy doing for your career?
2. What skills are in demand in the job market for your area?
For example, if you’re a very good artist but it’s difficult to find artist jobs in your city/state/country, then maybe that’s not a good career path for you right now unless you’re willing to move to a different city.
A degree is not usually required, but it’s much easier to find a job when you have a degree because it will help you get trained, help you build a portfolio, and possibly help you get some personal connections in the industry.
Hi
I play now for fun from 8 to 18 hours a dday.if not more sonetimes
I would love to be a tester reporter and get paid to play as you put it.. Please email me a link to someone you may know that needs someone that can get it done.
thanks
Hi Tai, there are many places to work if you want to become a game tester. I can’t recommend one over another on this website, so you’ll have to do some more research and start applying for jobs if you’re ready to start work.
Keep in mind that it’s a lot more work than just playing games all day. You’ll be required to write bug reports, reproduce bugs, and assist the development team. But I think it’s a fun job, and it’s a good way to start a career in the game industry.
What a Game tester should do to go to the next level, become a Senior Tester?
Is there some kind of requirements or tests that need to be done so your Test lead will know that you are the right person to lean on and eventualy becoming a Test Lead yourself ?
Most companies do not have a formal process for selecting a Lead Tester. If you want to progress in your career, then you should do great work and help your leads accomplish their goals for the project. Always work to take on more responsibility. If your leads come to see you as a hard worker who is capable of more responsibility, then they may promote you next time there’s an opening for a lead tester position.
Do you have to have a computer to be a video game tester? I do everything from my smart phone.
If you get a job as a game tester, they’ll usually supply any hardware you might need. That could be a PC, or it could be a development kit for a console. If it’s a mobile game testing job, there’s software such as TestFlight that would let you play builds on your smartphone. It just depends on the job.
Sometimes, testing can ruin whole game for you. Especially when you work for your favourite company. Does it matter if I want to work for Valve but I’m in Russia?
Valve has a branch in Luxembourg, but as far as I know they don’t have a location in Russia. So you’d probably have to move to Luxembourg or to Bellevue (USA) to work for them.
But if you’re just starting your career, you probably won’t be able to work at Valve – they only hire very experienced developers. But it’s a good goal, so work hard in your career and someday you may be able to work for Valve!
There are a couple of things I’m curious about here.
Living in the UK I’m aware that opportunities are more limited than in the USA. But I’ve been passionate about video games for as long as I can remember, and I’m certain this is the industry for me. However I hold no qualifications in programming, designing etc so testing seems to be the way to go (which is great because testing is the field im most interested in anyway). The things I’d like to know are:
1. The actual processes involved in testing a game. (Task assignments, deadlines, are reports submitted individually or does a team work through each area at a time?)
2. What bug reports and databases actually look like, how they should be compiled and exactly how a tester would use them.
3. Is there particular software I should be familliar with before I even apply for a position?
4. Career progression- How high can I really go?
I would really appreciate it if these could be answered as others I have asked either didn’t want to provide this information or simply didn’t know it. I just want to be as prepared as I can be.
Thanks!
Hi Andy, these are good questions but the answers are complicated – they could fill an entire book about game testing! I’ll give you some short answers, buy you’ll need to do more Google searching to learn more.
1. Usually there’s a team of testers assigned to a game. They work together, but each one might be assigned a certain part of the game such as combat or AI, or it might be divided up by area such as level or character. Each tester submits their own bug reports, and then re-tests the bug once the development team has marked the bug as “fixed” in the next build.
2. Most of the bug software works the same as all the others. For each bug you find, you create a new “page” (database entry) and fill out the form. The form will ask for information such as which area of the game you found the bug in, how “bad” the bug is (e.g. does it just look bad, or does it actually crash the game). Then you type up the exact steps you took to find the bug, so that a member of the development team can do the same thing to see the bug in action and fix it.
3. Most of the bug-reporting software is very easy to learn and easy to use, so don’t worry about which one you should learn. If you can fill out a Web form for ordering a product from a site like Amazon, then you’ll be able to figure out the bug reporting software.
4. If you’re in a large testing department, then the career ladder will usually have advanced titles like Lead Tester, or Director of Test. But many testers move out of the testing department into other departments, for example to become an Associate Producer on a dev team.
That should get you started in the right direction. Have fun!
Thanks a lot for the answers, really appreciated. Now I know if I’m looking at relevant information when I search for it!
Thank you so much for all of your answers to those questions, it has really helped me. I want to eventually work my way up to either being a programmer at valve or ubisoft. But I want to start off my video game career as a game tester. But just a quick question, what would it take to be a game tester for a company like ubisoft or valve because it would make it much easier working my way up on the job ladder for a company that I want to work for. And if they are only looking for experienced testers to work for them what do you recommend as a good company to test games for that would accept new testers?
Valve and Ubisoft may have internal testing teams, but most game studios do not keep a large number of testers on the payroll – instead, they hire outside game testing companies. I don’t know which contract firms they use, but Babble used to be a big one, and UTest/Applause is popular right now. You could start by looking at one of those companies.
Hi Jason Iam now 19 years old Can i Get Game Testing Job in EA or Ubisoft ???
Hi Sangeeth, yes, companies like EA and Ubisoft will usually hire people who are 18 years or older. Search for job openings, and start applying!
I want to do something with video games I LOVE video games I just don’t know what job I want. What would be the best job in your opinion.
Hi Eric – The best job is whichever one you’re good at and you enjoy doing. Try lots of different things in school (art, programming, etc.) to see what “clicks” with you, and then move in that direction. Have fun!
Is it possible to become a tester at the age of 17?
Adrian, it just depends on the legal working age in your state/county/country. If 17 years old is a legal age allowed to work full-time where you live, then it’s likely that game testing companies or game studios could hire you.
I live in the UK and am currently trying to decide what career I want to do in the future. I’ve been playing vdeo games for as long as I can remeber so I feel like a job in this sector would be great. Unfortunately to get a degree that would mean I could become a game developer I would need to study IT at A-Level and to study it at A-Level I would have to study it at GCSE and unfortunately that was not possible. I feel that becoming a games tester would be satisfying but I would really like to move up in that line of work to become a developer so I was wondering if there was anything that I could do?
I have studied Drama/Theatre studies at GCSE so Ic ould continue to do that at A-Level with the possiblity of becoming a voice actor for video games if that’s a career that would be available to me.
Becoming a voice actor for games is not a career that I’d recommend, because there is very little actual work available. And most of the work is handled by union voice actors in Hollywood. I don’t know of any game studios that have a full-time voice actor on staff – they all outsource it.
Your plan of starting as a game tester might be a good one, since you can start learning about the industry as you also get a paycheck. But in order to “move up” from a tester to a developer, you’d need to also take some courses to learn and practice your programming skills.
Hey there Mr.Bay is there a company that have QA testers for games that already have games released,and how do you figure out which companies are hiring?
To search for tester jobs, you could start at the game job search page. You can also go directly to the websites of game companies or testing companies, and check their job boards to see what’s open (that’s how you know they’re hiring).
I really like video games but I have a short attention span because I have ADHD or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder it doesn’t bother me when I am playing games only when I am doing other things like writing or reading I am an excellent reader but not a great writer I really want to be a video game tester I already try to find bugs and glitches in the games I play it helps to lengthen the game I have medicine that I take for it but it makes me a bit A-social I don’t get aggressive or any thing like that but I can be kinda shy would that be a problem.
Hi Gordon, I don’t think you need to worry about your ADHD. I know many people in the industry who have been diagnosed with ADHD, it often becomes easier to deal with as you get older. Never use it as an excuse! You can do anything you want, if you work hard for it.
Ok, I am 20 years old. I have been playing games before I could walk. (Literally, I was sitting on my dads lap clicking around and “playing” the best I could as a toddler, Starcraft lol) No one on my family is as passionate about gaming as I am. Its no addiction or unhealthy because I control my weight, take care of my eyes/lighting, and take breaks. I immerse myself into the game. Replying games in different ways, especially free roam/open world games, and role play even. I was told once, “There is a whole world out there man, stop sitting in there playing games” to which I replied that “I have seen more worlds and lived more lives in my games that you may never experiance.” I am always promoting games I enjoy and recommed them. I convince people to at least trt demos/trials or view videos at least to see. I get excited for new games, and saddened when I beat title/franchise I put years into. (Mass Effect is one) My question/comment whatever you may see this as, is this. I do not hardly know anything about computers. Coding and modding is beyond my skills. However I do tell people what ideas I would like to see implemented, what bugs there is at times, I can play a whole day away besides eating,sleeping, etc if time permits, and I have ideas of worlds, languages, characters, and more all in my head. That I thought up. Some may be based off of races/worlds/names of other things but never exact. But I am terrible at art. I can not draw. I have all these ideas and said if I could put them on paper or on a computer I could be rich and bring whole new life to games. I am scared to shoot for a testing job and work in college only to fail out use lack of computing skills and art skills. I have a vivid immagination. I can look around my home state and turn it futuristic ot post apocolyptic or alien without even closing my eyes. No exaggeration. Advice? Wisdom? Anything. I have often thought (sadly I might add) of getting rid of games and “growing up” like everyone tells me to, but I want to give back o other games and become a designer or dev even someday. But afraid to mess up. Should I go with a normal mundane job, or risk it? Help me out peeps, ima gamer, ima nerd, a trekkie/trekker, harry potter lover, lord of the rings follower, star wars fanboy. In essence, im your peer xD advice?
Hi Robert. It’s cool to see that you have so much passion for games! If you want to pursue a career making games, you need to figure out how to turn that passion into a skill set that you can use. I actually do think that getting a job as a tester could be a good place for you to start, because you could use your attention and focus to make money while you learn about the process of making games. Then after a while, you may start to see which other roles might be good for you to get into, for example you might make a good game producer.
But you have to start somewhere – nobody is going to pay you to play games all day! You need to start learning a skill set, and one skill set that might come naturally to you is a Game Tester.
hi im jermal thank you for giving so much awesome information it really helped out. my question is what in your opinion is the perfect industry to go to become a game tester, and future game developer?
Hi Jermal, I don’t quite understand your question. If you mean “what is the best way to start your career” as a game tester or game developer, in my opinion it’s a good idea to get a certificate or a degree in game design. Or, if you want to be a game programmer, then a degree in computer science.
I recently got to “play test” a game for the first time. It was at an anime convention and they had a demo for it up and running. I found the game itself kind of slow and a little boring but when I clicked on the trees they would either disappear or, if they were dead, flicker back to life. I thought it was so cool that I immediately started looking for more bugs that the creator had missed, he was right at the table so it was easy to show it to him. I’m trying to choose a career with something I love and wanted to know more about this as an option. I’m interested in play testing but also in translation and programming. Those are all very different fields and I’m wondering what to expect from each one when it comes to jobs and requirements. If you could give me any insight it would be helpful.
Hi Jackie, it’s interesting that you mention an interest in translation. Do you mean that you’re bilingual or multilingual? If so, you should investigate jobs as at companies that do “localization testing” because they employ translators and also testers. One company I’ve worked with before is Babel Media, so that could be a good place to start your search.
If you’re interested in programming, then game programming is of course a full-time job if you’re good at it. Also, there’s a type of tester that often gets to use programming skills to write code that tests games, so that’s something else you could look into. (Search Google for “white box tester jobs” or “automation tester jobs.”)
Lots of options! 🙂
Thank you for getting back to me! I’m sorry for my late response, but I’ll keep that in mind. I know that Gameloft has an office in my area, New Orleans, do you know if they do any internships?
I was interested in translation because Aksys is a company that, from what I’ve read, specializes in game localization and also produces the kind of games that I have an interest in. Although getting info on them, short of Wikipedia, has been difficult. Their website, if I’m looking at the right one, is a little quirky.
I was also looking into Atlus, because again they produce games that I find interesting. It seems that the only jobs that they are hiring for right now are Japanese to English translators.
I understand it’s a good idea to have a website to enter the gaming industry, but is it necessary for a game testing or QAA job?
Not really. The main reason to have a website is to show off your portfolio of work, but for testing there’s not any “work product” to show off. I would recommend setting up a LinkedIn profile, and that can be your online resume.
Hi Mr. Jason
Thank you for the advice and knowledge on Game Testers. I am currently in college taking the Game Simulation and Development program. I’ve been studying this for about 2 years in college and got the basics down. How would I find a stepping stone for becoming a game play tester? I don’t want to try for big named companies and etc… I want to actually build a portfolio on testing games, Designing games, and programming games but I don’t know what to look for when finding something where I can give my first professional attempt to test a video game or project.
Hi Nehemiah, if you’re getting a programming degree, then you should start applying to programming jobs when you near graduation. Especially if you’re building some small games as part of your schooling, you should have a portfolio by the time you graduate, and may be able to get an entry-level programming job. Best of luck!
Hey i have a question regarding bug reports. After reading your column I felt inspire and signed up for a company but something that is not clear although I did my reaserch in bug report. I have fiddler and I’m new with all I get the part about giving the log on the report but how and plus would it be important to send pics and videos??
Thank you 🙂
It’s usually important to send any information that might help the development team reproduce and fix the bugs, including screen shots or video capture. But you should ask your employer to clarify what they want, since every company has different requirements.
what do you do
Check out his LinkedIn profile and it’ll let you know there. 🙂
I play games all day it is my own personal therapy and passion,I teach other gamers and explore all aspects of the game I am playing. I find all there is to do and secrets to find then move on to the next game. My question to you is how can I make a living doing this, I spend so much time and dedication playing games,I feel I should get paid! Please send me some guidelines to help me get started on this path. Thank you for your time.
Well April, like I said in the article – nobody will pay you for just playing games. Testing games is a skill set that goes beyond “playing” the game, you need to understand how to find bugs and report them, and how to communicate with the dev team. But every great game developer starts out as a great game player – so start thinking about a plan for turning all that enthusiasm into a career in design, programming, art or another game job!
Hey Jason,
You said that companies would lend testers the hardware needed to complete their tasks. Is there a fee to use their equipment? (ie. PC, XBox, Wii, etc.)
This next question is kinda off topic, but were you, at a time, ever a game tester? If so, was is for a big company? I always worry that I won’t get hired, because, since it has to do with video games. A lot of people are going to want to apply for the positions. I’m also aware of the work involved in game testing. I know about the “bug hunting”. The reports about the bug found. What if after hours and hours of searching, you don’t find a bug or miss it by the slightest bit? Would you lose the job? And if you lose the job, would you have to send the equipment back?
I apologize for typing so much, but it seems as if you’re the only person that actually reads and replies to comments/questions.
I will, however; take your advice and apply for positions that are most fit for me.
One last question before I conclude this comment.
Since this will be my first time in the game testing field, will they “show me the ropes” so to speak? Or will I have to learn as I go individually?
– A Curious Gamer,
Mario
P.S.
If you could respond to this sometime soon… It would be much appreciated.
Hi Mario – Yes, I was a game tester for about a year at a game studio called KnowWonder (they no longer exist). The studio will usually provide the hardware as part of the job.
It is a competitive position since lots of people want to test games, but there’s also a lot of turnover so there’s always new people coming into the job. Don’t worry about not being able to find any bugs – usually when software is being developed, there are hundreds or even thousands of bugs. Plenty to keep every tester busy!
In most testing jobs, you will have a Lead Tester that is your manager. They will show you the ropes and help you learn your way around. Good luck!
Thanks a bunch Jason.
Kinda wish there were more people like you that are actually willing to answer our questions haha.
hi I would like to be a game tester if it is possible I love to play games and I also have my kids enjoying games they play with me from Roblox,fall guys etc so if there is anyway to join please let me know thank you
Hey Jason,
Could you please tell what can I expect on interview? What are the typical tests for the candidates? How can I master my skills and prepare to the selection of the aspirants? I know the best way to gain experience is to work as a tester but how can I increase my chances here at home?
Hi Mike, the questions in a QA/Tester interview will be different at every studio. But there are certain types of questions that you should be prepared for. Some examples are questions about things like:
That should help you get started. Good luck!
Hello i was just wondering im a freshman in highschool 1.how old must i be to get a job in the game testing carrer 2.would they accept a video of the steps to get to a bug?
Hi William, to get a job as a game tester you’d have to be of legal age in your state/county. (Usually 16 years old in the USA.) They would not accept a video of steps to get a bug, they’d want you to submit a resume and then do one or more interviews at the testing company or game studio.
i practically live and breathe video games. I can talk about them for hours. (ask my boyfriend.) when people tell me that they never got into video games it almost breaks my heart a little bit. but, I am going to college, and since I’d like to have my career based around video games whether it would be designing them, programming, or testing them, what kind of classes should I take? 3D animation? graphic design? does it all depend? I would love to make this into a career so I would like to be able to have some degrees and proper knowledge to make my resume more impressive, and eventually climb the ladder.
Hi Tyffani, you seem very passionate about games, that’s awesome! There are lots of different careers, so you need to figure out which one(s) might “click” with your interests and talents. You could start by finding out whether you are more attracted to art, or to programming, or design. Check out the Quest for Your Career articles to learn more about each one – once you find something that sounds interesting, then you can start thinking about how to pursue it. Have fun!
I live in South-Africa and love to play video games but to become a videogame tester woul I have to move to America
Gerdus, you would not need to move the the USA to test games, there are game-testing companies all over the world. I did a quick google search for “game testing companies South Africa” and turned up results in Cape Town and in Johannesberg, so start with a search and see what you find.
HI, I noticed that most of you guys, if not all of you are adults. Well I am in 8th grade. I play video games whenever I can. Some days not at all, other up to 6 hrs. My dad doesn’t support my love for games at all. My mom isn’t as bad but still she wont be pleased, because I haven’t told them that I want to be a video game tester. I would like you guys to give me some about were I should go or what I should do to accomplish this. By the way I live in California by UC Irvine collage.
Hi Kyler, your parents will want you (and rightly so) to pick a career that has more long-term growth potential, like Game Programmer or Game Artist. Think of Game Tester as a job that could help you start out in a video game career, but not something to do for your whole life. For example I started as a game tester, but then I took programming classes and eventually moved into a job at the same company as a game designer and programmer.
Or who I should talk to. I hope by 18… five years from now… I will be able to test games and make a living.
You’re reading this site, so that’s a good start. If you live in a town that has game studios, you could contact people at those studios and see if they’d allow you to do a “job shadow” so you can learn more about their jobs. Also check out my e-book on starting a game career.
Id really like to test for bethesda. Their games always seem to keep me playing. Any advice on how to get that started?
Hi Chad, Bethesda’s games are awesome! Bethesda is one of the Big Boys in the game industry though, so it would be hard to get a job there as a beginner. You’ll probably need to get a job at a smaller game studio when you’re starting out, and then after you get some on-the-job experience you could start applying to Bethesda.
Hi i am from Malaysia.I started CPU games like Counter-Strike and other FPS games and i play on average 6-8 hours per day.I would like to know how to start my career on this sector cuz im very very raw currently
Hi Anjeev, if you mean to start down the path to becoming a game developer, well there are many articles on this website for you to check out depending on what job you’d like. Check out the Quest for Your Career series. Also, I go in depth in my ebook on starting your career in video games.
Not to mention it has been around 12 years i have been on Counter Strike 😀
Hah, gaming is like riding a bike: no matter how long you’re away, you can always pick it right back up. 🙂
I am very passionate about gaming and enjoy searching a game for bugs and glitches and would love to eventually get myself into the bigger gaming industry and see this as a great start. I’ve searched and searched for jobs in this field, but none are showing up. I live in the Atlanta, GA area and can’t find a single Game QA/Test job. What should I do?
Hi Dylan, not every city will have the exact job you’re looking for. It’s common to seek jobs in other cities either in your home state, or elsewhere in the US. If you can’t find the job you want in Atlanta, you will need to broaden your search. Good luck!
very helpful article. i personally love breaking games and finding bugs. i just love to find those bugs that the developers/programmers didnt think of being possible or consider happening. just to find one and say “this is a game breaking bug, here is a way you could fix it” makes me happy because it might help keep another player from experiencing that bug and ruining there experience of the game. the mere fact that i sit playing games the first time through enjoying them and then going back and trying to break them for fun kind of qualifies me or places me in the area for QA game tester already but that doesnt mean much as i cant find anywhere to apply for such a job. i know minor programming and can give details on how to fix bugs in a way a programmer might understand better than the regular person testing the game without the knowledge. it’s just saddening for me that i have been searching for about 3 years now for somewhere to apply for this type of job. i truly have a passion for it, even though it’s considered a tedious job at times, i still love it.
There are many testing jobs available, but you may need to search outside of your home town or home state. Most of the testing jobs are centered in the areas where there are lots of game studios like Austin, LA, San Francisco, and Seattle. You may need to broaden your search.
Dear Jason,
I am a 8th grading. I am looking for a high school in NYC for either Video game programming, Video game testing, or both.
Hope to hear back soon!
Hi there, I don’t have any info on which high schools might have game development courses. If you find out, please come back to let us know! In the meantime, no matter which high school you attend, you can always take game programming classes online or learn from books, videos or tutorials. Have fun!
Hi!
I’m 14 and I’m really involved in gaming. Not just gaming but also I have taught myself to do things like mod android apps (apk files) and recently became a Playstation mobile “developer”. To play around with Unity and make little parts of a crappy game. While playing for instance skyrim I look for glitches and bugs I can profit from. I know I’m probably too young and all, but where can I get educated, like are there any programming clubs for teens? And even more I am interested in game testing. Why wouldn’t I? Are there any major or minor gaming companies who provide this for people in my age? For like summer Jobs?
Please answer me soon,
thanks,
Rasmus
Hi Rasmus, I don’t know of any game companies that offer summer jobs for students. But you should look around for colleges/universities that have game dev programs, for example I know that DigiPen Institute has summer dev programs for teenagers. You should start there, maybe explore the list of top game design colleges for summer programs.
Hey ther Im from dominican republic , can i be a video game tester? I love games like resident evil . Castlevania and many fps . And as you can see i speek english hahha also german , french and ofcourse spanish . I live on dominican republic but i can travel to usa and also would like to know if there is some way to work from home as a tester . Thx . Greatings : carlos
Hi Carlos, your English is great! 🙂 I don’t know what tester jobs there might be in Dominican Republic, but you should be able to search Google or the local job boards. You might even check to see whether there are any job listings for remote work on sites like oDesk.com or eLance.com. Good luck!
Hi there,
does anybody know anybody any book/article source about videogame tetsing?
cheers
marco
I love action games like call of duty and other war games.I am in high school what specific major do I need to persue to garenteen a good paying job as a QA?
Also what particular location do I need to go to get the best job.
Hi Celina, please understand that QA is not the highest paying job in the game industry. Look here for the QA salaries. Since you’re in high school, I’d recommend working toward either game design, programming, or art, depending on what you’re drawn toward. Read about some of the other video game careers here.
hi im anthony im 27 and i love video games i played just about every system out there and i wanted to test video games for some time now but i dont know where to start or what to look for to get in the career
Many game tester jobs don’t require any specific experience, they are “entry level” jobs. So start by searching local job boards or some online job boards like Indeed.com or Gamasutra.com or GameJobHunter.com to see what’s available in your area. Good luck!
so can i get a good college for this kind of stuff
Ash, you should check out the article on the top game design schools. You might find one there that you like.
Hello, sir. I am a young student going into his first year of college next fall. Although I am majoring in Mechanical Engineering (its a well paying job source), I have alot of interest in video game design. I am a bit inexperienced with terms, but I would eventually like to pursue a field of design in which I could help create worlds and sandboxes for games. Whether it be the single player cinematics of worlds like Skyrim or the Multiplayer arenas of Halo. In high school I took many classes in AutoCAD, Architecture and Technical. Using programs to 3D model objects and areas was a thrill! Game tools like Halo’s “Forge”mode really have me Iinterested In map designing for video games one day. Your article addresses becoming a videogame tester as an entry level position. What advice could you lend to me for a goal that I cannot even properly name yet? Also, most of those big cities are not in the Michigan area, so I worry for my chances of getting a job anytime soon…. anyways, thank you for your article. It was a good read and very imformational.
Hi Lucas, I’m glad the article was helpful for you. It sounds like the jobs you might be interested in would be Level Designer, or maybe Environment Artist. Both of those jobs work with 3D modeling game levels. Check ’em out!
As to living in Michigan, most people apply to any job they want anywhere in the country, and then move there if they can. Some companies will even give you some money to help pay for the moving expense (if you ask them for it). It’s very common to move to a new city to take a new job. Good luck!
at age 13 how would i start working on becoming a video game tester
Hi Chris, being a game tester sounds fun, but it’s a hard job and doesn’t pay as well as the other jobs in the game industry. If you’re 13 and want to work in games, then I’d recommend working toward being a game designer, programmer, or artist. Depending on which one attracts you the most. Check out my article on the different jobs in the game industry, and see whether one of those sounds interesting, then work in that direction.
I’m looking into becoming a game tester I live in Williams lake BC not sure how bout to do it I love video games and I do know most time game testings is for hugs and can be very tedious job writing reports more then game at times but its something I would love Tod do I don’t care bout the pay I just want to work for the company and the games not the pay the isnt essential for me my passion to make the games the best they can be is so any advice how to go bout this would be awesome
Hi Conan, if you’re looking for game tester jobs I’d recommend checking some game-industry job sites like Gamasutra.com and some general sites like Monster.com or Indeed.com. Good luck!
dear, jason i would love if you would help me i am only 13 and i want to be a game tester
Hi Chris, I don’t think you can legally have a job at age 13, so unfortunately you’ll have to wait a couple of years. Sorry to break the bad news :/
are there any scholarships that can help me get my programming degree?
and what is the best place for me to go to for the best chances to get into the industry?
Those are great questions, Kevin. I haven’t looked into scholarships, I should do some research and then write an article about scholarships. Look at this article for a list of the top game schools in the US.
Can u become a videogame tester at 11????????
In most states, you can’t have a job until you’re 15 or 16 years old. But if there are game studios near where you live, try contacting them to see if they need any play testers – you wouldn’t get paid (maybe they’d pay you in pizza!) but it could be fun and educational.
what do i put in my resume on my linkedin page for testing jobs?
Hi, my name is Danny, from Houston,Texas. I’m 16 on my sophomore year. I’ve been playing games since in my early childhood years. I currently have a ps3, ps4, and Touchscreen all in one computer (not good for gaming though). After graduating high school, I’m not really sure how to start being a video game tester. I have no skill, but that doesn’t mean I can’t learn. Any tips to help me out?
Hi Danny, depending on where you live, there may be job openings for entry-level game testers with no prior experience. Search for some QA/testing jobs in your area, and see what they list as job requirements on their job postings. Often times, they only require that you graduated high school and have experience with games.
Hi jason.
I allready do this this on my own time, finding bugs, glitches, really anything wrong with the game just can’t report the problem lol. I’ve always wanted to be a tester, I know it’s alot of work but it’s what I’m looking for. If you wouldn’t mind but sending me and email on more steps to do this plz. Thank you.
Hi Cody, you should start by searching for some game testing jobs in your area to see what qualifications they want. You may be able to find entry-level testing jobs that don’t require any special skills apart from being a good communicator, knowledgeable about games, and a hard worker.
you keep referring to finding bugs in games and writing bug reports but what do these things actually require you to do? what would i have to do to find a bug in a game for example and would the report have its own specific writing style and layout?
When a game is in development, there are many different bugs that are often easy to find. To write it up, you’d type your report into a specialized “issue tracker” software (for example, a program called Jira) that has form fields for each piece of information the game team wants to know about. Usually things like, what do you do to make the bug happen? What area of the game is it in? How “bad” is the bug on a scale of 1 to 5?
I have always wanted to be a tester, i find my self buyin a game like Call of Duty and not even trying to play the game but looking for glitches and mistakes that everyone else missed
That’s great – you already have a knack for bug hunting. 🙂
I have been playing games for a long time. Especially first person shooters. I looked at the requirements for working at Activision. As call of duty is my favorite game, and I have a lot of experience playing that game. If I meet pretty much all the requirements, do you think theres any chance they would hire me if I just finished high school?
Hi Jan, if you meet all the requirements for the job description (assuming they’re looking for an entry-level tester) then you might have a shot at getting a phone interview. Be sure to read the articles on interviewing – and, good luck!
How to do a phone interview
Tips for Interviewing at a Video Game Company
What to Wear to a Game Job Interview
I finished High-school in June this year. I’ve decided to build my life around gaming, and I’m having trouble doing so. Considering a very popular method right now is streaming, and video to sources like twitch, youtube, etc… I’ve done a bit of that to no avail; due to the fact that most of those sources require a huge fan base to even partner with them, let alone get payed.
So when it comes down to it, I don’t want to work a “normal job”. I’m not artistic, but I’m articulate. In the position i’m in right now, I need an entry level job somewhere in the gaming industry, and I don’t know the way to it. I don’t live in the cities, so it’s not like I can walk to gameindustry-A and apply for a QA position.
Would you happen to know resources that would help me in my search?
I’ve been playing games since I was two, and have participated in beta-tests as long as I can remember. More specifically; I’ve participated in beta-tests nearly every new game release there’s been in the past 12 years. I’m 18, so it’s legal for me to work in most places, It’s just a matter of finding the company with an open or will be open position as a qa tester, that is lenient on distance to the physical work place.
Hi Brian, it’s great that you’re thinking of turning your love of games into a career. To get hired by a game studio, you need to have some skills that they’re looking for – usually either art, programming, design, or production. If you don’t have any of those skills then you might be able to get a job as a QA tester, but as you mentioned, you’d need to move to a city that has game studios.
It’s a big question, but I do cover some of this stuff in my game career ebook. If you check that out and still have questions, let me know.
Hi, I’m in my first semester in college now and I was thinking about going into gaming since I’ve been playing games for a long time since I can remember. I am thinking about changing my major into something like programming, but I never took a class in high school that was computer oriented and such. I was wondering do you think it would be a good idea to go ahead and change my major or not since I don’t really know about programming?
Before you change your major, I think you should try taking an online programming class to see if you like programming. (CodeSchool has some great classes, and they’re inexpensive – maybe try their JavaScript classes.) If you find out that programming is interesting for you once you spend a few hours learning it, then you might consider changing your major.
Hello Harley
I want this job a game tester but don’t know how I do it.
And which type of programming language must be important.
Any suggestions for me.
Hi there
My name is Mitchell i am 15 years old and was wanting to know if there is an Xbox 360 game tester job opening ? and if i can interview someone about Xbox 360 game testing for my schoolwork?
Mitch
You can search for job openings on the game jobs page, just search for “game qa tester” and you’ll see some results. But for most any game job, they can’t hire you until you’re old enough to legally work in their state. Good luck!
my name is jose barbosa. I searched long and hard where to go to apply for a game tester. I want to get paid for something i love to do.I love to play video games alot. I went to the search bar and it kept sending me to sites that states to pay to become a member so they can get me out that the companies that are looking for game testers but it just seemed alil iffy for me to provide them info about me and my finances. I just want to know where do i go to apply for it because i known a guy once who was doing it and making good money doing it too.
There are many game-testing scams on the Internet, so I’m glad you noticed that. You do not need to pay to find jobs, you can the on the normal job boards – you just need to know what to look for. Search for “game qa tester” and you’ll see some listings.
When someone starts working as a tester to start a career in game testing, how often does someone start at an age older than 25? Not saying I’m anywhere near over-the-hill but I’m just worried that my interest and passion for games is past that phase of making it more (financially). I
I’m a fellow geek/nerd/gamer/dork that loves all types of games, on different platforms console, PC, handheld, etc. I get immersed in games as often as I can, exploring every nook and cranny for secrets or “accidentally” finding a glitch. Lol.
I’ve thought about testing for a while, just not sure how reliable of a career that would be. And if I had the chance to get schooling in design or programming, how long does it usually take for a company like sucker punch, EA, ubisoft, treyarch, (and there are others that I like) to pick someone up out of school and give them a shot?
In addition to that, are there a wide variety of jobs in the gaming industry, or not? From reading credits of games that I finish and feel accomplished I see all the names of all these different positions and just wonder if this is a career path that has no limits?
Sry for so much I asked. Please help me out here. Thank you!
Hi Dennis – yes, there are a lot of different jobs in the game industry. Check out the article on the various video game jobs. The age at what you start doesn’t matter much – although, as with any career, you may need to start near the bottom of the ladder and will work your way up over time.
Hello Mr. Bay,
I read through many of these comments and noticed that many of the questions are from younger and eager future designers who hopefully have a fantastic career laid before them. However, I am 24 years of age and have struggled to find a way to break into the gaming industry in Arizona. I am fluent in a handful of coding languages with experience and will be concluding my Associates program for Software Development in in the next few months but none of that means much if there is no ground to find my footing on. The kicker is, I cannot leave this state without having a solid foundation laid out in another state, but I do not want that to stop me from gaining professional experience in the Game Dev industry.
Game testing is a valid option absolutely, but do you have any advice on how a guy like me can make that transition so I can get my hands in the pie?
Respectfully,
Tim B.
Hi Tim, if you’re getting an Associates in Software Development then that’s a good ground to start out on. Here’s my advice: Build a very small game project while you’re in school, to use as a portfolio piece when you start looking for jobs. Then once you graduate, you can apply to jobs in other cities – just be prepared to move to a new city if you get a job offer. I wish you luck!
Hey Jason,
What are you thought about must-read books that have been published for a game tester? What are your thought about the process of transforming from QA tester to QA Lead? What should a QA Lead know before leading? Are there any specific books for QA Leads to increase their knowledge?
Sorry for so many questions, but I was curious what was your opinion 🙂
Hi Mikołaj, it’s been a long time since I’ve looked at the testing books so I can’t recommend one in particular. Just steer clear of the “make a million dollars testing games” books – maybe go for a general software testing book since they’re more likely to be serious QA books as opposed to hype.
QA Leadership is a people- and/or project-management job. So for QA lead books, I’d look at some general “people management” books like The Mythical Man Month which is a classic, and maybe a project management book or two.
There don’t seem to be very many entry level Quality Assurance Tester job available. The few i’ve seen want at least 6 months experience and previous knowledge. Both of which I lack. I’m disabled and have no choice but to work from home. All the job postings i’ve seen are on site only. Oh well, that’s how every entry level job i’ve tried to look into ends up: a dead end of on site jobs. I guess i’ll just try applying for SSI again.
Hi Emma, I think you’re right that most game testing jobs want you to work on site. But I’d recommend that you go ahead an apply even to the jobs that say they require 6 months experience – sometimes they’ll call you for an interview even if you don’t have the experience.
hello im Christopher and I just want to test games and have a job. I love the 360 and TITANFALL. but i would love to fine a good gaming testing jobs
Be sure to check the jobs search page, it’s a good place to start looking. Search for “game qa tester” or “video game tester.” Good luck!
I have been playing games on the pc all the way back to the commodore 360. and have been playing all of my life. I am now 44 years old I have 6 classes before I graduate with my BS/IT/WD, The whole reason I went back to school was because I like to game and I wanted to get a job as a gamer (tester) I don’t want to get into the development side or the design side I just want to play games and do bug reports. Every site I have looked at all they want to do is sell me a book on how to be a tester. I don’t have the $$ to buy a book or a “plan” any tips on where I might go from here?
Hi Daniel, you shouldn’t have to pay anybody to apply for testing jobs. You could start your search on the game jobs page or other internet job sites, or you can go to the websites of specific studios you’d like to test for and apply from their websites directly.
I have always liked gaming and computers and I am interested in becoming a QA software tester, but not necessarily in the gaming industry.
I was wondering your opinion on starting off as a game tester to gain experience in QA testing, and the relationship in testing other programs and software for other companies, not centered around gaming.
There’s a lot of overlap in the methods you use to test games vs. business software, so any testing experience you get in one will apply to the other.
Hey Jason,great article again
I have looked for game tester job(part time) in many sites,companies,etc and all of them have one thing in common:they need testing experience.where can I start from? any sites,companies I can look for job?
It’s common for jobs postings to say that a certain amount of experience is required. But most of the time it’s not a “hard” requirement – companies are often quite flexible in who they will accept for an interview. So if you see a job and it asks for under a year of experience, you should go ahead and apply for the job anyway.
Hi I was just wandering what does it take to be a game tester, and If I did go to College what kind of degree would be better for me to get Hired. Also having a perspective mind of Stuff better, and being logical about stuff Good too. Also what are some good classes in High School to take too because I’m 17 but I want to be as prepared as much as I am. Also lets say I live no where close to where any of the Game complains are. What would I do then.
Hi Kyler, most game testing jobs don’t require a degree unless they also require some computer programming skills. In high school, I’d recommend taking some computer classes, maybe a programming class, and technical writing. (Or whichever equivalents your school might offer.) Many people move away from their home town to get a job after school, it’s normal to move to a new city where there are more jobs in your field.
Hi Jason I have been reading some of theses comments and there’s some great advice. I have been a gamer all my life I love games if someone I know brings up a topic about games I can talk for hours about games. I’m looking to be a games tester because it’s my dream job but i can’t look after my self because of my medical problems. It would take me days to complete a game when I was young but now I can complete some games in a day or two. My quickest game to complete was home front in four hours I thought it was the easiest game I ever played. Any advice how I can become a games tester
Hi Brad, if you’re old enough to have a job right now, then you could start searching for testing jobs and see if any are located in your city. Then, just apply! Start your search at the game jobs search page, or go directly to the websites of game studios that you’re interested in.
I am 13 going to fourteen in 4 months. any tips how I can get started? I would really love this job when I am 18.
There’s some great advice in my interview with a professional game QA tester. Check it out!
Hey sir I’m want to be a video game tester, and we are doing this project and one of the requirements are to interview someone in the field who has the same career me and my teacher couldn’t find any one and the last and only way to get an interview is with you, hopeful you’ll take the time to ask some questions but, I can send you the questions in a email if you want to do it. Like i said hopeful you have some time because my interview is due in a week, no pressure.
Hi Sammer, I usually don’t have time to do live interviews with readers. But if you get on LinkedIn and search for some game testers, you could send them a message via LinkedIn and I’ll bet you’ll get some responses. Good luck on your report!
i am doing an interview in ela for career choices and i would like to know if i can interview you on video game testing and i would really like to know what you do there and how and what the specifics of the job is. all of the details can help me with interview and i would really appreciate it. thanks
Hi John, I usually don’t have time to do live interviews with readers. But if you get on LinkedIn and search for some game testers, you could send them a message via LinkedIn and I’ll bet you’ll get some responses. You should also check out my interview with a game qa tester.
Jason, I’ve been in love with video games since I was 4, mainly Nintendo. I’m 14, about to be 15, planning to get a job/career in the video game industry, but I want to be either a video game tester or video game designer. What do you think?
Hi Samuel, video game tester and video game designer are 2 very different jobs. So the first thing you should do is learn more about each one, and see if you can decide which one you’d like the most. You can get an overview of each at the game careers overviews article, and get a sense of what a “day in the life” is like at the game career interview articles.
Hey Jason. Is this real? I’m kinda skeptical
It’s good to be skeptical. 🙂 But yes, video game testing is a real job. Go on LinkedIn and search for “video game tester” and you’ll see a huge list of professional game testers. Or look in the credits of any game (MobyGames.com is a good place to look) and you’ll see testers in the credits.
Hello, my name is Aaron and I have been looking into this field for quite sometime. I have over 12 years of Video Game experience, RPG’s Strategy, Sports, FPS’s MMO’s you name it I have played it. I would love to get into the gaming industry, this is my passion. I just would like some insight into this field.
Hi Aaron, hopefully you’ll find some insight here at the Career Guide. Depending on what you’re looking for, here are a couple resources:
* Interviews with people in many different game jobs
* My book on preparing for your game career
If there’s info you can’t find, shoot me an email and let me know what’s missing! (Use the “Contact” link at the bottom of the page.)
Hi I just wanted to say I know gaming world is not easy but work job isnt I love playing game I love writing I love find patches in every game I play and I usually not that easy… but I tend to have fun with it im not going to say im the best or anything like that but im pretty good at what I do im barely 18 and I love to work . Ive always wanted to a game taster but never really understood how to do so … but I have a few questions on how everything works but I am a hard worker and fun to know and talk to … it hard to work away from home because im a single father of a one year old and I’d to work from home so I could raise him and work at the same time … what would be a good way for me to get into the gaming industry?
Hi Adrian, I just finished a book that should be exactly what you’re looking for. It walks you thorough the basics of game testing, and then how to find jobs, apply, and interview. I hope it’s helpful: Land a Job as a Video Game Tester. Good luck!
Thanks for the information it helped a lot
are there any places for these jobs in Canada, and for age complies would 17 work. I can honestly say I’ve played video games since I was around 3-4 since then I slowly went up in gaming. now I’m more into battlefield and call of duty or really any shooters. I have found bugs on my own and done a lot of the things you said that you would have to do as a game tester like writing a report, do you have to be good with code and things like that to make a job?.
Hi John, there are many game studios in Canada so you should be able to find some open jobs to apply for. You don’t have to know how to write code, but you should learn the basics of game testing and job hunting. Good luck!
hi im very curious about becomeing a Video Game tester and I’ve been playing video games since I was a child and really want to get into this industry. I live in Canada but I don’t know what area’s around here might employ me so i really wanna know just how i can become a Game tester in Canada and im in to Role playing Games like Dark Soul’s and Skyrim games like that so is there any advice you can offer me
There are many game studios in Canada, especially around Montreal, Vancouver and Quebec, so you could start looking for jobs in those cities by searching online. If you need to know the basics of game testing and how to find jobs, I teach just about everything in my book on becoming a game tester. Good luck!
Hello Mr. Bay, thank you for this article, very helpful.
I just love games, exploiting them and getting advance of any bug. Can’t tell why, but finding a hole left by developers just make me happy and proud like a gold miner. I’m also an IT here, in Italy.
The real problem is, in fact, being Italian. Here we simply don’t have any kind of real gaming industry. I’m 28 years old and planning to move somewhere in Europe, but I’m still in need of some experience.
Where to start? My mother language is commonly not considered for translations, nor I can be useful for customer service. As you can see my english isn’t that good. It would be good to start from home, as I said I work with computers and as an enthusiast, my rig is quite good for testing games.
Thanks for any answer!
Hi Mario, there actually are several game companies in Italy – check out this helpful list of Italian game studios at gamedevmap.com. If you eventually want to live abroad, you could start out at an Italian studio and then apply for jobs in a different country with more game dev opportunities (such as England or France) later on, after you get some professional experience.
Also, your English is quite good!
Hi Jason, I’m Sam and I’m 18 Years old , i really love video games so much , and i want to be a videogame tester but i’m really confused how to get this work ,i think it’s really far to get to it so ,please can you help by advices please ?
thanks you very much !!!
Hi Sam, getting a job as a game tester may not be as far away as you think. Most testing jobs don’t require a college degree, you just need to know some of the basics of testing and you can apply for testing jobs. If you haven’t checked out my book on becoming a game tester, then I think that’s a great place to start because I wrote that book specifically for people like you. 🙂
hi sir,
i have two question/request:
1.is it possible to do game testing as a part time job along with learning programming languages and securing a degree or learning as part time along with gametesting?if yes, where can i find it?
2.can u please suggest a fine institution/place in India where i could find one…(because i was upset with my searches..none was showing up)
i am 17 and i would like to build a good base.
ur suggestions/opinions are great.thanks for so much info.:-)i was not aware youngsters have so much oppertunities in gaming..thanks for ur time..
Hi Arun, most QA jobs are full-time jobs. But you could possibly learn programming and get a degree in the evening and weekends from schools that offer continuing education or adult-learning certificates. For example I learned programming and made my first game demo while I was a tester, and then I completed a 1-year game development certificate course while I was working full time as a game designer.
I don’t know of any game-specific universities in India, but there are a great number of Indian universities that will teach you programming and you can earn a computer science degree. Many game developers start with a CS degree, so that may be a good path for you.
hi i love playing game but i want to ask you a q i want to be a game tester but i need to now more a but it more so if you have Skype i need now more and he is my number to (xxx)xxx-xxxx or Skype me xxxxxxxxxxx
Hi Annie, I don’t normally have time to talk on the phone but if you have specific questions then you can ask here and I’ll answer the best I can. 🙂 Also be sure to check out the interview with a game qa tester.
Hi Jason I just love playing video games and I play it since I was small. I am in 8th grade and my question is that in which field should I go like arts, IT etc… and is SDET good or game tester job. And do we get a good salary and all?
Hi Jake, usually an SDET will be paid more than a game tester because SDETs need to know computer programming. If you wanted to be an SDET then an IT education or a computer science education would be a good starting point.
Hi, there, my name is Robert. I’m a gamer that loves JRPGs, and would love to be in this business, but I feel you need to know rocket-science do be in this industry. Am I wrong? I also have no college degree. Is a game tester the best way to start, or trying to a make phone game, if I want to be a game designer? Or should I go to a college? I’m lost.
Hi Robert, you’re right that there’s a lot to learn to be in the video game industry – but that’s the same with any industry. The sooner you start learning, the sooner you’ll get good at it. 🙂 A college degree isn’t required, but a degree or at least a certificate would help a lot when you’re applying for jobs. If you don’t know where to start, then I’d suggest maybe taking a game-related certificate from a local college if possible – it will teach you the basics, and help you start making a portfolio. Best of luck!
Hi i lobe playing game i am 13 years old now and i want to do somthing in game industry anything game tester, etc but which i can do online.please help
Hello Anurag, there aren’t really any game jobs you can just do online from home. Since you’re 13, it will be a few years before you can work in games, but you can start learning now by teaching yourself computer art or programming by taking classes online. Have fun!
Dear Mr. Bay
i currently just turned 18 and I’m heading to college soon…. id love to be a video game tester to help earn money for college… but i recently sold my system for money for clothes and necessity items and i don’t really live near any major developers.. what should i do?
Hi Dylan, if you aren’t going to college near any game developers or game testing companies, then you probably won’t be able to get a job as a tester as most testing jobs are on-site jobs. If you can get hired as a tester, then the company will provide all the hardware and game systems you need, so it’s okay that you don’t have your system any more.
hi,
I an also a keen passionate gamer , I’ve playing games for about 4+ years but when I want to apply to the game tester job they want experienced gamer but I’ve never been in the industry prior . is their any job at entry level game tester and I live in India is it matter to be from other country ??
Hi Saurabh, many job postings will say “experience required,” but the truth is that they’ll often hire inexperienced testers anyway. I encourage you to apply to those jobs, as long as you meet around 80% of the requirements they list. Good luck!
Usually I do not learn article on blogs, but I would like to say that this write-up
very compelled me to try and do so! Your writing style has been surprised me.
Thank you, quite great article.
Greetings! I’m an English teacher and I’m from Venezuela. My question is, could I get a job as a game tester from my country? I ask you this because, part of my job in the Institute that I’m working on, is to interview future students. I recently interviewed a guy that told me he was working as a game tester along with 4 more people. Since gaming is my passion and I’ve been a beta tester for 20 years, I’ve always dreamed of becoming a real tester but didn’t know that I could do it from here. Could I work as a tester from my country? Thanks a lot!
Hi Gabe, I don’t know of any game studios in Venezuela, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some mobile developers or web developers located there. Maybe look for non-game testing jobs to start out with, since many of the skills you learn will transfer to video games later on. Good luck!
Would I be able to join if I were 18 and on Wikipedia it says you get paid 35k-45k
Hi Zayn, yes you’ll likely need to be 18 to get a job as a game tester. Look here for an overview of game tester salaries.
Mr. Jason..
I was searching for job like this.. honestly, this type of jobs is my dream, first thing that i known about how to become game tester is the passion on playing a games. I know, the main jobs of the game tester is searching bugs/glitches from the game. A real gamers still can’t be the game tester if he/she can’t focus on searhcing bugs on the games that they’ve played. Now, let me introduce myself.. I’m not a good programer, I’m not a skilled person that can drawing something manual or using computer, but i had experience about game tester that i learned from internet. A bit of story from me, I only had a laptop with bad specs, but i always want to play games. So i setting my pc until i can play a games work on 60fps, but from that, i got some experience especially on focus when playing a games. One thing that important to be a game tester is focusing to search any bugs on games. And then, the most important after focus on searching bugs on games is reporting the bugs that i’ve found. The report must be detailed, so the programmer of the games can fix the bugs from the tester found. Please reply this message Mr. Jason, i just want to get job that same as my hobby.. and that is be a “Game Tester” Thank You..
Hello Zulfikar, you are on the right track about what game testers do. Once you learn the basics, you can search for entry-level testing jobs and send in your application. I wish you luck!
I have been playing games ever sense I was 7 maybe younger and I haven’t really clicked with anything else I have don’t still don’t know what type of career I want because I am currently in school for auto but I don’t think its going to work out and I am going to go for welding but not sure how that’s going to go but I always play games every day so I was wondering If I have very little computer skills but every now and then I have great game ideas is there any thing I could do in the gaming world with that or not I mean once I was so bored that I was talking with my friends on xbox360 for over 3 hours and we pretty much created an awesome game in our heads didn’t right any of it down but idk just figured I would see if any of that could be used for any job in the gaming world?????
Hi Daniel – video games are super fun! But you can’t get paid just to play games, you have to have some skill in making them. And nobody will pay you for your ideas, because everybody has good game ideas! The hard part (and the part you could get paid for) is to make the games, not just coming up with ideas.
Luckily, you can learn those skills, you can learn how to make games. Start by figuring out what kind of game job you might want (like Programmer, Artist, or Designer) and then research and start learning how to do it. Check out my articles about the different game jobs for starters.
It will take some work, but if you love games and want to make them for a living, then it will be worth the effort. You can do it!
While this overwhelmingly looks like a gimmick, from your picture, Jason, to the e-book, this site has a lot of information and I hope it is true. I’ve done my homework and saw you were a part of Griptonite Games, which made largely handheld console games, which are based mostly on movies. Knowing this I am a bit skeptical because handheld games certainly can’t be as difficult to make as console games, and games based on movies are notorious for being bad. So how would you know about joining those big companies, or making “big” games? To be honest, I never heard of Griptonite Games until just now. Could you ease my skepticism here?
Hi Stephen, you aren’t convinced by my articles on game developer salary, which are well-cited? And not by my interviews with game industry veterans from giant game teams like Assassin’s Creed, Forza Motorsports, Project Spark, and mega-hits like Plants vs. Zombies? Or by all my articles on interviewing at game companies, based on many years of experience as a hiring manager? Then I’m afraid you can’t be convinced.
I started this website because there’s very little information out there about how video game companies work on the inside, or how to get started in the industry. I’ve spent literally hundreds of hours, of my own personal time, to write dozens of articles to give you insight into making games as a career. And here they all are, all of them, for free. FOR FREE!
The Internet is a big place, so I’m sure there are other places you can look for guidance. As with anything you might research on the internet, don’t use a single source for information. Take some time, put in some work, and gather as much info as possible from multiple sources.
Just do me one favor: Next time you find somebody willing to spend their own time and energy to help a complete stranger like yourself, please try to have better manners.
I had no intent to offend but I figured I would just be blunt and there was no point in sugar-coating. I had clicked on some ebooks of yours and saw they cost money, linked in some of your replies. This coupled with your smiling face beside it I immediately thought it was a scam. My mistake, I apologize for labeling you a gimmick and thank you for this reply. There are just too many people out to get you these days. If you think about it, the rise of the video game industry could be a good way for people to prey on kids these days who have dreams of being a game developer simply because they enjoy video games.
Now I am honestly curious why you would put so much of your time and effort into this. I had once considered this career, as playing video games is what I do with a lot of my free time (okay most) but I figured there would be so many kids wanting in on this I would have 0 chance.
In games you play, look for glitches and errors. When you find them, document them thoroughly – when it happens, how it affect play, and if you can, list possible fixes for the problem. Then report these issues to the company that publishes the game. Your correspondence over this issue could help give you a contact person in that studio. And this could get your foot in the door of that company.
Thank you for the suggestion, Frank, but sending unsolicited bug reports to a video game company is unlikely to get you hired. Video game companies don’t normally accept bug reports from players unless they specifically offer a web site or in-game form to submit the bug.
Hi Jason, I seem to find myself in a predicament. Currently I am moving on to my senior year at Penn State and I need a new major. I was pursuing Computer Engineering, but programming and I do not get along very well (Once you go past “if” statements I’m Lost). So my first question is, what majors are good for entering the game industry, that don’t involve programming. My next question is about finding an entry-level position that I can learn on the job. I used your job search tool that you provided and most jobs seemed to require previous experience, any suggestions there?
(P.S.) Sorry discovered this as I am writing, didn’t want to backspace. Penn state does offer certificates in game design, should I pursue that? (still need a degree)
Any help would be great! This is the first advice column that is helping me towards my goals!
Hi Cullen, if computer programming isn’t your thing, then the next job to look at might be game design. Since your school offers a certificate, that could be a convenient way to find out whether you like game design and are good at it.
When you’re looking at job postings, keep in mind that many employers will still consider candidates even if they only have around 80% of the qualifications. Watch carefully for postings that say things like “2 years experience required, or equivalent experience” because often times college or independent game development is good enough to get an interview.
I really appreciate the info this has! I’m researching it for a class assignment of our dream jobs, and this is full of detail and I thank you for writing this.
I’m assuming this website is American-based (because of the mention of “provinces”), and I also assume people living in the UK or Australia won’t necessarily be able to use the advanced search; especially if you’re like me, and live in the middle of nowhere, essentially. But does the advanced search apply to worldwide users, or just to American users, or is it possible to select your country with this? I only found this website recently, so I haven’t tested it out, but if this isn’t the case, I hope you consider adding a selection of your home country to users, so they too can search for jobs.
Thanks for all the information! (・ω・)ノ
Hi Yuki, thanks for stopping by. You’re right that much of the numeric information (e.g. salaries) and the schools on the site are American-based, since I live in the US that’s what I have the most info about. But all the other info about applying for jobs, what it’s like to work at a video game company, and other info applies everywhere.
hey jason,
so iv loved gameing since i was little and i play about 40 hours a week. i just never get bored of them. the question i have is i want to become a tester first so i can get some feel for the gaming industries before i go ahead and start trying to do a degree in game design and programing. the closest school to me is art instutute of wasington. wich is acouple of hours away. the ting i want to know is im not that i cant draw all that well to be honest. how would that effect on getting a degree in this field.
Hi Chris, you’re in luck: If you want to do game design or programming, it doesn’t really matter if you can’t draw. Being able to draw could help as a designer, but it’s not required – and you definitely don’t need to draw to be a programmer.
I’ve been playing games for the majority of my life. Even so much that it interfered with my classes to the point of me just getting a G.E.D. Needless to say I dont have much schooling but I tend to look for bugs in games almost everyday. Recently I began editing and modding games using C+ programming and have a bit of experience with it. Would it still be possible for me to be a tester or would I need to go back to school.
Hi Robert, most game QA jobs will ask for a high school diploma or equivalent, so I’d expect your G.E.D. to be accepted.
Jason,
Maybe I am barking up the wrong tree, but I’ve reached a point in my life where I am grateful for any kind of advise. For the last three years, I have been attending college for a degree I didn’t even want. Long story short, parental figure says there is no demand for game designers/programmers, go into oil! In those three years I have accomplished only 2 years worth of credit in degree, a seething hatred for the Midwest, diagnosis in major depression disorder, a large debt for an unfinished degree and medical expenses, and academic probation for dropping below a 2.0. I have always been a very good student and earned mostly “A”s and “B”s, however over the last year, things have been going downhill in a spiral. I don’t want to explain everything but the end results. I am now taking a break from education to reevaluate my options while I try to find work to pay my hospital bills. My medical condition doesn’t allow me to work very laborious jobs, so finding an appropriate job in the small town that I live in has become nearly impossible. Upon searching for at-home work, which I suspected would be a dead end, I have stumbled upon this article of yours. I have aspired to be in the video game industry for years. I have done my own designing and free-time self teaching for years. I have written dialogue scripts, screenplays (mostly for animations, theatre classes, and my own amusement), and tried my hand out on 3D modeling, and rigging, and animation. I have even worked on table top mechanics for my own board game designs. These things are just what I can think of on the top of my head right now. My point is, I really enjoy nearly all aspects I have tinkered with regarding the topic. I play a fair amount of games as well. From card games to tabletop to video game. I have all these unfinished projects floating around my head, all these ideas I feel could be great. I used to have no free time to myself, and the free time I did find was usually spent lounging on my couch with a controller in my hand ignoring the increasing load of homework I didn’t know how to complete because rent required me to work that day instead of attend class. Now, after doctor visits and therapy sessions, I find myself with all free time and no idea what to do next. I have no health insurance, no job, and no degree. The time I spent working hard for a degree I didn’t want seems to be for nothing. I know I want to get into the game industry, one way or another, and I’ll be damned if I let someone else try to run my life again. So this is what I am asking. What can a debt riddled, determined, small town of Kenai, Alaska resident woman do to get into the game industry?
I apologize for the long backstory and thank you for your time.
Hi Jessica, sorry to hear you’ve had some rough times lately, but I’m glad that you’re hanging in there and charging forward. Keep at it!
I’m afraid I can’t help with financial advice. But as far as your game design goals, I think it will be hard to start a career in games in Alaska, because there aren’t any game studios up there that I know of. The closest US city with a strong game industry would be Seattle, so one strategy might be to move to Seattle and get a non-game job while you pursue a video game design certificate or degree. But you’d want to be sure that your health and finances are in order before making such a move. Be smart about it.
I hope that’s helpful. I wish you all the luck in the world!
Are there any other modules for job searching? I’m trying to find actual openings and opportunities, but the job search on here just redirects me to indeed.com, and they have nothing on there that I’m searching for.
Hi Celty, Indeed.com aggregates jobs from many places so it usually has the best variety of game jobs. But you can also check the websites of specific game companies you’re interested in, and also try Gamasutra.com.
what is the best degree to get?
Do you mean, the best degree for being a game tester? Anything that focuses on technology would probably be best, but it’s usually not a hard requirement for a tester job.
Hi sir may I know the interview procedure of video game tester
The interview process for a game tester is similar to other jobs in the game industry. Learn more by reading this article about the 3 stages of interviewing.
Hello Jason,
I’ve always been interested in working at home doing something I enjoy ever sense I left the service. QA testing has always been a interest because of the detailed work and the ability to work on your own but with a common goal with thousands of others. The issue I’m having currently is that I’ve grown up casually gaming across all platforms and genres and I just don’t have the slightest idea on who I should talk to or where to send a resume. Any help would be extremely apreciated.
thanks for your time,
Daniel
Hi Daniel, a job testing games is like any other job: the company will post a job opening online, and then you can apply for it. You’ll want to do some research to learn as much as you can about game/software testing to help you get jobs easier, you can find lots of information here on this website or you can get a copy of my book on game testing if you’re interested.
Hello Jason, I’ve played games since I was around five years old. I always loved the call of duty series, mostly since it was the most gyroscopically advanced of most games. I have a great eye for detail like in call of duty world at war one guy stands in corner while jumping other guy crawls under him (figured this out with my best friend) crawl guy stands up while under jump guy glitches to where if u don’t move you’re invincible. Played it right when it came out heck I’m thirteen and I’m more intelligent than most people I mean I’m spelling college vocabulary over here and I’m in the seventh grade. I believe that the game is a part of me emotionally attached yet somewhat physically as well I believe that the game becomes part of my life my story! I would love to be a video game tester not for the pay but the experience. Thank you for your time, sir.
Hi Damien, it sounds like you’re passionate about games, so being a game tester (or any other game job that suits you) might be a good career choice! 🙂
Hi Jason My name is john and I would like to know what it takes to be a game tester a s may of my class mates think you just have to have a game console ready
Hi John, most game testing jobs will require you to work at their office, and they will provide all of the hardware you need – computers, development kits, and peripherals. You do not need to supply your own.
Hey Jason. Sooo I landed a job as a game tester at Ubisoft. For now its a trainee position, with the possibility of getting promoted to junior or even senior positions based on my performance.
I’d like to move into the game design section eventually, like you did. What do you think I should focus on to achieve my goal here?
Hi Akshat, congratulations on landing a job testing games! That’s very exciting. Now that you work at a game studio, you should try to learn as much as you can from the designers. Make friends with them, show an interest in their work, and maybe offer to help outside of work if any of them are making indie game projects on the side. You could also consider taking a game design course either online or at a local college. Also, work to become the best game tester you can, because if you do good work for the company then they’re more likely to keep you around and trust you to try you in other job roles. Again, congratulations, and good luck!
Thanks for your words, Jason. My plan does revolve around making myself indispensable as a tester, as that’s the only way to prove I’m serious about this. I will take your advise and find myself a good online game design course, however.
Hello am 15 years old Can i.be a game tester at thise
Most game studios won’t hire you to be a game tester until you’re 18. So for right now, study hard, get good grades, and learn as much as you can about video game development. Don’t worry, 18 seems like a long ways away right now, but it will be here much sooner than you think. 🙂
I would really love to be a video game tester. I think it would be the best job in the world, but I’m not sure how I would be able to find a company that would be hiring.
If you’re searching for tester jobs, you could start with the game job search page. There’s also a podcast episode that gives more advice on finding game jobs.
Hey I am 18 just graduated this year and I just wanted to ask what will be a great path for me to start to become a game tester?
Hi Austen, I think this podcast about becoming a game tester will point you in the right direction.
Hi Jason, I have a question. Since i was a kid i have been into video games. i would like to be in the video game industry, but the thing is that i don’t have any art or drawing skills. what you recommend.
Hi Kevin, this podcast about getting started making games should be helpful.
Hey jason im a really big fan of video games espically with the xbox and im hugly above average with my it skills i spend a lot of time on the computer in early hours of morning and xbox in evenings and the odd time im doing kickboxing. I usally help games such as world of warcraft….roblox….etc. with repprting bugs anf at times ive been able to give ideas for creating games and testig them and the same with xbox ive been in touch with alot of game creators.. i hope it doesnt make to much of a differance that im 13 years of age
Hi Corey, most companies would not hire you until you turn at least 18. But that just means that you have a few years to prepare! Learn as much as you can about making games, so you’ll have some experience and knowledge when you start looking for jobs later on.
Hi,
I love playing video games. But I’ve always wanted to know how the characters are made. I already went to college for game design, but because I couldn’t pass this one programming class, I ended up having to change my major. The art classes didn’t really help me much in understanding how to model a character. People have told me I’m pretty damn creative and I’m detail-oriented. I’m also very focused and love to write.
I just graduated this May and have been searching for jobs ever since. I’d like to become a video game tester, but I wouldn’t know how to break a game. I’ve never done that before. For the five years I went to college, I didn’t learn much in game design.
These gaming companies are always looking for someone who’s experienced. I may not be experienced enough, but I’m more than willing to try and learn how to do it. Sadly, I don’t think that’s going to help me much… 🙁
B
Hi B, there are lots of ways to learn how to do character animation – check out the article How to Become A Character Animator, there are some great resources listed toward the bottom of that article.
I have been gaming sencie I was six, I have played many consoles. This includes the nes,snes,n64,GameCube,Wii,ps1,ps2,ps3,Xbox,and xbox360. I have played so many games I have lost count. I have always wanted to be a tester full time. I have many questions though. The first is do you need to be a highschool graduate to be accepted for a job as a tester. What are good companies like Square Enix to work for, and where are they located. What abilitys do companies require their testers to be capable of doing.
Hi Mitchell, most game testing jobs will definitely expect you to have a high school diploma or equivalent (such as a GED). After that, the top things that testing managers look for are computer skills, teamwork skills, and ability to focus and work hard.
i was wondering if there are any locations in michigan to get a game tester job.
I did a quick search on some game boards (the GICG job search, and Gamasutra jobs) and didn’t find any game testing jobs open in Michigan. However – according to gamedevmap.com, there are a few game studios in Michigan. So you might have some luck by reaching out to those studios via phone or email to find out whether they have in-house testing teams, or ask if they outsource to a local testing company you could get in touch with.
hello mr Jason W. Bay
I have to take a test to become a game tester in one of the famous game developer. Currently I’m waiting for a call for an interview . I want to ask you, what should I prepare for the interview call ?
thank you
Hi Eziel, I have several articles on interviewing, but you should particularly read this one on doing a phone interview. I wish you the best of luck! Hopefully I was able to answer this before your interview happened! :/
I love the information. Thank you for all of that. I was just wondering, I am majoring in Computer Science would this be a good job to into when graduate with my degree?
Hi Michelle, I’m glad this was helpful! If you’re getting a degree in computer science then I think you’ll be overqualified for most QA testing jobs. I would recommend you look for game programming jobs, because they have a higher pay and they’ll take better advantage of your CS skills and degree.
hey jason i really like playing video game but im only 14 but i have been reserching video game testing for 7 years now, and i need money bad BTW srry if spell bad
Hi Austin, you wouldn’t be able to get a job testing games until you were closer to 18 years old. But you can learn as much as you can about game dev and testing now, so you’ll be ready!
Hello! I’ve been playing video games for nearly all my life. I’ve put in so much time on gaming it’s crazy. But what do I do half the time I game? I find glitches. I’ve participated in private beta trials in nearly 6 PlayStation exclusive games and two other well-known games. I have also acquired the knowledge to use Microsoft Office programs proficiently, and I am studying game programming for the sake of learning how to better grasp the terminology and understanding of how a glitch is caused, and how it can be fixed. I’m only 17 and I am a junior in high school, however my dream is to become a QA Tester at Insomniac Games, the developers of Ratchet & Clank (which happens to be my favorite game franchise of all time). With the progress I’m making and these goals I have in mind, do you think they would accept me in the event I choose to apply for the job? Thanks for your input in advance. 🙂
(By the way, I apologize for the long comment.)
Hi Roman – if you’re old enough to get a job, you have a lot of experience playing games, and you have a good work ethic? Then yes, you might have a good shot at getting a job as a game tester. You may not be able to get a job at the specific company right away, any testing job will help you get started. But it doesn’t hurt to try – why not apply for the job?
hi Mr. Jason my Name is Dalton I have been currently working as a student in the Cascades jobcorps in Sedro Woolley, but frankly I’m from Marysville WA, I wanted to ask you if a game tester/QA tester gets any kind of Social life while trying to maintain his current life, I have been told from one person that it’s life crushing and from another it’s a can-do Career, but I wanted to know from your point of view
Hi Dalton, some testing jobs are fine and others might require a lot of overtime. It just depends on the company you’re at, some companies are well-run and some aren’t. And some are well-run, but sometimes external factors cause problems with the game’s shipping schedule and overtime might be required. I’d recommend doing some research on any company before you take a job offer to find out whether their employees seem to be happy or not.
Hello Mr. Bay,
I am from India. I am 16 years old and am doing a Diploma in Computer Science and Technology. After completing my diploma, I would be doing B.Tech and then M.Tech in computer science. I am interested in gaming practically since I first started playing games. Game testing is not only a hobby for me but I am really passionate about this profession. Will my M.Tech degree be sufficient enough to get me a game testing job in a major game developing company like rockstar or ubisoft? If yes, then what would I exactly do after completing my M.Tech? I mean to say that where and how do I apply for this job?
Game testing jobs generally don’t require advanced degrees. Since you’re going for post-secondary degrees, then it might be more applicable for you to work toward a job as a video game programmer, rather than a tester. In either case, start by looking up job postings for game studios near your home to see what requirements they list, and then start working toward those requirements. There are a number of large game studios with a presence in India such as Ubisoft, EA, Microsoft and more.
Hello Mr. Bay,
Thank you for taking your time to reply to my comment. I just have a couple of more questions. Which one of the following jobs has a higher value in the gaming industry ? Is it video game testing or video game programming ? What are the main programming languages that are used in video game programming ?
hello Jason,
i am from india, and i just graduated my high school with 70% in science. i just want to know how do i prepare to get a good job in the gaming industry. What qualifications i need. i dont want to be just a game tester but really make game, m not much into arts and designs i can do programming though, where do i apply for the jobs.
and by the way this blog is amazing. THANKS!
Hi Nafis, if you already know how to program, then you should practice programming video games and start building a portfolio of small game demos. You can apply for game jobs just the same way you apply for any job: Search the Internet or game studio websites to find the job openings, read the requirements to see if you fit 80% of the requirements listed, and then follow the instructions to apply.
Hey Jason, I was looking into trying to get a job as a QA tester but all companies require years of previous experience. How do I get experience if no one will hire you unless you have it? Thank you
When companies post their jobs, the requirements are usually flexible – what they list is actually what they want “in a perfect world.” So if you find jobs that only require 1 or 2 years of experience, you should apply for the job and you might get an interview. But you should learn as much as you can about game testing before the interview, so that you don’t sound like a complete n00b – learn as much about testing as you can so you can speak about it intelligently during the interview.
how old do you have to be?
It depends on the laws of your country and state, but usually studios want to hire people who are at least 18 years old.
hi jason,
what course should i take for my graduation degree for becoming a game programmer?
computer science or software engineering?
What is it like having a flexible schedule with in a gaming company?
Some companies have what they call “core hours.” That means everybody needs to be there between a certain time range (like 10am to 4pm), but you have the flexibility to work around those hours however you want. So you could come in at 7am and leave at 4, or you could come in at 10am and leave at 7.
Hi jason, my name is james, i’m 15 and i’ve been working with a company for about a month now, i love programming and we’re working on a hands free social media app called fallound. I really don’t know what i’m gonna do in college but i want to be part of a major position in a gaming company like ubisoft or rockstars for example, can you tell me what major should i do in college, thanks!
Hi James, if you love programming then you might do a computer science major, or a game-related degree like DigiPen’s RTIS degree. Here’s more info that might help: Computer science degree for gamed, How to learn game programming in high school.
Hi jason.i playing games since i was 6years old.i really want to become game tester but the problem is i live in another country and here poeple do not pay attention to games.i want to ask can i work for a dev games from my country(online)?
If not what advice you gave. What are you suggest?
Please answer it to my email
Hi Emad, if your country doesn’t have game development studios, then you may need to move elsewhere to find game jobs. This episode of my podcast might be helpful: How can I relocate to get a game job in the USA?
Hey my name is dana i would like to be a game tester or game designer but in my country we dont have such a thing what i mean is in my country gaming is not a main job its just a hobby we dont have companies that helps us to develop or work as game tester or designer not only my country but also the nearby countries
So the only solution in my opinion is to travel to US or UK and follow my dream to work in one of the biggest companies as a game tester or designer, so what do you think ?
Hi Dana – if you don’t have game studios in your country, then yes, you’ll likely need to move to a different country to find work in video games. This episode of my podcast might be helpful: How can I relocate to get a game job in the USA?
Hi Mr Jason
I would like to ask, can a game tester able to switch to a software tester later on? This is because I am having a physics/engineering degree and I do have some knowledge of programming. But what I lack of is the experience of testing a software.
Since game tester is the only software QA jobs that doesn’t require a per-requisit to be a computer science/ IT graduate. Will I be able to join game testing to get myself familiar with the testing environment and then switch to software testing ?
Thank you.
Not necessarily, because testing games can be quite different from testing business software. Doing ad-hoc testing of game clients doesn’t well prepare you for a different job writing test automation for Java servers, for example. But it will familiarize you with the software development process, and you’ll get practice reproducing, reporting and regressing bugs.
Hi my name is Johnathan. Im from Virginia. I want to play video games for a living but I hear you don’t make good money is this true and what is the max I can make as a Video Game Tester. Also I am 17 so im trying to start working so
Hi Johnathan, you can’t make money by “playing games” (unfortunately!). Game Testing is a job, and like most jobs, it can be hard work and isn’t always fun. You can see what game testers make on the game tester salary page.
I am currently striving for a college degree in writing and programming, it would seem going with the game tester route would be the easiest in terms of climbing he hierarchy, and just going in with a college degree would be faster but I think experience beats that.so if I developed my own game or my own storyboard etc.would that help me in getting more better jobs such as in design or art
Hi Carlos, in your question, you mention several different game jobs: writer, programmer, tester, design, and art. So the first thing I’d recommend is to get some clarity on which game job you want to do. If you can identify what it is you want to do, then the path will be clearer. If you’re currently going for a degree in writing or programming, then try to do some game-related projects while you’re in school, to start building your portfolio. Then you’ll be able to apply for jobs directly after college.
Dear Admin,
I am b.tech,CSE student and I have 1 yr experience as a IT support engg. and 1.5 yr experience as manual tester in a Software company.But i want a job in gameing industries as a tester .So please suggest me what types experience required to be part of a game industries.
Because I have applied many time in UBISOFT, gameloft ,EA and other game companies for QA post and game tester post,but till i am not getting any response from their site. So please suggest me what type of qualification and knowledge required.
Hi Satadala, I think you have enough experience to get a job as a game tester. So it’s hard to know why you have not been hired yet, you may just need to be persistent and keep applying. You should also try applying for smaller game studios, as EA/Ubisoft/Etc. likely receive hundreds of applications each week. You may have better luck with a smaller studio to start out.
Hi. I am a 17 year old student from new zealand in my final year of high school. I have been playing video games since Crash Bandicoot came out on the Playstation 1 system, and back then I could find many bugs and errors with the game. I am looking for a job as a Video Game Tester, and I enjoy challenging environments, as well as repeating things in games over and over again, this coming from my Prince of Persia puzzle history with the original game. Is there any branches for large companies such as Bioware, Bethesda Game Studios or EA in new zealand? or will I have to search outside of the country?
Hi Jacob, your first stop when looking for game studios in a given location should be GameDevMap.com. It’s a crowd-sourced list of studios. I can see that there are over a dozen developers and publishers there, but I don’t see any of the “giant” companies you mentioned – but that’s okay, because you don’t need to target the big, famous developers for your first job. Start wherever you can, build your experience, and then you can move elsewhere later on. Good luck!
Hi.I am a 12th student from India and have taken the commerce stream . Sir i would like to become a Qa tester,but i dont know what to do after 12 like what course should i go for for acheiving my ambition .I am willing to go to any place and study to achive my dream . Sir please help to achieve my dream and help me to reach a higher position in my life with a good salary.
Hi Alwin, once you finish school, you just need to start applying for jobs – there aren’t any additional courses required for game testing.
i am good in both programming and gaming,i am confused whether to go for software engineering or gaming..please help me.if gaming than what should be the best option in gaming??
Programming is a career path, but gaming is not a career path. Well, at least it’s not what I’d call an “established” career path – there are people making money as streamers on Twitch for example, but it’s rare to make a full-time income by playing games.
I am really interested in becoming a video game tester! I really like finding bugs and sharing about it to my friends. The only problem is in not a great writer. Would that be a major deal?
This was a great question, so I answered it on tonight’s podcast: Do I need to be a good writer to get a job testing games? Thanks, Dillon!
The website is Helpful.
Hello my name is Semanou and I’m 13 years old and I’m in 7th grade. Is it possible for me to became a game tester at this young age. One of my friends plays tournament and gets paid so could I became a game tester and get paid. And if I could be a game tester could you leave a link or email for a companies that could accept me.
Hi Semanou – unfortunately, most game companies and testing companies won’t hire you for a job until you’re 18 years old. Until then, just learn as much as you can about video game development, maybe try making a game of your own. The article on free tools for making your first game might help you get started.
Hello, I’m 16 and I have been playing video games for as long as i can remember. I enjoy playing games for hours on end, I also enjoy finding bugs in games that are in closed Betas. I have found numerous bugs on League of legends PBE, Overwatch Open Beta, Even found a few on big name games like Halo and Call of duty. I have reported all of these bugs and have gotten them fixed because of me finding them. I do not even know how or where i would even start to pursue a career in this field.I am determined to get a job as a game tester because of my love for video games. I would highly appreciate if you could give me a rundown on where to start, What requirements i need, Where i need to go and a overall estimate on how much this would cost me. Thank you very much!
Hi Ruben, it sounds like you’ve already started developing some of the skills you need to get a job testing – namely, learning about games, and learning how to find and report bugs. You do NOT have to pay anybody to get a job testing games – game testing is like any other job, you just need to find the jobs (start your search here), apply, and interview. If anybody tries to make you pay to find testing jobs, it’s probably a scam and should be avoided.
Here are some additional resources that will help: search for video game tester articles on this site.
hey i’m 15 and i play videogames all day when i get home from school and soccer is there anyway i could learn more about video game testing???
There are several articles and podcasts on this website that go in depth about game testing, you can find them using the search box. Here’s a quick link for you: game testing topics.
Hi, I’m from Sri Lanka. I’m an undergraduate at an engineering faculty. I’m looking forward to work as a game tester in the vacation of the university. Is this possible given that I’m from Sri Lanka? Is there anyway to work as a temporary game tester online?
Hi Nima, there aren’t really any jobs as “work from home” or online game testers. You should apply for normal, on-site testing jobs in your country. If there aren’t any game studios or game testing companies near you, then consider working for a non-game software company as a tester, because you may still get useful experience in software development.
Hello Jason W. Bay I was playing video games with my dad when I was around 6 months (I wasn’t very good at all) Like running to wall for hours and for days too. And you can see dad laughing. And soon I was getting good at it. So when I was 10 years old I was thinking for when I was 4. I want to be a Game Tester and my dad said to me “You can be anything you what you got to believe it inside yourself” So I believe for a every long time, Now I’m 17 years old and thinking for almost 13 or 12 years now. I’m finally thinking doing it but my hometown, Kingston South East (South Australia) No TAFE at all, but Mount Gambier have it but no Game Tester. But I see a lot of Game Tester sites but really have no guts do it. But now I can, it’s there anything I can do because Video game have been I my life for so long. If you read this please text back because I really in is stuck of things. Thank you Jason W. Bay
Hi Leahym, game testing is just a job like any other. You need to have some basic skills to do the job, and then you can start applying for jobs. However, if there aren’t any game testing jobs in your city, then you may need to relocate if you get a job offer in a different city.
Hey Jason, so I’m 15 years old and have been into gaming ever since I was 4, so my question is which degree should I really go for when I go to college to be a playtester? And how will that degree impact my career?
Oh, but here’s the catch: the only company I would ever playtest for would be VALVe or EA. (Only for Battlefield of course.)
VALVe would be my first choice, but it is quite literally across the damn country.
But by the time I turn 18, EA could be swimming in lawsuits and could be a memory of the past. Ultimately I see VALVe winning but like I said, they’re on the other side of the country and the playtesting program they have focuses on local playtesters, such as those in Bellevue, Washington.
So how do I go about this?
Hi Evan, thanks for the questions. First of all, playtesting isn’t a full-time job, you might be thinking about the QA Tester job that’s described in this article. That is a full-time job, and most companies do not require a degree to do that job. Also, there are dozens (hundreds?) of game studios in the US, so I recommend you don’t limit yourself as to which one you’d work for when you first start out — you’ll have a lot to learn, and you can learn at most any game company.
Hi,I am only 17year old but I’ve played so many games.Actually I’ve been playing since I was 5,and got my first gaming computer.I would love to play video games and be paid for it.I know that it’s not like that,but it’s harder than it sounds,but I searched it and I know what I have to deal with.I am spending arround 17-20hours per day just playing games,every type,I never get bored of it.The bad thing is that no one supports me and I live in a country that can’t provide games….So that’s how I ll never be a game tester.
Hi Pol, if you remain passionate about working in game development, you may need to move to a different city or country to find more opportunity. This article may be helpful: Could Your Next Game Dev Job Be In a Foreign Country?
Hey Jason, I have read so much on become a QA tester and have a few questions. First I’m going to start off by saying I am a successful BDA for All State insurance, I am 27 years old, and I have 3 diploma’s all in the business field. You might be wondering why I would be interested in pursuing a video game testing job as I do have a successful career already but to be honest gaming is the thing I love the most and I’ve never had that feeling of waking up and being excited to go to work, I kind of just do it cause the money is good and its what I’ve got at the moment so I roll with it. I now understand that you need to do a job you love over a job that pays well because its the thing you do most of the time! and lets be honest, I don’t get excited everyday about selling insurance or handling someone’s claim. I have been a hardcore gamer since I was 5 years old, all started with a Sega genesis. Ive played competitive in league of legends, heroes of the storm, overwatch, cs:go, wow arena (when it was big), I’ve literally played all these gamers with the best of the best and at one point was sponsored by 2 different companies to pursue a competitive scene in overwatch and league of legends. So my gaming experience and skills at games are well above average, as well as my knowledge for games themselves (I’ve played so many!) My question to you is do you think it is possible for someone being 27 years old to get into the gaming career? Am I limited by my age? And I also live in Canada (close to Toronto) and I feel Canada may not have the best gaming studio’s, if any near me at all….. Now I tried reading a few things from your book and tried using your “search for studio’s near you” engine but I don’t think its geared for Canadians. What steps do you think I should take to pursue this dream I have to become a game tester or even just work with a gaming company through marketing or design, writing (I have a very smart mind and I feel I can create a very good gaming story line, Ive created 2 previous games with my friends and the story line was killer! Story was all me!) etc.
Hi Darren, I do not think it’s too late for you to start transitioning careers, there are plenty of examples of people chaining to the game industry as a second career. I have some specific advice on an episode of the podcast about how to transition to a new career in games, so check that out for sure. You also might like 10 proven ways to break into the game industry. I wish you luck!
Hey. I’ve been gaming most of my life and am meeting my ends as a teenager. im 17 almost 18 and am a senior in high school. For my English 4 class im required to ask a few questions that hopefully you can answer? I Love most games, and I always replay levels on games over and over, simply to see if I can do weird things anyways, so I thought maybe starting as a beta tester and working towards a game designer would be really nice. Id rather work from home though, as im limited on transport. any suggestions?
Hi Devyn, here are a few articles I think will interest you:
* Game testing from home
* Game designer education advice
* Game designer career advice from professionals
Hi Jason, my name is Myra and my question to you is. Do any game companies hire GT’s for specific software only? I specialize in slot apps and I feel my input towards a game company’s slot app could really benefit their app’s success and could take their app to another level. Is there anyone looking for people like that or are GT’s expected to be equipped with multiple games skills?
I think your experience testing slot apps would be appreciated by game companies, because the testing process should be nearly identical between the two types of products. I think you should go for it.
Hello! I know this is from a few years ago, but I see you still answer peoples inquires, thanks so much for that! I only have one question, what are the reports on bugs like? Is there a format that you need to use, and do many of the reports look similar if the bug is similar? For instance, if you glitch through the floor in a building, but also in another town over of a game, would that be two different reports written the same, except for location? And how long are the reports typically? I’m actually about to buy your book in a few minutes so sorry if you address this within it, but thought I’d just get a jump start and ask here. Thank you!
Hi Alyssa, my book does go into detail about how to write bug reports (thank you for buying a copy!). The answer to your question is “it depends” — sometimes a bunch of glitches are caused by a single bug in the code, but you probably wouldn’t know that unless you talked to a programmer about it. In your example, if you notice that you glitch through the floor in many places, you might write just one report that describes the bug and then gives a few examples of where it happened. That might be good enough to help a developer find the bug and fix it.
Hey I really want to Persue a career in video games and want to read your book but do I really have to buy it? I’m 17 and I don’t have a credit card lol. My parents don’t really like the idea of video games as a career either so they won’t buy it. So is there anything else that I could do to read it?
Your parents might be open to it, if you can help them understand more about the game industry. I recommend sending them a link to the getting started page, because it gives an overview of how big the industry is and how much people can get paid working in games. If they have any more questions, please let them know they can email me. 🙂
I love gaming a lot i also haved beta tested and alpha tested once, i am really good at finding gitches in games and other things like teuture desplacement and other things. wish i can get the job that i want
Hi, I am Alex and I am in school at this time(VERY YOUNG in jr high)I am looking for a university and stuff and I was looking mosty at the game department and really would like to be in makeing games or a game tester please reply to this and any collages for me?
Hi Alex, this is a good question. A few articles that will help you out:
Hello, Do I need to study in the field of IT or Computer Engineering for this game testing job.
Hi Parth, most companies do not require a college degree to be hired as a game tester.
Do game testing use comptures PlayStation Xbox etc. Is it a bonus if your techy
Hi Luke, the game testers will use whichever hardware the game is being made for. Most games are made for multiple platforms, so the testers may need to test the game on a computer, a PlayStation, an Xbox, a mobile phone, or other hardware. It does help if you’re a tech-y person, but that isn’t usually a requirement.
Hi,I have completed my 12th & wants to be a part of game tester industry. Can anyone please guide me for the first step to take up in making a successful career in this industry?
Game testing does not typically require specialized education, so you could start applying for jobs now. Search online for game studios or testing companies that have open positions for “game tester” or “QA tester”, and apply online. There are numerous articles on this site on how to write your resume and apply for jobs, look under the “Blog” menu for more information. I wish you luck!
Hello Jason W. Bay I was playing video games with my dad when I was around 6 months (I wasn’t very good at all) Like running to wall for hours and for days too. And you can see dad laughing. And soon I was getting good at it. So when I was 10 years old I was thinking for when I was 4. I want to be a Game Tester and my dad said to me “You can be anything you what you got to believe it inside yourself” So I believe for a every long time, Now I’m 17 years old and thinking for almost 13 or 12 years now.
I am a game tester but in my home.u know hideo kojima is my hero.
Yes — Kojima is awesome! 🙂
Hello Mr Jason,
I am a gaming fanatic and a big gaming freak too. I am now 17 in India doing my 12th. I want to start my career in gaming industry by game testing. I have already started writing stories and idea for my games. I currently have 12 game Ideas out of which 9 don’t exist in gaming. So will I be a success in the industry. BTW I am also writing a book, I don’t know If it will help.
I have been looking for someone to help me in this field, and frankly your article covered all aspects and was perfect compared other’s articles. If it’s not problematic can you help me?
Thanks
Hi Abhinay, I can only help you by providing the advice on this site. It sounds like you are having a good start — it’s great that you have ideas for games, because it will motivate you to learn game development and bring your ideas to life. I wish you the best with your future career!
Hey Jason! Can you please tell me that which programming languages should i learn to become a good video game tester.
Hi Ankit, video game testers to not need to learn any programming languages. But learning programming languages will help you with a career in game programming or game design.
i want to know is there one kind of game that you can play or are there all different types you have to play.
Hi Nate, a tester needs to play and test whatever kind of game their development team is working on at the time. It could be anything!
Hi Mr. Jason.
If I want a job as a game tester, do I NEED to show the company my college grades? I’m studying game design and going to graduate in 2019, but my grades in college are not as good as they were in high school (the reason for this is because I go to a British college and it wasn’t until recently that I discovered how rough and strict the grading system is here and my parents won’t let me drop out. I have to finish the degree). My grades here are ok but my high school grades are excellent. Can I just show my high school grades and games I’ve made in my free time and that’s it?
Most companies won’t ask about your grades — they mostly care about the degree, and they want to see a good portfolio of work that you accomplished in school, so be sure to do a good job on the assignments so you can put them into your portfolio. Also check out this article on why I don’t recommend dropping out of school. 😉
Hi Jason
Thanks you for your articles ,they helped me choose my career . I am truly indebted to you .So I wanna become a programmer and I think that I will start my career as a QA tester.im currently 16 and have played quite a few games .So can I start testing games online and what do I have to do for the basics . Also can you suggest me some programming languages essential for my game development career which I can learn right now . And which country ( particularly city ) would be best to go for my career , cause I was thinking of going to USA .Thanks
Hi Fahim, I’m glad this was helpful. Here are some other articles that will help answer your questions:
* Learn programming in high school
* Best cities for game development jobs
* Make your first game using these free tools
Do you have to move from your current place of residence to the office near you so let’s say I live out in the middle of nowhere can I be employed through them even if I cannot move from that place
Hi Michael, I mostly answer that question in the section above, “Can I get a job testing video games from home?” The short answer is: most game testing jobs require you to work in the office. For work-at-home options, you could try uTest.
Hi, I’m 16 years old and I really want to get into the gaming industry as soon as possible,I really love gaming so I want to ask if there is still no way that I can get a beta test job before I turn 18 or if there is some way I can still get money from gaming besides beta testing and with my age ?
Hi Chris, most game companies require you to be 18 before they’ll hire you. I recommend taking the next 2 years to prepare yourself, by learning game development and building a portfolio of small game projects. That will make it easier to get hired. Start with this podcast about starting game development in high school.
Yes you can be a video game tester from home.
Hello sir, my name is Malkeet Singh from India. I want to persue a career in gaming but there’s no way possible i can see for that , please help me if there’s a way i can be a game tester in India.
Hi Malkeet, you’ll be happy to know, most of the advice in this article also applies to game testing jobs in India. Keep in mind there may not be jobs in every city though, search in the major cities such as Hyderabad, Delhi, Bengaluru, etc.
Hello,I’m the kind of person who likes to be alone. Will this be a good job for me?
I sure like games since I was always alone.
To make games, you need to work with a team — triple-A games often have hundreds of employees. So it’s find to be quiet or introverted, but you’ll still need to have good social skills and be able to get along with your teammates. I’ve worked with many people who are painfully shy/quiet, and they were still good teammates.
Hello Jason,
I am interested in becoming a game tester. I am 21 years old and have done some college (not towards this profession) however, I have no desire to finish. I know you don’t need a college degree but, it is preferred. I don’t have a lot of knowledge when it comes to game design, programming, etc. and don’t mind taking a couple of classes to learn more about it because gaming is my passion. Are taking classes about game design and programming ok? Is there any other specific classes I’m supposed to take? Answering these questions would be greatly appreciated. I saw above from the other comments that you reply rather quickly which gave me the courage to right this. 🙂
Thanks.
Tyler.
Hi Tyler, taking classes about game design and programming will help you get a job in the field — as a tester, or possibly a project-management job such as assistant producer. (An while you’re here, you may be interested in this article about why I recommend finishing your degree.)
Hey Jason, this article has helped me a lot and encouraged me to take this career path even more. But I still have many questions. By chance do you know where I can go to find someone to possibly answer what I still want to know
Hi Ares, many questions are answered on this site, so use the site Search box. But then if you still have unanswered questions, email me using the Contact form (link is at the bottom of any page).
i want to know what a video game tester can do and test
Hi Thunder, there’s a list of things a game tester does, in the article about game job families. Check it out!
I am born to play games. I played first game when I was 4 as my dad bought me console but now I want to be only game tester but being honest no one supports me in this i play 20to18hrs a day online different games almost all new old game I want to apply for game tester job how can I do it IDC about how much they paid am happy with small amount because that way i can do what i love.
Hi Nikhil, many people don’t know that you can earn a living as a game tester. Also, testing games is a good stepping stone to other game jobs that pay more. You can learn more about game testing (and help your friends and family learn more, too), with these articles about game testing careers.
Hi Jason, i am in need of your thoughts of my situation. I am currently in Job Corps trying to obtain a CompTIA A+ and IC3’s, and after, going to collage to get a degree in computer science. With all of these credentials, do you think I would get hired at Treyarch as a QA tester, with the potential to work up to the Dev team? I know it sounds like a lot of hoops, but it is Treyarch.
Hi Andrew, if you’re learning computer programming in school, I don’t think you’d need to start off as a tester. I’d recommend going for a game programming job at any studio you can get hired at, and then as you grow your skills and experience, keep your eyes peeled for programmer job openings at Treyarch.
Hi
My son is currently doing a degree in game design.
He would like to do beta testing part time, where can he apply.
Hi Tazz, beta testing isn’t a job, it’s just an opportunity to play a game that hasn’t yet been released to the public. But your son may be able to get a part-time job as a game tester, he would need to search on the internet (start here) for job postings and apply just like any other job. Search for jobs with names like “QA Tester,” “Quality Assurance Tester,” and “Game Tester.”
Hi due to limitations I have not played not modern games which were released after2012 so do gaming companies require you to play modern games
No, there usually aren’t any requirements as to what games you play outside of work.
Hi Jason. I have been searching for entry-level game tester jobs but I haven’t had much luck. I look up “Entry-level game tester jobs” online on many job search sites and Google and all I get are most of the positions saying “X years of experience required (or preferred)”. I can’t seem to find many at all that are entry-level. This includes game testing internships as well. I can’t seem to find that many at all.
Hi Sebastian, even if they say they require/prefer a few years of experience, you should still apply for the job! If everything else on your resume looks good, they may still call you for an interview. Give it a try!
I see. I live in Puerto Rico where the game industry is virtually non-existant and the only way I would be able to move/relocate is if I was offered a job. Do I still have a chance of getting a job? Because I heard that some places prefer local candidates.
Most companies prefer local candidates, but many companies will consider non-local candidates too. It just depends on the job market at that place and time. There’s no way to know for sure, you just need to apply for the jobs you want and see what happens!
Hi Jason. I just finished reading your book “Land a Job as a Game Tester” and I notice you say that interviews are generally done in person. I’m from the Scilly Isles in the UK (which means I would have to travel into mainland UK) to go to interviews and I can’t afford so many trips. Do some companies do phone or video interviews at least?
Hi Clyde, thank you for reading my book! 🙂 When companies interview a candidate in a different city, they usually start with a phone or video interview. If the interview goes well, then they may do additional phone/video interviews before making a job offer, or they may pay for your travel to an on-site interview. It’s not at all common for a company to make the candidate pay for travel to an interview.
I see. Is it easier to get a job in my home country? If I moved to America or Canada, I would need a work visa.
Yes – there are many game companies in the UK, so it would probably be easier to get a more “local” job than trying to find a company who would sponsor your visa in the US or Canada.
I have been trying for many years to become a game tester to no avail. I’m a self employed tattoo artist that really enjoys video games. I’ve tried everything that I could think of to get my foot in the game industries door. I’m raising a family so money is really tight. Any advice for me?
Hi Adam, usually when people have a hard time landing a job as a game tester, I ask them to think about which step in the hiring process is the problem area. Are you submitting applications, but not getting called back? If so, then you may need to improve your resume. Or are you getting interviews but then not getting an offer? Then you may need to change your approach to interviewing.
Hi Jason, I have a question. I would only be able to get to work via public transportation because I can’t afford a car right now especially since I’m fresh out of university. However, I understand that not all US states have the best transportation (some have none). If you could let me know what states have good transportation (especially for game jobs), I would very much appreciate it! Thank you (I apologize if my question has appeared multiple times. There was something wrong with the “Post Comment” button)
Hi Sebastian, most US states are extremely large in land area, for example some states are the size of Germany, or Japan. So it’s best to think about public transportation at the city level, not the state level. Having said that, most of the major cities have good public transportation systems, including the top cities for game development.
Hey, There!
I’m interested in getting in to game design or something similar. To be up front, I have NO experience in coding or anything of the sort other than a SMALL amount modding back in the Oblivion days. I’ve been looking into online courses involving coding and design and have confidence in my ability to learn. More than likely, I will be limited to work at home at my own pace due to some physical restrictions. You truly seem like you know what you’re talking about and if you have the time and availability, I’d love to get your input or advice. Do you think there is possibility for someone in my shoes in the video game world?
Forgive me if this is something you have answered in a previous comment, there were a few too many to comfortably sort through.
Thanks in advance!
Hi Corey, most game jobs require going to work in an office with the development teams, more about that in this article about at-home game testing. In rare cases, some teams will let you work remotely part- or full-time, but after you’ve built trust and track record by working at the office. Some info on that in this article about remote game development.
Hi, I need help I submitted my resume with the knowledge and advice you suggested and I thought my resume was looking really good with my objective and career summary and the skills I put was spot on but I still get an email getting rejected I don’t know how to get them to consider me
Hi Jeremy, I know how frustrating (and demoralizing) it can be when you apply for jobs and don’t get interviews. Check out my article about what to do when a recruiter doesn’t call you back (it has some relevant advice for your situation). Also make sure to scrub your social media in case the recruiters are finding info about you that you don’t want them to have. Other than that, just know that it can take a lot of time and effort to find a job, so keep applying to jobs that are a fit for you, and don’t give up!
HI there,
I love playing games as much as the next guy. I got into gaming ever since my brother got his first PlayStation 1. I love the graphics and design the developer put into the game. Growing up in a strict family, I didn’t get to play much as I would like to but to focus on my studying. I didn’t get back to gaming after 2 years ago, so back around 2018. I don’t have any experience at all and live a small city which may not have any tester available. So my question is, how do I find a gaming testing job with little to no experience in a small city?
Thank you for your time and effort.
Hi Kao, unfortunately it might not be possible to get a full-time game testing job in a small city that doesn’t have any game companies. You could try applying for freelance testing gigs, the only reputable company I know of is UTest (apply for UTest here), so you could give them a try.
But other than UTest, please be very careful, because there are a lot of companies that will promise you an at-home testing job but they’re actually scammers who will just steal your money. Before you search for jobs online, read this article on how to spot job scams.
Hi Mr. Jason,
I made a resume with a professional resume writer and included links to a lot of what I worked on at university, I follow up with employers, and yet I haven’t gotten any interview offers yet. I’m very confused because apparently Game Testing is an entry-level job. I don’t know if maybe it has to do with the fact that I’ve applied mainly to countries where I don’t have the right to work at (like you said in your game testing book, they “weed out” people who don’t have the right to work there). I’m a US citizen but the reason I’ve applied elsewhere is because of costs. Is game testing hard to get into? I heard from a QA Tester in his exact words “Just landing a QA job isn’t super hard.”
Hi Sebastian, I do think you’ll have a better chance of success if you apply to game studios in the US (if you live in the US). Start by applying to jobs near your current city/state and go from there.
Hi Jason
I was just wondering how you find the bugs when you are a game tester, do they give you a list or something or do you have to find them yourself?
Hi Ilan, a big part of the game tester job is finding the bugs yourself. Sometimes, you might be provided with a “test script” which can help you figure out where to look for bugs in a certain part of the game. But then it’s up to you to find the bugs, figure out how to reproduce them (basically, instructions on how other people can make the same bug happen), and then write all those details into a bug report so the developers can fix the bugs.
Thank you for your informative post and replying to others over the years. Im a 27 year old from England and have never been in the gaming industry, I have spent most of my life traveling the world whilst working to support that but I have always been in love with video games and media, I love everything to do with gaming and the creation of my favourite games as well as trying to find ways to beat it unconventionally. I would love any advice for someone like me to get into game testing at this stage of my life as it is my passion and im finding hard to achieve my goal here in 2020.
Hi Steven, in order to work in game development, you need to start building a skill set that could be useful to a game development team. That could be QA/testing, programming, art, audio/music, project management, or any number of other skills. For some ideas to start out with, check out my article on how to break into the game industry.
Hello Mr. Jason,
I have applied for several game tester jobs mainly at independent studios but also at large studios in the US. However, I have not gotten any interviews or offers. I live in Puerto Rico, so therefore I’m a US citizen. I can’t afford to move to the US unless I actually get a job. Puerto Rico is closest to Eastern USA but there aren’t that many studios there (let alone big studios) compared to California and Washington. Could that be the reason why I haven’t gotten any interviews yet? You have an article saying that some studios are willing to help you with moving costs.(I’m assuming the big ones since they have a lot of money) Am I making the mistake of applying to smaller studios since they probably won’t spend money on me just to move me to mainland USA? Currently, I don’t have QA experience and I studied game design at university. Sorry that my message is long but I appreciate your help.
Hi Sebastian, because game testing jobs are usually “entry level” jobs, it’s rare for employers to pay for your moving costs. Your best bet may be to move first, then apply for jobs near your new home. It looks like there may be a few game studios in Puerto Rico, so you could also try finding jobs there to build some experience.
Hello sir,
I’ve been looking up information about game testing and from what I can gather from calls I’ve received from employers and internet info, game tester jobs on average last from 11 months to 2 years and once the work is done, they let the tester go but might re-hire them when or if they have anything available (as with most disciplines in game development) However I’ve been looking at LinkedIn profiles of game testers and although rare, I found a few people who claim to have worked as a game tester for one specific company for 10+ years. So I’m a little confused about that.
Thanks,
Lola
Hi Lola, all of those things can be true, it just depends on the company. For example, a small game studio that only develops one game at a time might not need testers all year round. Whereas, a bigger company that has many games under development might need testers all the time, because even if one of the games doesn’t need any testing right now, the other games might need it. Also, some companies hire their testers full-time (intending to employ them long-term), whereas other companies hire testers only on a temporary contract (usually for a year or less).
Ok. And I know it’s impossible to speak for all game companies but most prefer game testers to be local, right? (Since it doesn’t have many educational requirements)
That’s right, most game companies prefer all employees to be local.
Hi Mr. Jason,
I’ve been trying to get a job as a Game Tester for a while. I live in the UK in a city where there are no game tester jobs (and the ones in the UK are far away from me). Every time I get a call and tell the employer where I am, they say they can’t move on with the application because I don’t live in their city. However, I notice that you say in this article that you might receive relocation assistance. So far, almost all jobs I see or get calls from want you to live in their city.
Hi Clyde, sorry to hear this has been a challenge, that sounds really frustrating. Not every company offers relocation, and it’s possible that relocation assistance is less common in some regions — I’m not too familiar with UK policies, but based on your experience, relocating for QA jobs might not be common there. It may help to tell them you’re willing to move yourself (out of your own pocket) to their city if you get a job offer.
Do companies offer relocation for game tester jobs?
Hi Clyde, unfortunately, most game companies don’t offer relocation packages for game testers these days. So you’ll have the best luck either applying for jobs in your current city, or be prepared to move to a different city that has more tester job opportunities.
Good Morning Jason,
What a great article! I am a High School English Instructor and I have students working on research papers focused on their career interests-I have one of my students Lake who would like to run a few questions by you, for information he needs to incorporate into this research essay. Is there an email I can forward these questions to you? (It’s so great that all of my students are working with great experts like you, some from The Economist, Wall Street Journal and Columbia University) Thank you so much for your kind assistance and great article-Lake is VERY excited about what you have shared!
Hi Terry, if you or Lake sends me an email using the Contact Page, I’d be happy to point you to some good answers!
Hi Jason, what does QA Tester training usually consist of?
Hi Sebastian, QA tester training is usually done “on the job,” and it’s a bit different at each company. Some companies might pair you with a lead tester to teach you some tools before you start, others might just point you to the tools and let you figure it out as you start testing a game. Either way, you’ll usually be on a team with other testers who you can ask for help when you need it.
Hi Jason, Would I need a qualification in Science at all? Going to have to tell on myself here but I ended up not doing too well in it and failed
Hi John, most game testing jobs don’t have specific requirements for advanced degrees, so you should be okay. 🙂
Is it possible to work with insomniac or rockstar as a new game tester? Sorry for asking for the future. Considering I’m only 16
Hi Gregory! Insomniac and Rock Star are very popular companies, so a LOT of people want to work there. That makes it difficult to get a job unless you already have some experience. So don’t limit your options – go ahead and apply at those companies, but also apply at other (smaller) companies too!
Hello, Jason! I will be completing my high school graduation by the end of December, 2021. And I want to learn a lot about video game development process. But I wanna earn a living becoming a tester right now and continue my education further. I don’t have a high end computer but I know how to test bugs and errors. Will this matter? Also there is no game school in my country. How can I apply for colleges abroad with scholarship? Cause my family can’t afford. But I do have a tremendous hunger for learning.
Hi Hasib, most game testing jobs will supply the computers/consoles you need to do the job. Regarding jobs, I have a few articles that will help you, take a look at Game Scholarships article, and Best Game Companies to Work For because the bigger companies sometimes help with relocation expenses.
Hello, I’m a 15 year old and I want to become a video game tester. All my life I have been playing all sorts of games like first persons shooters, RPG type games, Survival Games, Etc. I’ve been looking around for while and cant seem to find any positions that say I can be under 18 and test games. And another problem is I must work from home because I’m still 15 and my Gradians do not want me going out of the way to work and do what I love. So I’m asking if you have knowledge on how to help me become a video game testers. A little background on myself I have a working and vary up to date PC and Laptop with stable Internet Connection, I know my way around Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Etc. I’m also vary experienced in finding glitch’s and Exploits in games because of my history in gaming. For further context I enjoy a Game known as Ark Survival Evolved and finding “Mesh” or “God Mode” Exploits is a vary tactical advantage (Note these glitch’s are Against Wild Card Policies, Wild Card is the studio who made the game). I am also home Schooled so I will be available for most day and night and can always rearrange my schedule to fit anytime frame I will be working.
Hi Audin, the bad news is that most game companies just won’t hire game testers that are under 18 years old. But the good news is, if you’re interested in game development (making games, not just playing), then you’re at the perfect age to start learning. There are many jobs in the game industry, from programming, to art, sound/music, producing, and many others. You can learn more about the different game careers here: https://www.gameindustrycareerguide.com/video-game-careers/
Oh man, I feel awful. I was encouraging my son to get an online job doing game testing and signed him up through what I thought was a job recruiting website and they stole his discord identity. He has had that account since 2016 and he is trying to delete it because the person is buying stuff and charging his account. Somehow he can’t even delete the account and they are spamming his friends on there. I just feel awful. Is there any advice how to get out of that and how to set him up with a real job?
Hi Crystal – so sorry to hear that you and your son were the victims of an online scam, that’s awful (and frustrating!). To resolve the Discord issue, I’d recommend contacting Discord support and ask them to help out (I’m sure this has happened to many other people). For getting a job as a tester, it works just like any other job: search for job postings (look on game company job boards, or aggregators like Indeed.com), and then apply to those jobs using your resume. Note that you should never need to pay to apply, and legitimate companies will never ask for passwords, SSN, or other private information.