What is a Gameplay Programmer? Well, generally a gameplay programmer is somebody that handles the code which revolves around the player's in-game experience (so essentially the gameplay). So, they will be in charge of handling the mechanics of the game such as jumping or using a grappling hook to get places or even boost to increase the speed. These mechanics are usually taken and iterated multiple times to make sure that they work correctly and are fun for you the player.
A gameplay programmer can end up working on various things on a project depending on what the company wants from you, so knowledge in other areas such as AI, user interface or even audio will be very useful for you to keep a versatile skill set when wanting to be a Gameplay programmer. That way you will be able to adapt to different situations without any issues which is good as there will be many situations where you will have to adapt on the fly like having to learn a new engine because the team has updated/changed the engine on the project.
When working as a gameplay programmer you won’t just be working by yourself or even just other fellow gameplay programmers, you will also be working with other departments. At the beginning of the development cycle you will likely be working with writers and lead designers so that you can find out what needs to be happening during gameplay. Then you will work with others such as artists, level designers and other programmers as the gameplay programmer will likely be using tools and assets from all these departments. Finally, you’ll work with QA (Quality Assurance) testers to make sure the gameplay has a nice feel.
Some companies see the role of a gameplay programmer differently. Some see it as only a junior position so you may be able to get in after studying. Others see it as a medium level position and will expect you to have some useful experience in the industry. Some companies see it as a high level/senior role in this case you would be expected to be an excellent proven programmer with a lot of experience you could also end up with a design role in this case as well, this is likely to happen in bigger studios though however like Rockstar.
As of 2020, the average salary for a gameplay programmer in the UK is £29,032 with lows of £23k and highs of around £49k. However, for a senior gameplay programmer its significantly higher with the average salary being £51,150 with lows of £32k and highs of about £66k.
Looking for jobs in this position is actually a lot easier than it sounds you can put ‘gameplay programmer’ into google and you will find plenty of results or just jump onto indeed where you can find loads of positions available.
Here is one I found for Ubisoft.
Key skills required for being a gameplay programmer:
· Good Programming skills (C, C++, C#)
· Communication skills
· Organization skills (Planning and scheduling efficiently GDD, TDD, Gantt charts, etc)
· Problem Solving
. Adaptability to new things (Engines, language, etc)
References:
Glassdoor(2020) Salary:Gameplay Programmer Available from: https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Salaries/gameplay-programmer-salary-SRCH_KO0,19.htm [Accessed 25th June 2020]
Glassdoor(2020) Salary:Senior Gameplay Programmer Available from: https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Salaries/senior-gameplay-programmer-salary-SRCH_KO0,26.htm [Accessed 25th June 2020]
Indeed(2020) Gameplay programmer jobs, Available from: https://www.indeed.co.uk/Gameplay-Programmer-jobs[Accessed June 25 2020]
Indeed(2020) Gameplay programmer – Lemmington spa, Available from: https://www.indeed.co.uk/viewjob?jk=9aa4db3c16289e0d&tk=1eblh1lf8158i000&from=serp&vjs=3
[Accessed June 25th 2020]
ScreenSkills(n.d) Gameplay Programmer, Available from: https://www.screenskills.com/careers/job-profiles/games/programming/gameplay-programmer/ [Accessed June 25th 2020]
Smartrecruiters(2020) Ubisoft Gameplay Programmer, Accessed from: https://jobs.smartrecruiters.com/Ubisoft2/743999656423812-gameplay-programmer [Accessed June 25th 2020]
StackExchange (2012) What is a gameplay Programmer?, Available from: https://gamedev.stackexchange.com/questions/24482/what-is-a-gameplay-programmer [Accessed 25th June 2020]
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