How to Get Into UX in Games in 2026

Summary

Alistair Felix, an experienced game UX designer, breaks down the path to becoming a game UX designer. He explains the fundamentals of game UX, including empathy, clarity, and intention, and highlights the importance of collaboration with game designers. Alistair shares practical skills such as wireframing, prototyping, and whiteboarding, as well as key soft skills like strategic thinking and problem-solving. He outlines several ways to break into the industry, from leveraging existing UX experience to creating side projects. Finally, he emphasizes the importance of networking, building a portfolio, and mastering tools like Figma to level up in the game design world.

Takeaways

• 😀 Game UX is all about the player's experience—how they feel, understand mechanics, and receive feedback while playing. It's not just about the visual design (UI), but the entire interaction with the game.
• 🎮 UX and UI are separate but work together: UI focuses on visual design (health bars, inventory), while UX focuses on how these elements feel and function during gameplay.
• 💡 Game UX shares core principles with general UX, such as empathy, clarity, structure, and feedback, but requires an understanding of game-specific elements like progression systems and player motivation.
• 🔄 Design Thinking is a powerful framework for game UX: Empathize with the player, define the problem, ideate solutions, prototype, test with real players, and iterate based on feedback.
• 👾 Collaboration with game designers is key. Game designers focus on mechanics and systems, while UX designers think about how players interact with those systems. The best games result from strong collaboration between these two roles.
• 🛠️ Core pillars of game UX: Clarity (players always know what to do), Intention (every design element serves a purpose), and Empathy (understanding the player's motivations and feelings).
• 📐 Flows and wireframes are crucial for mapping out complex systems like shops, quests, or tutorials, ensuring smooth player navigation through game features.
• 🖊️ Whiteboarding is essential for brainstorming and problem-solving during early design stages, especially when collaborating with game designers on new features.
• ⚙️ Prototyping helps test how a game feature feels, whether it's pacing, interaction, or logic. Tools like Figma and Unity are useful for creating prototypes and usability testing.
• 🤝 Soft skills are vital for a game UX designer. You need to be able to communicate effectively with engineers, game designers, producers, and artists, translating your designs into language everyone can understand.
• 🚀 Breaking into the game UX industry: Side projects, game jams, entry-level positions, and networking (through LinkedIn, Discord, and events) are all valuable paths. Building a portfolio with redesigns and case studies is essential for showcasing your skills.

Q & A

What is Game UX, and how does it differ from UI?

Game UX refers to the player's overall experience in a game—how they feel, understand mechanics, and interact with the game world. It focuses on the experience rather than just what is visually displayed. UI, or User Interface, is what the player sees, such as health bars or inventory screens, while UX is how the UI elements help the player engage with the game effectively.

Why is empathy crucial in Game UX design?

Empathy in Game UX is important because it helps designers understand not just what players do, but why they do it. By empathizing with players, designers can create experiences that feel intuitive, rewarding, and motivational, ensuring players have a seamless experience while engaging with the game.

What are the three pillars of Game UX?

The three pillars of Game UX are clarity, intention, and empathy. Clarity ensures players always know what's happening and what to do next. Intention means each design choice serves a specific purpose. Empathy ties it all together by considering the player's feelings, motivations, and experience.

How does the Design Thinking framework apply to Game UX?

Design Thinking is a structured approach to solving problems with players in mind. It involves empathizing with players, defining the problem, brainstorming solutions, prototyping quickly, testing with real players, and iterating based on feedback. This cyclical process helps designers refine their ideas before committing to major development work.

What is the role of a Game UX designer when collaborating with Game Designers?

A Game UX designer works closely with Game Designers to ensure the game’s systems and mechanics are accessible and enjoyable for players. While Game Designers focus on systems, balance, and challenge, UX Designers focus on how players interact with these systems, ensuring they feel intuitive, engaging, and motivating.

Why is it important for Game UX designers to learn about game design?

Understanding game design is crucial for Game UX designers because it allows them to speak the same language as the Game Designers and contribute to system creation. The more a UX designer understands game mechanics, progression systems, and player motivation, the more effective their UX design will be.

What are the tools typically used in Game UX design for flows and wireframes?

Figma and Fig Jam are commonly used for designing flows and wireframes in Game UX. Figma is the primary tool for creating visual wireframes and flow diagrams, while Fig Jam is often used for brainstorming and creating initial flow charts. Mirror is another tool sometimes used for flow-based work.

How does whiteboarding fit into the Game UX design process?

Whiteboarding plays a key role in Game UX design because it allows teams to collaborate on complex ideas and problem-solve in real-time. Game UX designers often use whiteboards to sketch out new systems, mechanics, or visual solutions before finalizing any designs in software like Figma or Miro.

What is prototyping, and why is it important in Game UX?

Prototyping is the process of quickly creating a working model of a feature to test its logic, pacing, and interactions. It’s crucial because it helps designers validate their ideas before full implementation, enabling them to catch issues early and improve usability through real player feedback.

How can someone break into the Game UX industry, especially if they are switching careers or starting from scratch?

To break into the Game UX industry, individuals can start by applying their existing UX skills to game design. For those switching careers, side projects like game jams, personal redesigns, or internships can help build relevant experience. Networking, attending events, and building a portfolio with case studies are also essential for standing out in the field.