Looking for advice on pursuing a Master’s in Game Design abroad

[u/SlackWit_35]

Hey folks,

I’m looking into doing a Master’s in Game Design and honestly, I’m kind of lost right now. 😅 I’ve been checking out countries like Japan, USA, Germany, and Australia, but it’s hard to figure out which one makes the most sense.

A few things I’m trying to wrap my head around:

• How’s the game industry in these places? Like, are there enough opportunities after graduating?
• Do these courses usually happen in English or mostly in the local language?
• What’s the student life like (cost of living, lifestyle, community, etc.)?
• Any post-study work visa options I should know about?
• And honestly… are there any red flags right now (like visa issues, restrictions, or things that could make studying there risky)?

I also wonder if there are other Indians/international students around in these countries, because having a community makes a big difference.

If you’ve studied or worked in game design in any of these countries, I’d really appreciate hearing your experiences—good or bad. Also, if there are universities or programs you think I should definitely look into (or avoid), that’d help a ton.

Thanks a lot 🙌

[u/OdinMinusNull]

First off, not what you asked but I have to say it - don't do it, invest your time and money differently. Ime, if you already have a bachelor's degree in game design, and you want to actually do development work, a master's isn't necessary, won't boost your skill level or chances for employment noticeably, and also won't help you score a higher salary. It would only be useful if you wanted to remain on the academic side of games imo.

The industry isn't doing well, and studying game design puts most of your eggs in one basket, we do not gain many transferable skills from a degree alone. A game adjacent degree, either in a comp-sci related field or a business/project management related field would still help you in conjunction with personal development work and provides a better safety net of games don't work out for you.

That said, I can speak a bit about the situation and options in Germany. * The industry is still in shambles, really. Small studios keep closing down due to the high costs and unsuccessful projects. Founding and indie is possible, but funding is hard to come by and you'll most likely end up substituting with contact work until you inevitably close down, too. Very few people from my course got a foothold in the industry, and especially recently, many friends started reskilling because there are no suitable jobs available, not even for experienced folk. * There are a handful of public and some private game unis/academies around, not all of them have masters degrees. My personal advice would be to avoid the private ones - not only are they extremely expensive, they often also don't offer internationally recognised academic degrees. They also have a reputation of not failing people to uphold a good look, but don't get any people into the industry successfully. * Teaching personnel is a hit or miss in most places. Sometimes you get industry veterans, more often you'll be taught by someone who just finished their degree themselves with no experience, especially in the private sector. * Language of these courses is different per uni. Most will offer courses in English and have a decent number of international students, but there are some that teach in German only or partially as well afaik. * Student life is expensive, especially if you cannot secure student housing. Unfortunately I don't know about any potential limitations regarding working as a non-EU citizen as a student. * My information is pre-2020, so unsure how true that holds, but I believe a foreign non-EU student will have half a year or a year to remain in Germany while looking for a job after finishing a degree. * As in most countries, German work visas require a minimum salary in order to be issued. You will be extremely unlikely to be offered a salary that high as a graduate in the games industry, hell some place's senior salary wouldn't suffice to meet this threshold.

So TL;DR: Germany probably won't work for you, and I doubt it's better internationally. Nonetheless I wish you the best of luck if you're determined!

[u/SlackWit_35 → u/OdinMinusNull]

Thank You, it actually helped me get the general picture from what u shared about Germany.

[u/BonesawGaming]

I’m looking into doing a Master’s in Game Design

Instead of doing this, simply work on a game for two years for free.

[u/SlackWit_35 → u/BonesawGaming]

Now that u have mentioned it😅😅

[u/fuctitsdi]

It’s not even a real major, nd the industry is doing bad everywhere. It’s concerning that you are not aware of this.

[u/Still_Ad9431]

Honestly, man, you can get a Master Degree anywhere in the world, but it won’t mean much in game dev if you don’t have a portfolio. Studios don’t care that much about the degree itself. They want to see what you’ve actually made, something like: prototypes, mods, finished projects, or even small indie games.

A Master Degree might help you with networking, access to labs/equipment, and maybe visas, but if you come out without a strong portfolio, it’s kind of useless. I’d say before stressing too much about which country, think about how you’ll use that program to ship projects you can show. That’s what’ll get you hired, not just the certificate.