#IWD23: HOW WOMEN AND GIRLS CAN FIND A CAREER IN GAMES

For 2023 the UN has given International Women’s Day the theme of ‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality’, which couldn’t be more apt for Women in Games – or the wider games and esports sectors.

With this in mind, Women in Games Co-Director and Director of Ambassadors Gemma Johnson-Brown provides some key advice to women and girls looking at a career in games…

There are many resources available for girls and women who are interested in getting into gaming or game design. Here are a few suggestions to get started:

Follow our Women in Game Ambassadors and female game developers and designers on social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. You can learn a lot from them, and they may also be able to provide advice and mentorship.

By getting involved in the gaming community and learning as much as possible about game design, you’ll be well on your way to a career in the gaming industry.

Play games: The best way to get into gaming is to start playing games! There are many different types of games available, so try out a few different genres to see what you like.

Join gaming communities: Joining online gaming communities is a great way to connect with other people who share your interest in gaming. You can find communities on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit, as well as on gaming-specific websites like Steam and itch.io.

Learn about game design: There are many resources available for learning about game design, such as online tutorials, books, and courses. Websites like Udemy, Coursera, and edX offer game design courses, and many universities now offer degrees in game design.

Get involved in game development: There are many game development communities, both online and offline, where you can learn about game development and get involved in game development projects. Some popular game development communities include Unity, Unreal Engine and Game Jolt.

Read game development publications: There are many publications and websites dedicated to game development, such as Game Developer, Gamesindustry.biz and Edge, that offer news, interviews, tutorials and articles about the game industry. Women in Games has a monthly newsletter too that features information about new initiatives targeting women and highlighting the amazing women of the industry. You can sign up to it by visiting our website at www.womeningames.org and scrolling to the bottom of the Home page.

And finally, remember that the games industry wants more women and girls like you! Come and join us!