Indie Game Developer

Indie Game Developer supports families and clients through specific steps and the 21 real tasks here show the concrete services you’ll provide. Each task explains who benefits and how to measure improvement. Each one shows where we found it, and comes with an AI prompt you can copy and use straight away.

21evidenced tasks
21ready prompts
9tools of the trade
15-1255.01O*NET-SOC code
113,330hold this job (US, BLS 2025)
$104,000median pay/yr (US)
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What it pays

Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.

Half of all Web and Digital Interface Designers in the U.S. earn more than $104,000 a year — the middle 80% land between $53,750 and $201,550. About 113,330 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Web and Digital Interface Designers”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Professionals earn about ₹38,298 a month on average — around ₹4.6 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$104,000typical pay / year
113,330people in this work
$201,550+top 10% earn
₹4.6 lakha year in India (family avg)
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The work, task by task

These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.

Keeping the record6
MASTER

Create and maintain design documentation

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Update the design bible with current systems, art references, level flow diagrams, and a changelog; link the…
Update the design bible with current systems, art references, level flow diagrams, and a changelog; link the latest prototype commits, mark open design debts, and publish a versioned PDF for the team before Friday sprint planning.
The tools that do the workGitjob descriptionsO*NET

Specify game mechanics and storylines

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Write the mechanics brief that defines core loops, player actions, failure states, NPC behaviours, and…
Write the mechanics brief that defines core loops, player actions, failure states, NPC behaviours, and narrative beats; include win/lose conditions, balancing notes, and one-paragraph scene synopses for the first three levels.
The tools that do the workExtensible markup language XMLjob descriptionsO*NET

Design core features of video games

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Draft the high-level feature list for the new puzzle-platformer: core movement mechanics, save and checkpoint…
Draft the high-level feature list for the new puzzle-platformer: core movement mechanics, save and checkpoint flow, enemy encounter types, progression loop, and monetisation constraints, then attach it to the project board and flag required prototype tasks.
The tools that do the workAtlassian JIRAGitESCOjob descriptionsWikipedia

Balance and adjust gameplay experiences

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Play five representative runs, collect metrics on time-to-complete, hitpoints lost, and resource usage, then…
Play five representative runs, collect metrics on time-to-complete, hitpoints lost, and resource usage, then adjust damage values, cooldowns, and drop rates to bring average run time within the target 12–15 minutes while keeping risk-reward meaningful.
The tools that do the workC#GitESCOjob descriptionsO*NET

Conceive overall game concept and story

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Write a one-page concept that sets the world, protagonist arc, core loop, three major set-pieces, and the…
Write a one-page concept that sets the world, protagonist arc, core loop, three major set-pieces, and the emotional beats across a play session, then present it to the team for feedback in tomorrow's creative sync.
The tools that do the workAdobe Photoshopjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia

Conduct playtesting and iterate designs

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Run a blind playtest session with ten new players, record where they hesitate or fail, collect qualitative…
Run a blind playtest session with ten new players, record where they hesitate or fail, collect qualitative notes and quantitative success rates for levels one to three, then prioritise fixes and schedule two quick iterations before the next test.
The tools that do the workGitJavaScriptjob descriptionsO*NET
The daily work15

Adapt design processes to different production methodologies

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Rework the design process documentation so it maps to waterfall, agile sprint, and hybrid schedules, note…
Rework the design process documentation so it maps to waterfall, agile sprint, and hybrid schedules, note which art and code tasks change order or scope, estimate new cycle times, and flag any risks to the solo budget and release date.
The tools that do the workGitWikipedia

Focus on playfield design

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Refine the main playfield layout for our top-down action prototype: define player and enemy spawn regions,…
Refine the main playfield layout for our top-down action prototype: define player and enemy spawn regions, collision zones, pickup placements, and pacing checkpoints so a level designer can build and iterate a playable test in two days.
The tools that do the workAdobe IllustratorESCO

Write specifications

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Draft the game specification for the prototype: list core mechanics, inputs, win and fail conditions, data…
Draft the game specification for the prototype: list core mechanics, inputs, win and fail conditions, data formats for levels and characters, and acceptance criteria so a programmer can implement a working vertical slice.
The tools that do the workExtensible markup language XMLESCO

Create detailed level layouts and environments

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Draft three complete level layouts for the forest chapter with enemy placements, platform heights, secret…
Draft three complete level layouts for the forest chapter with enemy placements, platform heights, secret routes, lighting notes, and asset lists, ready for playtesting by Friday so artists can start background painting.
The tools that do the workAdobe IllustratorAdobe Photoshopjob descriptionsO*NET

Create gameplay prototypes

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Build three small gameplay prototypes demonstrating combat, puzzle platforming, and stealth mechanics with…
Build three small gameplay prototypes demonstrating combat, puzzle platforming, and stealth mechanics with input mapping, win/loss conditions, and simple placeholder art so we can evaluate fun and pacing in two days.
The tools that do the workC#Gitjob descriptionsO*NET

Work on user interface and user experience

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Design the HUD and main menu flows, listing wireframes, control affordances, accessibility options, and…
Design the HUD and main menu flows, listing wireframes, control affordances, accessibility options, and transition animations so the programmer can implement a responsive interface by next sprint planning.
The tools that do the workAdobe IllustratorAdobe Photoshopjob descriptionsWikipedia

Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams

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Run a one-hour cross-discipline sync with the artist, sound designer, and lead programmer to align on the…
Run a one-hour cross-discipline sync with the artist, sound designer, and lead programmer to align on the next milestone, capture action items, and assign who delivers animations, SFX, and code hooks this week.
The tools that do the workAtlassian JIRAjob descriptionsWikipedia

Collaborate with artists to achieve appropriate visual style.

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Review the art pass, give konkret notes on palette, silhouette, and shader needs, and produce a concise…
Review the art pass, give konkret notes on palette, silhouette, and shader needs, and produce a concise visual style guide page so the artist can apply the style consistently across all character and environment assets.
The tools that do the workAdobe PhotoshopAdobe IllustratorO*NET

Consult with multiple stakeholders to define requirements and implement online features.

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Hold a requirements workshop with the producer, ops lead, and community rep to define online features, list…
Hold a requirements workshop with the producer, ops lead, and community rep to define online features, list endpoints, prioritise MVP items, and create acceptance criteria so backend work can start next week.
The tools that do the workHypertext markup language HTMLExtensible markup language XMLO*NET

Determine supplementary virtual features, such as currency, item catalog, menu design, and audio direction.

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Decide the game's supplementary systems: define a player currency economy, catalogue of purchasable and…
Decide the game's supplementary systems: define a player currency economy, catalogue of purchasable and craftable items with rarity tiers, main and pause menu layout and navigation, plus audio direction for UI, combat and ambient tracks by next Wednesday.
The tools that do the workExtensible markup language XMLJavaScriptO*NET

Guide and collaborate with production staff

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Run a production alignment meeting with the artist, programmer and producer to assign deliverables for the…
Run a production alignment meeting with the artist, programmer and producer to assign deliverables for the next sprint, set acceptance criteria for each asset, lock scope on MVP features, and record owners and deadlines in the task tracker by Friday noon.
The tools that do the workAtlassian JIRAGitjob descriptions

Solicit and integrate feedback from staff

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Collect playtest feedback from the designer, lead programmer and two artists, summarise recurring issues and…
Collect playtest feedback from the designer, lead programmer and two artists, summarise recurring issues and suggested fixes, prioritise items into three buckets with owner and ETA, then push the prioritized list to the task tracker by Monday morning.
The tools that do the workGitAtlassian JIRAjob descriptions

Shape narrative elements and dialogues

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Draft the game's core narrative beats and write the first pass of key NPC dialogues, define tone, branching…
Draft the game's core narrative beats and write the first pass of key NPC dialogues, define tone, branching points and how choice affects gameplay, then send the script to the writer and narrative animator for edits by Thursday.
The tools that do the workAdobe Creative Cloudjob descriptions

Specify subsets or subsystems of the game

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Break the game into subsystems: player controller and input, combat and damage, inventory and economy,…
Break the game into subsystems: player controller and input, combat and damage, inventory and economy, progression and saves, and world streaming; for each list responsibilities, interfaces and one integration risk, then share with the lead programmer by Tuesday.
The tools that do the workC#Extensible markup language XMLWikipedia
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Fulfill the overall vision of the game

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Re-state the game's vision, audit current features against that vision, drop or rework anything that misses…
Re-state the game's vision, audit current features against that vision, drop or rework anything that misses the core pillars, produce a one‑page roadmap with must‑have, should‑have and stretch items and circulate to the team and two external advisors by end of week.
The tools that do the workAtlassian JIRAAdobe IllustratorWikipedia

Says who?

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