The Game's Next Level

The Game's Next Level

Pizza boxes and soda cans cover the table. The video game team has been working hard! Julie, the game designer, leads the team. The game designer is responsible for how the game works. Some games are simple— pop the balloons! Other games tell stories with characters, like stick figures looking for a snack.

Stories can get complex too, with huge worlds and lots of characters. The designer decides what can happen in the game world. Julie’s team is making Treasure Hunter, an adventure game. The hero is searching around the world for ancient treasure. She uses a storyboard—a series of pictures—to introduce her ideas to the team.

Today the team is planning a new level. The hero will go through a swamp! The hero needs new tools: scuba gear and insect spray. After the meeting everyone has a job to do. What will the swamp and the characters look like? This job is for the artists. They also need to draw the new tools and backgrounds.

The artists use computers to draw everything in the game. The programmers write the computer code that runs the game. The code counts the game points. It also controls what the game player sees. The programmers make sure the game works correctly. When the hero jumps, he has to follow the correct path.

Then he has to land in the right spot. The game needs sound too. The audio crew is responsible for any sounds the game makes. The swamp level needs new sounds. Splash! That’s the sound for landing in the muddy water. Hsst! That’s the sound for using bug spray.