Game Design Consultation

TL;DR

What it is: You advise game developers and studios on game design decisions-mechanics, player experience, monetization strategies, level design, and overall game structure. Think of it as being an external expert who helps solve specific design problems or validates design directions.

What you'll do:

• Analyze existing games and identify design improvements
• Develop monetization strategies for free-to-play games
• Review and provide feedback on game mechanics and player progression
• Conduct playtesting sessions and analyze player behavior
• Create design documentation and recommendations
• Advise on target audience fit and market positioning

Time to learn: If you're already working in game design or development, you can transition to consulting within 3-6 months of building your portfolio and credentials. If you're new to games, expect 3-5 years of industry experience before clients will take you seriously as a consultant.

What you need: Proven game design experience, shipped titles or significant contributions to released games, strong understanding of player psychology and game mechanics, ability to communicate design decisions clearly, and a professional network in the games industry.

What This Actually Is

Game design consultation is advisory work for game developers who need expert guidance on specific design challenges. Studios hire consultants when they lack internal expertise in certain areas, need an outside perspective on their game, or want validation for design decisions before committing significant resources.

You're not making games yourself-you're helping others make better games. This means analyzing what exists, identifying problems, proposing solutions, and sometimes guiding implementation. Your value comes from experience, pattern recognition across multiple games, and the ability to articulate why certain design choices work better than others.

Clients range from solo indie developers working on their first game to established studios entering new genres or platforms. Some want help with overall game vision, others need specific expertise like free-to-play economy design or player retention mechanics.

The work is project-based and highly variable. One month you might help a mobile game studio optimize their monetization, the next you're advising an indie team on combat mechanics for their roguelike. This variety is appealing if you like solving different problems, but it requires broad knowledge across game types and platforms.

This is fundamentally a senior-level role. Clients pay for consultants because they trust your judgment and experience. If you don't have a track record in games, you won't get hired regardless of how good your theoretical knowledge is.

What You'll Actually Do

Your day-to-day work depends entirely on the project, but here are common activities:

Design Analysis and Recommendations You play the client's game extensively, take notes on what works and what doesn't, analyze player flow and engagement points, then create detailed documents explaining your findings. This isn't just "I think the combat feels bad"-it's "The combat lacks feedback because hit reactions are delayed by 150ms, and there's no audio cue when damage is dealt, which makes it feel unresponsive."

Monetization Strategy For free-to-play games, you design or optimize the economy. This means determining what players should pay for, how to price items, when to show offers, and how to balance monetization with player experience. You'll often work with data to understand player spending patterns and identify opportunities.

Player Experience Review You conduct or observe playtesting sessions, watch how real players interact with the game, identify where they get confused or frustrated, and recommend changes. Sometimes you're writing formal reports, other times you're on calls walking through issues in real-time.

Mechanics Design and Documentation Some clients need help designing specific systems-progression curves, difficulty balancing, tutorial flows, or core gameplay loops. You'll create design specs, flowcharts, and prototypes (usually on paper or in simple tools, not full implementation unless you're also doing development work).

Market and Competitor Analysis Before or during development, clients want to understand how their game fits in the market. You research similar games, identify what makes them successful, and advise on differentiation strategies.

Meetings and Communication Expect regular video calls to discuss findings, present recommendations, answer questions, and align on priorities. Clear communication is critical-if clients don't understand your reasoning, they won't implement your suggestions.

The actual time split varies wildly. Some consultants spend 70% of time playing and analyzing games, 30% creating deliverables. Others are mostly in meetings and documentation with less hands-on play time.

Skills You Need

Proven Game Design Experience You need a portfolio of shipped games where you had significant design influence. This could be commercial titles, successful indie games, or well-documented work on game projects. Theoretical knowledge alone doesn't cut it-clients want someone who's solved real problems in real production environments.

Deep Understanding of Game Mechanics You should be able to deconstruct any game and explain why it works or doesn't. This means understanding core loops, feedback systems, difficulty curves, player motivation, and how different mechanics interact. This comes from years of playing games critically and designing them professionally.

Analytical Thinking Consultation is about identifying root causes, not surface symptoms. When a client says "players drop off after level 5," you need to investigate data, observe playtests, and determine whether it's difficulty spike, lack of content variety, poor tutorialization, or something else entirely.

Communication and Documentation You must explain complex design concepts clearly to people with varying levels of game knowledge. This means writing detailed reports, creating visual diagrams, and presenting recommendations persuasively. If you can't communicate why your suggestions matter, they won't be implemented.

Business and Monetization Knowledge Especially for free-to-play consulting, you need to understand the business side-retention metrics, monetization KPIs, player lifetime value, and how design decisions impact revenue. This is a different skill set than pure creative design.

Adaptability Across Genres Unless you specialize in a very narrow niche, you'll work on different game types-mobile puzzle games, PC strategy games, console action games. You need enough breadth to provide valuable insights regardless of genre.

Professional Maturity Clients are paying for expertise, not opinions. You need to separate personal preference from professional judgment, accept when your recommendations aren't implemented, and work within constraints like budget and timeline.

Getting Started

Build Your Foundation Before consulting, you need industry credibility. This typically means 3-5 years working in game development or design, ideally with shipped titles. If you're currently employed, start building your reputation by speaking at game conferences, writing design analyses, or contributing to game development communities.

Define Your Specialization While you can be a generalist, it's easier to market yourself with a focus area. Maybe you're the person who helps with mobile game monetization, or you specialize in roguelike design, or you're known for player retention strategies. Your specialization should align with your strongest experience.

Create Your Portfolio Document your work in a way that demonstrates impact. Case studies are ideal: "I consulted on Game X, identified that players were confused by the upgrade system, redesigned it with clearer visual hierarchy, and retention improved by 15%." If you can't share specifics due to NDAs, create hypothetical case studies or write design analyses of existing games to show your thinking.

Set Up Your Business Infrastructure Decide on your consulting structure-freelance, LLC, etc. Create a professional website showcasing your experience and services. Set up contracts and invoicing systems. Determine your rates based on your experience level and market research.

Start Networking Most consulting work comes from professional connections, not cold outreach. Attend game industry events, participate in game development communities, reconnect with former colleagues who've moved to other studios. Let people know you're available for consulting work.

Find Your First Clients Start with smaller projects to build your consulting portfolio. Reach out to indie developers who might need affordable expertise, offer to do a small paid trial project to prove your value, or leverage your existing network. Your first few projects might be at lower rates while you establish credibility.

Join Freelance Platforms Sign up for platforms like Upwork, Toptal, or Twine where game developers look for consultants. Premium platforms like Toptal require passing their vetting process, which can be valuable for credibility. Create profiles that emphasize your specific game experience and successful projects.

Note: Platforms may charge fees or commissions. We don't track specific rates as they change frequently. Check each platform's current pricing before signing up.

Income Reality

Game design consultants typically charge hourly rates or project fees, with significant variation based on experience and specialization.

Hourly Rates Market rates for experienced game design consultants range from $50-150/hour. Consultants with strong portfolios and specialized expertise often charge $75-125/hour. Premium consultants working with established studios or on complex problems can charge $150+/hour.

Project-Based Pricing Some consultants prefer fixed project fees. A short consultation reviewing a game prototype might be $1,500-3,000. A comprehensive monetization strategy for a mobile game could be $5,000-15,000. Multi-month retainer relationships with studios might range from $4,000-12,000/month.

Monthly Income Ranges If you're working 20 hours per week at $75/hour, that's approximately $6,000/month. At 30 hours per week at $100/hour, you're looking at $12,000/month. However, not all your time is billable-you'll spend time on proposals, marketing, and administrative work.

Variables That Affect Income Your reputation and portfolio significantly impact what you can charge. Someone who worked on successful mobile games can command higher rates for mobile game consultation. Geographic location matters less for remote work, but clients in different regions have different budget expectations. Specialization in high-value areas like monetization typically pays better than general game design advice.

Realistic Expectations When starting, you might charge $40-60/hour while building your reputation. Client work is often inconsistent-you might have 40 billable hours one week and 5 the next. Many consultants maintain part-time employment or multiple income streams rather than relying entirely on consulting income.

New consultants might earn $2,000-4,000/month in their first year as they build their client base. Established consultants with steady clients can earn $5,000-10,000/month. Top consultants with strong reputations and specialized expertise can earn significantly more, but that typically requires 10+ years of industry experience and a track record of successful projects.

Where to Find Work

Freelance Platforms Upwork, Toptal, Twine, Arc, and Contra all have game design and development categories. Create detailed profiles highlighting your shipped games and specific expertise. Premium platforms like Toptal vet consultants carefully, which can help with credibility but requires passing their screening.

Direct Outreach Research studios making games in your area of expertise, identify who makes hiring decisions (often producers or design leads), and send personalized emails explaining how you can help with specific challenges they might face. This works better when you have mutual connections or can reference their current projects intelligently.

Professional Networks Game development conferences, online communities, and industry events are where developers discuss their challenges. Being active and helpful in these spaces builds reputation and leads to consulting opportunities. Former colleagues who move to new studios are often your best source of referrals.

Your Website and Content Maintain a professional site that clearly explains what you do and showcases your work. Writing design articles, creating video analyses, or speaking at events establishes expertise and drives inbound inquiries. This is a long-term strategy but can create steady opportunities.

Game Industry Job Boards Some studios post consultant needs on sites like GameDevJobs or in specialized Discord servers and forums. These are less common than full-time positions but worth monitoring.

Referrals and Repeat Clients As you complete projects successfully, clients refer you to others or hire you again for new projects. This is eventually how most established consultants get the majority of their work, but it takes time to build this network.

Common Challenges

Inconsistent Income Projects end, clients delay decisions, and budgets change. You might have three clients one month and zero the next. This variability requires financial planning and the ability to handle irregular cash flow.

Scope Creep Clients often want more work than initially agreed upon. You'll need clear contracts and the ability to say no or renegotiate when additional requests come up. Without boundaries, hourly projects can become unprofitable.

Clients Not Implementing Your Work You can provide excellent recommendations, but clients might ignore them due to budget constraints, internal politics, or differing opinions. This can be frustrating, especially when you see preventable mistakes happening. You need to accept that you're advisory, not decision-making.

Proving Your Value When you're an employee, your contribution is part of the team's work. As a consultant, you need to clearly demonstrate ROI. Sometimes your impact is obvious (improved retention metrics), other times it's harder to quantify (prevented bad decisions), which can make renewals difficult.

Competition Many experienced game designers consult, and studios have plenty of options. You're competing with people who have impressive portfolios and established reputations. Standing out requires either exceptional credentials or strong networking.

Staying Current Game design trends, platforms, and player expectations evolve constantly. You need to keep playing new games, understanding new monetization models, and learning about emerging platforms to remain relevant. This requires ongoing unpaid learning time.

Managing Multiple Clients Juggling several projects simultaneously means managing different communication styles, deadlines, and expectations. You'll need strong organizational skills and the ability to context-switch effectively.

Tips That Actually Help

Specialize in High-Value Areas Monetization consultation, particularly for free-to-play mobile games, tends to pay better than general design advice because it directly impacts revenue. Similarly, expertise in emerging platforms or trending genres can command premium rates. Identify where your experience overlaps with high-demand areas.

Create Reusable Frameworks Develop templates, checklists, and analysis frameworks you can adapt for different clients. This makes you more efficient and ensures consistency. A good monetization audit template or player onboarding checklist can save hours on each project.

Communicate in Terms of Business Impact Instead of saying "this mechanic feels bad," explain "this friction point causes 30% of players to quit during tutorial based on industry benchmarks." Frame recommendations around metrics clients care about-retention, monetization, session length, etc.

Set Clear Boundaries and Contracts Define exactly what's included in your scope, how many revision rounds you'll do, and what constitutes additional work. Protect yourself with clear agreements about payment terms, deliverables, and timelines. Get everything in writing.

Under-Promise and Over-Deliver Give yourself buffer time in estimates. If you think analysis will take 8 hours, quote 10-12 hours. Finishing early or delivering extra insights builds client satisfaction and leads to repeat work.

Build Relationships, Not Just Transactions Check in with past clients occasionally even when you're not working with them. Share relevant articles or congratulate them on launches. Maintaining relationships leads to repeat business and referrals.

Document Everything Keep detailed notes during analysis, save all communications, and create comprehensive deliverables. This helps if clients return months later asking "what did you say about X?" It also builds your knowledge base for future projects.

Price for Your Experience, Not Your Time A junior designer might take 20 hours to analyze a game economy. You might do it in 5 hours because you've done it dozens of times. Don't charge less because you're faster-your efficiency is part of your value. Consider value-based pricing or project fees rather than strictly hourly rates.

Develop a Portfolio of Case Studies Whenever possible, create documented case studies showing problem, approach, and results. Even if you can't share client names due to NDAs, anonymized case studies help sell future work.

Is This For You?

This works well if you have substantial game industry experience and enjoy solving design problems more than doing full-time implementation. It's suited for people who want flexibility and variety over the stability of full-time employment.

You should be comfortable with uncertainty-both in income and in whether your work gets implemented. You need strong self-discipline for self-directed work and business development. If you prefer being part of a team with shared responsibility, permanent employment is probably better.

The financial reality is that this supplements or replaces full-time income only if you have strong credentials and an established network. If you're early in your game career, focus on building experience first. If you're mid-to-senior level with shipped games, consulting can be a viable transition.

This is not a way to break into the game industry. Clients hire consultants specifically because they have proven experience. If you want to work in games but lack professional experience, you need to get hired at a studio first, contribute to shipped projects, and build your reputation before consulting becomes viable.

The work can be intellectually rewarding when you help teams avoid mistakes or improve their games significantly. It can also be frustrating when good recommendations get ignored or when projects get cancelled before your work is implemented. You need to be comfortable with that dynamic.

Note on specialization: This is a highly niche field that requires very specific knowledge and skills. Success depends heavily on understanding the technical details and nuances of game design, player psychology, and the business side of game development. Consider this only if you have genuine industry experience and willingness to continuously learn as the industry evolves.