In game development, your portfolio is everything. Studios want to see what you've built, how you think, and whether you can ship. A strong portfolio can land you interviews even without traditional experience. A weak one can sink you even with a great resume.
What Makes a Strong Game Dev Portfolio
- Finished work: One complete game beats five abandoned prototypes. Studios want proof you can finish.
- Clear role definition: "I built the combat system" is better than "I worked on a game." Be specific about what you did.
- Process documentation: Show your thinking. Design docs, code architecture, iteration notes—these prove you can think systematically.
- Variety (within your discipline): If you're a programmer, show different systems (UI, gameplay, tools). If you're a designer, show different genres or mechanics.
For Programmers: What to Show
- Code samples: GitHub repos with clean, commented code. Include READMEs that explain what the project does and how to run it.
- Systems you built: "Combat system with combo chains," "Save/load system," "AI behavior tree," "Multiplayer networking." Be specific.
- Tools and scripts: If you built editor tools, automation scripts, or pipeline improvements, include them. Studios love programmers who make others' lives easier.
- Performance work: "Optimized rendering pipeline, reduced draw calls by 40%." Show you care about efficiency.
For Designers: What to Show
- Design documents: GDDs (Game Design Documents), feature specs, balance sheets. Show you can communicate design clearly.
- Prototypes: Playable builds or videos of prototypes. Even paper prototypes count if they show your process.
- Iteration: Show how your design evolved. "V1 had X problem, V2 solved it by Y." This proves you can iterate.
- Player feedback integration: "Playtesters found X confusing, so I changed Y." Shows you think about players.
For Artists: What to Show
- Art style consistency: Show you can maintain a style across assets
- Technical understanding: UV mapping, optimization, LODs. Artists who understand tech constraints are valuable
- Process: Concept → blockout → final. Show your workflow
- Variety: Characters, environments, UI, VFX—show range if you're a generalist, or depth if you specialize
The Portfolio Website: Keep It Simple
- One-page is fine. Scrolling beats clicking through pages
- Fast loading: Optimize images, use lazy loading. Studios won't wait
- Mobile-friendly: Many recruiters check portfolios on phones
- Clear navigation: Projects → Role → Outcome → Link/Demo
What to Include Per Project
- Title and your role: "Combat System Programmer" or "Level Designer"
- Short description: What the game/project is (2-3 sentences)
- What you did: Specific contributions (3-5 bullets)
- Technologies/tools: Unity, Unreal, C#, Blueprint, etc.
- Link: Playable build, GitHub, or video walkthrough
- Screenshots/GIFs: Visual proof of your work
Common Portfolio Mistakes
- Too many projects: Quality over quantity. 3-5 strong projects beats 15 mediocre ones
- No playable links: If you can't share the full game, make a demo or video
- Vague descriptions: "I worked on gameplay" doesn't tell them anything
- Outdated work: Remove student projects from 5+ years ago unless they're exceptional
- Broken links: Test everything before sharing. Dead links look unprofessional
Game Jams: Your Portfolio Goldmine
Game jams (Global Game Jam, Ludum Dare, GMTK) are perfect for portfolios because:
- They force you to finish: 48-72 hour deadline means you ship something
- They show teamwork: Many jams are team-based, proving you can collaborate
- They're playable: Short games are easy for recruiters to try
- They show creativity: Constraints breed interesting solutions
Include 2-3 game jam projects if you have them. They prove you can work fast and ship.
Keeping Your Portfolio Current
- Update quarterly: Add new projects, remove outdated ones
- Refresh descriptions: As you learn more, your old work might deserve better explanations
- Add new skills: If you learned a new engine or tool, add a project that uses it
Your portfolio is your proof. Make it count.