With a current valuation of over $178 billion worldwide and growth predicted to reach over $260 billion by 2025, the video game industry is one of the most lucrative business sectors offering plenty of career options. With the skyrocketing growth, most big-tech giants like Google, Netflix, and Amazon are scrambling to claim their market share. With gaming increasingly becoming a worldwide phenomenon, this is an excellent time for those interested in a gaming career to get in on the boom.
The top recruiting firms for gamers report programmers earn an average of over $140K annually, with salaries ranging from $90K to over $250K per year. However, virtually all computer game jobs require knowing multiple programming languages, and knowing the right languages is critical for landing the top video game programmer jobs. To help you prepare, here is a list of the best programming languages used for game development:
C++
C++ is most often the go-to language for most programmers when learning the basic concepts of data structures and algorithm construction. One of the game programmer jobs that C++ is used for is building game engines.
C#
Pronounced as “C Sharp,” C# is a modern, general-purpose, object-oriented programming language that will immediately familiarize those experienced with C, C++, Java, and JavaScript programming languages. C# was developed by Anders Hejlsberg at Microsoft within the .NET initiative and allows developers to construct a variety of secure applications. C# is the default language for the Unity 3D game engine, which was the year’s top engine in 2021.
Dart
Dart is Google’s answer to Microsoft’s TypeScript and is one of the fastest-growing programming languages. Programmers around the world love dart for its ability to create simple web-based games. It is similar to JavaScript in that it can be used for writing programs that can be run on virtually any electronic device.
Golang
Golang is a relatively new programming language that has built up a large following in a comparatively short time. Golang is an open-source programming language designed by Google that works with various operating systems. Golang was created to compete directly with JavaScript and Python and has already become one of the most popular languages on StackOverflow, with over a 60 percent following among developers for mobile gaming apps.
HTML5
HTML5 is the latest incarnation of hypertext markup language and the code web browsers translate into text and objects. More and more developers are turning to HTML5 for their online games due to the language’s ability to provide added scalability and increased flexibility. Many of the most popular video games created are now using HTML5, including Angry Birds, 3D Tetris, and Rush.
JavaScript
When combined with HTML5, JavaScript is a popular and powerful choice for game development and is used to program games designed to run in web browsers. JavaScript was originally built in the 1990s as a competitor to Java, being designed as a scripting language for Netscape Navigator. Modern JavaScript was developed by Google in 2008 for Google Chrome and is now considered one of the gaming industry’s go-to programming languages because of its popularity and wide support. JavaScript uses the Ease JS library that offers easy and dynamic solutions for creating robust graphics and an API for flash development.
Java
Java is a beginner-friendly, cross-platform programming language that runs on virtually all systems, including Windows and Linux, and is popular for developing mobile games. Initially built in 1991, Java permitted computers with different hardware and operating systems to easily run new programs and was the first programming language to gain worldwide acceptance. Java is widely used in game development because it has strong open-source support for its powerful 3D engine, which offers the unparalleled capacity to create action-intensive games like Minecraft.
Lua
While not one of the more popular programming languages in general, Lua is an extremely lightweight programming language that is perfect for video game programming. One of Lua’s most beneficial features is it is highly embeddable, so it is easily integrated into other applications, allowing it to draw on multiple languages to create the needed effects. Lua has a small memory, so it is fast and efficient, runs well on virtual machines, and is used to power mobile engines like Gideros Mobile.
PHP
PHP is a server-side programming language that allows data to be queried from a web page. Working in conjunction with a database, PHP is used to create dynamic browser-based online games. Some big-name companies that use PHP for their online games include Goodgame Studios and Gameforge.
Python
Python is typically used to conduct rapid prototyping, develop animated graphics, and add backend functionalities and scripts during game development. Guido van Rossum initially developed Python as a competitor for Java in the late 1980s. Python has a massive following in some development communities and ranks at the top IEEE Spectrum with a perfect score of 100. However, while Python offers superior readability, usability, and quick development time, it is somewhat slower than other languages. Still, Python is one of the easiest programming languages to learn for those just starting out looking for jobs in video gaming.
Ruby
Ruby is a pure object-oriented language designed to act as a framework between programmers and computers. While it cannot write complex code for high-performance 3D games, Ruby is an excellent choice for learning the concepts of two-dimensional game development.
TypeScript
As a superset of JavaScript, TypeScript uses almost the same features and applications as JavaScript but has a few added features such as interfaces, function overloading, and type aliases. TypeScript was created by Microsoft and is open source, so it easily compiles to JavaScript. TypeScript is easy for the browser to understand and is relatively simple to learn and use, so it is appealing to beginning video game programmers. TypeScript can be used in both mobile and desktop application development.
This is an overview of the best programming languages needed for landing the top video game programmer jobs. The best course of action for those just getting started is to begin by learning the basics with beginner-friendly languages like Java or Python, as this will allow you to learn the most important concepts without getting hung up on syntax. For more experienced programmers, the more languages you know, the better chance you will have of getting one of the top-paying jobs in video gaming. However, because the world of video game programming is ever-evolving, programmers will have the best chances of landing a high-paying position by working with a video game recruiter. DAM, Inc. is one of the top recruiting firms for gamers and works with dozens of video game studios across the country. DAM also maintains one of the most extensive listings of unpublished opportunities, including remote video game jobs. DAM also offers career guidance as well as interview preparation. As employers pay DAM’s fees, there is never a charge to the job seekers for enlisting DAM’s services.
