CV-voorbeeld voor Game Developer

Choose the right format for a Game Developer resume

Use a reverse-chronological format unless you are switching into game development from another field. Studios and publishers scan resumes fast, and hiring managers want to see your most recent shipped titles or contributions at the top — not a skills-first layout that buries your actual work history.

Keep the resume to one page if you have fewer than eight years of experience; two pages are acceptable for senior engineers, technical directors, or leads with multiple shipped AAA or AA titles. Use clean, readable fonts like Inter or Calibri at 10–11pt, and avoid embedding heavy graphics or custom layouts that break applicant tracking systems used by studios like EA, Activision Blizzard, and Ubisoft.

• Sections in order: Contact → Summary → Skills → Experience → Projects → Education
• Include a portfolio or GitHub link directly in the header — it is checked before the interview
• Label your engine versions (e.g., Unreal Engine 5.3, Unity 2022 LTS) so ATS and recruiters match keywords precisely
• Save and submit as a PDF unless the job posting explicitly requests a .docx

Write a professional summary that speaks to studios

Your summary should name your specialization (gameplay, engine, tools, graphics, AI, physics), your preferred engine, years of experience, and one concrete outcome — all in two to three sentences. Generic phrases like 'passionate gamer' or 'team player' waste space and get ignored.

Here is a strong example: "Gameplay engineer with 6 years of experience shipping console and PC titles in Unreal Engine 5, specializing in character locomotion systems and networked multiplayer. Contributed to two titles that reached 1M+ units sold within 90 days of launch. Proficient in C++, Blueprint scripting, and Perforce-based pipelines across cross-functional teams of 40+ developers."

Write work-experience bullets that prove impact

Each bullet should follow an action-verb → task → measurable result structure. Studios want to know what you built, how complex it was, and what it delivered — not a list of responsibilities copied from a job description. Quantify frame rates, load times, team sizes, bug counts, or revenue where you can.

• Redesigned the enemy pathfinding system in Unreal Engine 5 using EQS and Behavior Trees, reducing CPU overhead by 34% and cutting AI-related bug reports by 60% in the 3 months before ship.
• Built a procedural level generation tool in Unity (C#) used across 12 levels of a mobile title that reached 500K downloads in its first month on the App Store.

Skills and certifications recruiters and ATS look for

Studios filter resumes by engine, language, and platform before a human reads them. List your tools explicitly rather than grouping them under vague categories. Separate hard technical skills from soft or domain skills, and include platform experience (PS5, Xbox Series, Switch, PC, Mobile) because many roles are platform-specific.

Formal certifications are less common in game development than in other tech fields, but a few carry genuine weight. Unity Certified Professional: Programmer and Epic's Unreal Authorized Instructor credential are recognized. For graphics-focused roles, AMD's GPUOpen resources and NVIDIA's developer certification programs are worth listing if completed.

• Languages: C++, C#, Python, HLSL/GLSL, Lua
• Engines: Unreal Engine (4/5), Unity, Godot, in-house proprietary engines
• Tools: Perforce, Git, JIRA, Visual Studio, Rider, RenderDoc, PIX, Nsight
• Disciplines: gameplay systems, graphics programming, tools engineering, physics, AI/behavior trees, shader development
• Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam/Epic), iOS, Android

Education, licenses, and extras that strengthen your resume

A bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or game development from programs like DigiPen, Full Sail, or a traditional CS program is standard. However, a strong portfolio of shipped or publicly playable projects can outweigh a degree at many independent studios and mid-sized publishers. List your degree, institution, and graduation year — GPA only if it is 3.5 or above and you graduated within the last three years.

Under a separate 'Projects' or 'Portfolio' section, list game jam entries (Global Game Jam, Ludum Dare), personal projects, or open-source engine contributions with links. Include the engine, team size, your specific role, and platform. Game jam credits are taken seriously in the industry and demonstrate you can ship under constraints.

• Link to an itch.io, Steam page, or playable build — screenshots alone are not enough
• List Global Game Jam or Ludum Dare entries with your jam rank or player count if available
• Include any GDC talks, published postmortems, or open-source engine contributions

Mistakes to avoid

• ×Listing engines without version numbers forces recruiters to guess whether your Unreal experience is UE4 or UE5, which are treated as distinct skill sets by many studios.
• ×Omitting a portfolio link — or linking to a private or broken repository — is the single fastest way to get screened out before the phone screen.
• ×Using vague bullets like 'worked on gameplay features' instead of naming the specific system (inventory, combat, locomotion) and its measurable outcome wastes the recruiter's time and signals shallow experience.
• ×Including every game you have ever played under an 'interests' section is filler that takes up space better used for shipped projects, tools experience, or relevant coursework.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a degree to get a game developer job?

A degree helps at large publishers like EA or 2K that use it as an initial filter, but many independent and mid-sized studios hire based on portfolio and demonstrated skills. If your shipped projects and code samples are strong, they can substitute for a traditional CS degree at a significant portion of studios. Be prepared to complete a technical test regardless of your educational background.

Should I have separate resumes for Unity and Unreal Engine roles?

Yes, if you have meaningful experience in both engines, tailor your resume so the relevant engine appears prominently in your summary and skills section for each application. ATS systems at larger studios keyword-match engine names, and a resume that buries Unreal Engine halfway down the page may not surface for an Unreal-specific role. Keep the core experience section consistent but adjust the summary and skills order to match the job posting.

How do I list a game that was cancelled before release on my resume?

Include it with the studio name, your role, the engine, and what you personally shipped or contributed — such as systems built, tools created, or team size managed. Cancellations are common in the industry and carry no stigma; hiring managers understand the business. Focus your bullet points on the technical work and skills demonstrated rather than the commercial outcome.