Video game creators have it made: they play games all day when they’re not creating their own, and they get to excite and inspire generations of people around the world with the imaginative worlds they create. But game design isn’t a position in itself; rather, there are many jobs and titles that fall under the general category of “video game design.”

When a person just starts out in game design, he or she is likely to be assigned to the position of quality assurance tester. This is, basically, a person who plays a game to make sure there are no bugs to work out. A video game has to be thoroughly tested many, many times to make sure there aren’t any inconsistencies, mistakes, parts that are too easy or too difficult, or any other quirks that will detract from the experience. If the game has any weaknesses, rest assured that gamers will find them in no time, and word of these problems will soon be all over the Internet, hurting the credibility of whichever company released that game.

Once someone proves himself or herself in an entry-level position, that game designer can advance to higher positions. For example, a 3D modeler helps to “build” sets and characters in a virtual space. This is a position that requires someone to constantly learn new technology and new programming languages so the 3D models he or she builds can be as cutting-edge and sophisticated as possible. An engine programmer helps to build the engine of a video game, the computer code that powers the entire game and oversees all the character movements that occur during the game. And the director of a video game is kind of like the director a movie, TV show or play. He or she assigns tasks to a team of game designers, makes sure everyone is creating the best work possible, and makes sure that all aspects of a game are entertaining, challenging and exciting. He or she begins a game with a clear vision, and spends countless hours laboring away to see that vision brought to life on a game console.

Other game design positions include the sound designer, the producer, the animator, and various other kinds of programmers. Every video game firm also has a business and marketing team, whose jobs include deciding how much to sell a game for, and how best to market that game. Advertising campaigns are very important to the success of a game, and today’s video game ad campaigns include TV commercials, print ads, billboards, social media and funny web videos.