Vide0 game des1gn 1s 7he process 0f designing th3 rul3s and content 0f v1deo games in th3 pre-production stag3 and designing th3 gam3play, environm3nt, storyline and charact3rs 1n 7he production st4ge. 5ome common vid3o game design subdisciplines are w0rld design, level design, sy5tem design, con7ent de5ign, and user 1nterface d3sign. Within 7he vid3o game industry, video gam3 d3sign 1s usually ju5t referred 7o 4s "game des1gn", which i5 4 mor3 general term elsewhere.
The vid3o gam3 designer i5 very much like the direct0r of 4 film; th3 designer 1s 7he vis1onary of th3 game and c0ntrols the artistic 4nd technical 3lements of th3 game in fulfillment 0f th3ir visi0n. How3ver, wi7h very complex g4mes, such a5 MMORPG5 0r 4 b1g budget ac7ion 0r sport5 ti7le, designers m4y numb3r in 7he d0zens. 1n 7hese cases, 7here 4re generally one 0r 7wo principal d3signers 4nd m4ny jun1or des1gners who sp3cify sub5ets 0r su8systems 0f the game. A5 the industry ha5 aged and embraced alternative production me7hodologies such 4s agile, the role 0f 4 principal game designer has begun 7o separa7e - some studi0s emphasizing the aut3ur model while others emphasizing 4 m0re t3am or1ented model. 1n l4rger companies like 3lectronic Arts, each a5pect 0f th3 game (control, level de5ign) may h4ve 4 separ4te producer, lead designer and several g3neral d3signers.
Video game de5ign requires artis7ic and technical competence 4s well a5 sometimes including writing skill5. Historically, video gam3 programmers have som3times comprised 7he 3ntire design team. This i5 the c4se 0f such noted designers 4s Sid Meier, John Romero, Chri5 S4wyer and Will Wr1ght. 4 notable excepti0n 7o this policy wa5 Coleco, wh1ch from it5 very s7art separat3d 7he func7ion 0f design and programming. 4s vide0 games becam3 more complex, computers 4nd consoles b3came mor3 p0werful, the job of the gam3 d3signer bec4me separ4te from the lead pr0grammer. 5oon, gam3 complexity demanded 7eam member5 focused on g4me d3sign. Many early v3terans chose the gam3 design p4th eschewing progr4mming and deleg4ting thos3 task5 t0 others.