How do you select the perfect platform and genre for your gaming portfolio?

1 Know your audience

The first thing you need to consider is who you are making your game portfolio for. Are you targeting a specific company, genre, or platform? Or are you aiming for a broader range of opportunities? Depending on your goals, you might want to focus on one or more platforms and genres that match your audience's preferences and expectations. For example, if you want to work for a mobile game studio, you should showcase your games on iOS or Android devices. If you want to appeal to indie game fans, you might want to experiment with different genres and styles.

2 Know your strengths

The next thing you need to think about is what you are good at and what you enjoy doing. Your game portfolio should reflect your skills and passions, not just what is popular or trendy. You should choose a platform and genre that allow you to express your vision and creativity, as well as showcase your technical and artistic abilities. For example, if you are a great programmer, you might want to create a game that features complex mechanics or algorithms. If you are a talented artist, you might want to create a game that has stunning visuals or animations.

3 Know your limitations

The last thing you need to be aware of is what you can realistically achieve with your resources and time. Your game portfolio should be polished and professional, not buggy or unfinished. You should choose a platform and genre that suit your budget, equipment, and tools, as well as your level of experience and expertise. For example, if you are a solo developer, you might want to avoid creating a game that requires a lot of assets, voice acting, or multiplayer features. If you are a beginner, you might want to start with a simple game that teaches you the basics of game design and development.

4 Research and explore

Once you have a general idea of what platform and genre you want to work with, you should do some research and exploration to find inspiration and examples. You should play and analyze games that are similar to what you want to create, as well as games that are different and innovative. You should also look for game portfolios from other developers who have achieved success or recognition in the gaming industry. You should learn from their strengths and weaknesses, as well as their feedback and reviews.

5 Plan and prototype

After you have gathered enough information and ideas, you should start planning and prototyping your game portfolio. You should outline the main features, goals, and challenges of your games or demos, as well as the target audience, platform, and genre. You should also sketch or mock-up the user interface, art style, and sound design of your games or demos. Then, you should create a prototype or a minimum viable product (MVP) of your games or demos, using the tools and frameworks that are appropriate for your platform and genre. You should test and iterate your prototype or MVP until you are satisfied with the results.

6 Showcase and share

The final step is to showcase and share your game portfolio with the world. You should create a website or a platform where you can display your games or demos, along with your contact information, bio, and resume. You should also create a video or a trailer that highlights the best aspects of your games or demos, as well as a description and a screenshot for each one. You should also promote your game portfolio on social media, forums, and other platforms where you can reach your target audience and get feedback and exposure.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?