5 Must-have Items to Make your Game Design Portfolio Stand Out to Clients

A comprehensive game design portfolio is a must-have for anyone seeking a gig in the game development industry. That said, your portfolio takes on even more importance when you’re a freelancer.

Freelance game designers rarely go through the process of a traditional job interview, so your portfolio is often your first and last impression. It’s your chance to demonstrate your ability to do the job and convince a client that you can execute it at a high-level.

Here’s how you should set up your Fiverr profile and portfolio to pique the interest of potential clients and lay a good foundation for success:

Provide Details About Who You Are

People want to know who they are working with. Give some context about who you are — your education, previous experiences, and the skills that set you apart from the competition. This also helps reinforce to the client that you know your stuff. Here are some things to include:

Education – Provide details about your educational background to lend credibility to your profile.
Bio – Help clients feel connected to you as a person by outlining how you became interested in Game Design, why you choose this career path, and what your favorite game is and why.
Expertise – List the skills you have in detail. Many clients want to know the talents you possess like which programming languages you are proficient in, as well as soft skills like the ability to work as a team and communicate effectively.

Need some inspiration? Check out this example from Madeline Hui. She includes a well-written bio, details of her education, and a comprehensive list of her skills.

Provide Context to Paint a Picture

Providing a laundry list of gaming projects you’ve worked on may seem like a good idea at first, but it’s important to remember to provide some context to each one. The person viewing the project won’t have a clue what your contributions to the game were unless you lay it out specifically. Here are some things to include to provide context for your projects:

A short description of the project – Describe what the project was, its goals, and its timeline.
Your role – Provide some info about your role within the project. This helps describe your level of seniority and experience.
Your responsibilities – List the areas you were responsible for. This helps prove you possess the skills you listed in your bio.

Here’s an example from Chupavix. He does a good job of outlining what the client was looking for and what he delivered.

Build Credibility

It can be difficult for a client to decide between two equally good game design portfolios, and one of the best ways to stand out is by building credibility with a few elements like:

List notable clients – People trust other people, especially those from reputable companies. Listing who you’ve worked with in the past can help prove to clients that you’re a true professional.
Awards – If you’ve received awards for your work in the past, it’s a good idea to list those for clients to see.

This example from Sedmands shows how you can increase your credibility with certifications and previous work completed on behalf of notable clients.

Provide Images, Videos, Links & Downloads

Game design can be a difficult area to articulate and sometimes the client needs to play the game themselves to get a feeling for the project’s complexity.

In your portfolio, adding rich media like videos and downloads to the games you’ve produced can add substantial value to your offering. Here’s why adding rich media helps your portfolio stand out:

It builds trust – Potential clients can see first-hand how you met the project’s requirements.
It proves your skills – What’s better than describing a project’s complexities? Showing them first-hand. Providing a link or download to your game helps prove that your skills are as good as you say they are.
It gives your profile legitimacy – It’s easy to say that you’re a talented game designer, but adding real, working documentation lets the client see for themselves.

Studiogoblin’s portfolio offers potential clients multiple images to her projects, as well as stunning videos to sell herself and her work.

Testimonials

If you have past experience working as a freelance game developer, ask former clients to provide testimonials that speak to your skill set, professionalism, and creativity.

Testimonials go a step further than simply listing the clients you’ve worked with. If a former client takes the time to give a glowing review, chances are other clients will take heed. Encourage past employers or clients to:

Speak about their experience working with you. Usually the biggest fear for a potential client is that they are unsure of your professionalism. By asking previous clients to talk about their experience dealing with you, it can help future clients mitigate their risks and feel at ease.
Leave a review close to the project’s completion. You’ll want the client to write the review shortly after a project has been completed. The quality of your work will be on the top of their mind, making the review easier to write and more accurate.
Speak in industry terms. Ask clients to speak about the specific skills you exhibited. Did you code in C++? Did you help with wireframes, prototyping, mods, compulsion loops or monetization? This helps reinforce the skills you laid out in your profile.

This portfolio from Eldadesign shows nearly fifty 5-star reviews from his former clients.

Make Your Game Design Portfolio Stand Out

As the freelance game design industry grows, it becomes harder and harder to distinguish yourself from the crowd. By providing a robust portfolio, you can not only prove your game design skills, but also make a lasting first-impression on potential clients.

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