A23 Games Game Designer Interview: Rounds, Questions and Preparation

What the job involves

Game Designers at fast-growing Indian gaming studios like A23 Games shape the core loop, progression, and monetisation of casual and real-money games played by millions. Day to day you write design docs, tune economy and difficulty curves, run playtests, and work with artists, developers, and data analysts to ship features that improve retention and revenue. You also study live-ops events, competitor games, and player feedback to pitch the next update.

Role and Technical Knowledge

1. 1

   What is a core loop, and how would you design one for a casual mobile game?

   Define the repeated action-reward cycle, give an example like match-3 or a runner, and explain how it hooks players in the first 30 seconds. Mention how the loop connects to session length and retention.

2. 2

   How do you balance a game economy when players can buy coins or power-ups?

   Talk about sources and sinks, earn rates, pricing tiers, and preventing pay-to-win. Show you can use a spreadsheet to model player progress and spending over time.

3. 3

   Explain the difference between retention, engagement, and monetisation metrics.

   Define D1/D7/D30 retention, DAU/MAU, session length, ARPDAU, and conversion rate. Give an example of how a design change could improve one without hurting another.

4. 4

   How would you design a live-ops event for a real-money gaming app?

   Cover the goal (re-engagement or revenue), event duration, rewards, entry requirements, and how you would measure success. Mention regulatory and responsible-gaming considerations.

Practical Scenarios

1. 5

   A level in your game has a 70 percent fail rate. How do you fix it?

   Suggest checking analytics for where players drop off, reviewing difficulty and clarity of goals, and testing small tweaks like fewer enemies or a clearer tutorial hint. Emphasise iterating and re-measuring.

2. 6

   You have to add a new monetisation feature without making the game feel greedy. What do you do?

   Propose optional cosmetic or convenience items, limited-time bundles, or rewarded ads that give value. Explain how you would test player sentiment and monitor churn or review scores.

3. 7

   How would you use playtesting to improve a prototype?

   Describe recruiting a small target group, observing without guiding, asking open questions, and noting confusion or boredom points. Mention turning findings into a prioritised list of changes.

4. 8

   Your team wants to copy a feature from a top competitor. How do you decide if it fits your game?

   Show you would analyse why it works in that game, whether your audience and core loop support it, and how it affects your economy. Suggest a small A/B test before a full build.

Behavioural and HR

1. 9

   Why do you want to be a Game Designer at a fast-growing studio rather than a large company?

   Talk about wearing multiple hats, faster feedback loops, and having more ownership. Show you understand the pace and ambiguity of a smaller employer.

2. 10

   Tell me about a time you received tough feedback on a project. How did you respond?

   Use a specific example, focus on what you changed, and show you separate ego from the work. Designers iterate constantly, so show comfort with criticism.

3. 11

   How do you handle a disagreement with a developer or artist about a design decision?

   Emphasise listening, explaining the player impact with data or a prototype, and being willing to test both options. Show you value the team over being right.

4. 12

   What games are you playing now, and what would you improve about them?

   Pick one or two games, show genuine play depth, and give one concrete, player-focused improvement. Avoid vague praise or pure criticism without a fix.

Portfolio and Industry Awareness

1. 13

   Walk me through a game design document you have written.

   Summarise the game concept, core loop, target audience, and one system you designed in detail. Highlight any playtesting or iteration you did.

2. 14

   How do you keep up with trends in the Indian gaming and creator economy?

   Mention sources like industry reports, developer blogs, YouTube devlogs, and app store charts. Show awareness of real-money gaming, casual games, and creator-led content.

3. 15

   If you had to design a game for Indian mobile users with low-end phones, what would you consider?

   Discuss small download size, low RAM usage, offline or low-data modes, and simple controls. Mention cultural themes, languages, and regional festivals as live-ops hooks.

4. 16

   What is one game you think is badly designed, and how would you redesign it?

   Choose a game you know well, identify a specific flaw like confusing onboarding or unfair monetisation, and propose a clear redesign with expected player benefit.