Jobs in Games: Belka Games lead game designer Kate Shtirts on making it in the games industry

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Behind every great game is a team of creative developers making it happen. In our jobs in games series, we highlight some of the individuals working in the games industry, whether they are veteran developers with big hits under their belts or entirely new to the industry working on their very first title.

In this interview, we speak with Belka Games lead game designer Kate Shtirts about her love of games, which ultimately led to a career change. We also discuss what experience and certain skills can do to help you and your team grow together, advice for those looking to work in the industry, and some of Shtirts’ proudest moments.

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PocketGamer.biz First, can you tell us a little about yourself? Have you always been interested in games?

Kate Shtirts: For as long as I can remember, I have played games. When I was a kid, I couldn’t tear myself away from my game console, and I was happy when I could spend more time than usual playing on it.

At elementary school, my classmates and I would crowd around the computer and take turns playing the popular games of the day. Then, when we got a computer at home, I played games with my father.

I kept gaming even when I was a student at the music academy, which was unusual in that community. The other students only ever played musical instruments, but alongside the piano, I still always played computer games. And since smartphones appeared, I can say that I never stop playing. Not even counting work, I always have a couple of games I log into daily.

What about your journey into games? How did you get started, and how did you end up working at Belka Games? 

I got into the game dev industry in a highly unusual way. I got my higher education as an opera singer and classical musician. For a while, I worked in the theatre and sang in opera performances, after which I taught and performed in various music groups. But all the while, I kept playing games and my interest in them never faltered in the slightest.

Then one day, when I was once again thinking that I needed to change something because I wasn’t getting any pleasure out of my work, it occurred to me that I should try to get a job in the game industry. I found a vacancy for a junior game designer, did a test task, and was invited for an interview.

Long story short, I didn’t get the job, but I did get some good advice: if you don’t give up, you will definitely succeed. I’m not one to give up, so after half a year and one course in game design, I got my first job offer. I was very happy, but also sad to part with my students. So, for a while, I kept working at two jobs.

How have your past experiences helped get you to where you are now as a lead game designer?

The most important thing that music and performing for a large audience taught me is that you should never be afraid to express yourself and be genuine.

If you don’t do that, how will the people around you be able to notice or hear you? How will they understand what you want to say or be able to trust you? If a performer isn’t genuine in their art, then the audience won’t believe them. And the same is true in absolutely every area of our lives.

It’s true for work as a regular game designer and even more so as a lead game designer – it’s vital to be honest with yourself and those around you. It’s important to believe in what you’re doing and saying. It’s important to be passionate and inspire passion in your team. It’s just the same as being on stage.

Also, my experience as a teacher taught me patience and an awesome skill – I know how to find the right approach to different people, I know how to say the same thing to different colleagues in different ways. This is what makes it possible for us to reach our main goal – to be understood and to get the desired result.

As a nice bonus, I’m also not afraid of public speaking, which helps me speak at conferences and give lectures.

What is it like being the lead game designer at Belka? What is a typical day for you? Is there a certain aspect of game design that you enjoy most? 

Over my morning coffee, I usually play a new game or read industry news: new releases, forecasts, and results from other companies. All of that really inspires me to new endeavours and ideas, and it allows me to keep up with trends.

Overall, my working day consists of three main activities: generating, discussing, and making decisions. Each of these points has its own attractions, and each of them gives me great pleasure. 

One of the main parts of a game designer’s work is generating ideas and documents and creating something new and interesting. After all, we don’t just need to come up with something cool. Even more importantly, we need to work out how to make it a reality. And we need to do that while fitting into company processes, hitting business targets, and getting good results. 

Discussing questions with the team, I always feel how awesome it is to be surrounded by like-minded people. Sure, we may argue, we may not see eye to eye, but the most important thing is that we all know why we’re doing what we’re doing. At Belka, we have a really close and friendly team. No matter how hard it gets, I always know that we will find the right solution. Then we hug (even if virtually) and thank each other for the fact that we’ve worked together and done a cool job.

When we get to “decision time”, I always feel how important strength and lack of fear in taking responsibility are. In any team, there have to be people who take on that role. The opportunity to be that kind of employee is a great honour for me. And, of course, I always keep in mind not just the project I’m working on, but also the people who trust me and my vision. That is so valuable.

Do you have any advice you would offer someone looking at getting started in the industry or pursuing a game design role? 

I think one of the most important things that people who are just starting their career in the industry have to think about is this: “Don’t start developing your dream game until you’ve gone a couple of rounds in the ring.”

I know that a lot of game designers immediately want to develop big games like the ones they played when they were kids. Of course, for lots of people, a dream like that is a big spotlight that lights up their difficult career path. But it’s important to remember that, the way things are, only experience can help you achieve your great goal.

Get some experience first, and then you can start making your new Heroes of Might and Magic or Warhammer. And, of course, play more games!

Has there been a game from Belka that has been a favourite to work on?

Probably, the game that I’ve worked on that I love the most is Roger That. I have very warm feelings for that project because I was a part of its development from almost the very beginning.

I remember all the original versions, concepts, and ideas and how we implemented them. I remember how the project grew and was released worldwide. It was a cool experience, a cool game, and an awesome team. I hope Belka has more projects like that. We really made something worthwhile.

Is there anything you are currently working on that you can share with us? 

Now, I’m working in the R&D department, where several small teams are looking for cool new ideas and hypotheses for the company. We study a lot of different materials, the market, and new releases.

It’s very important for R&D workers to know how to adapt quickly to new situations. The mindset of an R&D worker isn’t the same as that of a worker in standard development. We may change a game’s core concept several times a week or look at several different versions.

That’s why it’s great when people know how to switch their attention quickly and keep moving without looking back. We work on discovering new hits, and we hope we’ll be able to tell you about them in the very near future.

Do you have a project or moment from your career that you are proudest of? 

I really love what I do. That’s why I’m proud of all the games I’ve had the chance to work on. I put all my efforts into all of them, and I helped the teams achieve the results they achieved.

I’m also proud of the company I work for, my colleagues, our company culture, and the fact that every employee is valuable to us. We’ve been through all kinds of difficulties in the last couple of years, but nonetheless, we’re still a strong, close team ready to go on imagining and creating!

Of course, when I’m talking to my parents, I can always say, “Mom, can you imagine? The game I made has already been played by more than a million people.” To me, that still sounds incredible!

Finally, is there a dream project you would love to work on in your career in games? And is there anything from Belka we should be on the lookout for in the near future? 

A long time ago, when I was just starting my career, I wanted to make a runner about a clumsy truck driver who had lost all his cargo.

I think that could be a really cool game, and one day I’ll definitely make something like that. Because I think that games should make people feel something. Just imagine the range of emotions the image of a man collecting huge pills or camels all across the desert could evoke. 

As for Belka, we have several awesome projects in the works, which I’m sure will make a splash in the industry soon. Keep an eye on the news.