Start a career in Games User Research

Get my free ebook of career tips from researchers at top game studios such as EA, Blizzard, PlayStation, Ubisoft, Activision and more. And a new bonus book – the secrets of hiring managers.

Plus receive a monthly email with free games user research lessons and curated Games UX and UR jobs.

Sign up now to get the free e-books (no spam, just a nice email from me each month!)

Free Games User Research Ebooks

Helping people become games user researchers at…

EASEGAEpic GamesUbisoftWarner BrothersPlaystationInsomniac

Start your career making games

Games user researchers run professional quality playtests to ensure games are understandable and enjoyable. This is a key part of making games that people love.

However it can be hard to start a career in games user research. You have questions such as

  • What research methods do I need to know?
  • Where can I find junior roles or internships?
  • How can I convince people I can do the job?
  • Why am I not hearing back from applications?
  • How can I transfer my skills from another career in to games user research?
  • How do I ace the interview?

It requires endless patience to keep applying and not hearing back. Sometimes it feels like it’s never going to happen.

Proven success in unlocking games careers

You need help to start your new career.

I’ve led hundreds of people to their first role at top game companies. I’ve uncovered the secrets of hiring managers, and the steps you need to take to stand out from the crowd, make sure your CV gets read, and that you pass the test.

I know what research methods you need to master, and how to best show your experience to ensure you’re ready to work in the games industry.

James

Having studied Psychology and UX Design at university, what I was missing, was some real industry insight from a veteran of the games industry.

Steve’s newsletter was exactly what I needed – packed full of not only useful information but actions that I could take to tick the right boxes to help myself towards securing a role.

The newsletter undoubtedly helped me on my path to securing that critical first role and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone considering games user research and especially those who have their heart set on it and just need practical advice to take steps forward

James Bowsher
UX Design MSc entering the games industry –> Now at Sega
Natali

The Games User Research newsletter aids me in my journey as a UR Designer for Ubisoft and PhD candidate in GUR with its diverse and rich content about success stories, industry advice, job listings, links to additional resources and more.

This really makes me feel part of the lovely GUR community.

Whether you are just starting, looking to excel your UR career or wanting to be in the loop about the current research trends in the games industry, then this newsletter is for you.

Natali
User Research Design Intern at Ubisoft
Lucy

The newsletter provides so many helpful tips and tricks for any newbie, especially those coming from a career in academia, who wants to break into the gaming user experience research industry.

I have been able to read what UX looks like in the gaming industry and translate it into academic terms, ultimately helping me wrap my head around how I might be able to market myself.

Lucy C. Niess
PhD Candidate entering the games industry –> Now at Epic Games
Lucy Warner Brothers

Steve’s book ‘How to be a Games User Researcher’ was an extremely valuable resource when I was navigating my way into games user research from academia, as it teaches the core principles and contains a lot of practical advice.

I used what I learnt from this to design and carry out my own usability test, which helped me to land my first position as a games user researcher!

I’m very grateful to Steve and highly recommend his resources to anyone wanting to begin a career in games user research.’

Lucy Penney
User Research Assistant at Warner Brothers Games

Get your first job in games

Join the newsletter today to get two free e-books of career guidance, including the secrets I learned when interviewing hiring managers about exactly what they are looking for.

Read my free articles explaining how research methods are applied in industry, and get prepared.

When you are ready, join my masterclass or pick up the How To Be A Games User Researcher book to turbocharge your learning.

The video games industry is full of passionate people who care about making fun experiences. If you love games, and want to start a career you feel passionate about, join me on your journey to become a games user researcher.

PlayStation

I always wanted to work in games user research, but was worried I didn’t have the relevant industry experience.

I spent over two years working in user research in mainly the public and third sector and knew that in order to get up to speed with how things work in the video game industry, I had to work incredibly hard.

When it came to dedicating my time outside of work to learning more about games user research, Steve Bromley’s resources were absolutely instrumental.

I used his book ‘How to Be a Games User Researcher’ to learn about how to run studies in the games industry; his newsletters gave me free career advice to help prepare for potential interviews; and his website offers courses on important skills like running playtests and survey design.

Steve is also super approachable, and is always happy to answer questions on Discord during your time on his courses, offering a few 1:1 slots to talk through things online if you need more advice.

His work and advice helped me prepare for everything I needed to secure my dream games user research job at PlayStation. I highly recommend his work!

Hayley
User Researcher at PlayStation
Tiffany

The Games User Research newsletter helped me in my journey as a UXR intern in gaming with its rich content about industry advice, job listings, and links to resources.

This really makes me feel part of the lovely GUR community. Thank you Steve!

Tiffany Szu-Yun Wang
Games UX Researcher @ Monumental Games
Katya

Transitioning from an academic career into an industry role can be a tedious process, particularly when it comes to effectively translating your research experience into skills that are highly valued in an industry setting.

I learned about games user research shortly after completing my PhD program and was immediately intrigued, but did not know how to approach the job search because I did not have prior experience working in games.

‘How To Be A Games User Researcher’ was an incredible resource to become familiar with the game development process, how games user research teams are often structured, common research methods and even prepping for potential questions when interviewing for a role. With these insights, I could start drawing connections with the skills I had developed throughout graduate school and also identified opportunities for growth.

In addition to his book, Steve Bromley offers fantastic content through his newsletter such as interviews with other researchers about their journey to games, conversations with hiring managers and step-by-step advice on ways to acquire experience in games research before having a job in the industry. Collectively, his resources helped me start building a foundation and get my first role in games user research.

Highly recommend his work to anyone interested in learning more about the industry!

Katya
User Research Intern at Insomniac Games

Meet Steve

I am an expert user researcher, specialising in building new user research teams and games user research.

I work with studios of all sizes to run playtests, and integrate user research into the game development process.

Prior to this I was a senior user researcher for PlayStation and worked on many of their top European titles, including Horizon Zero Dawn, SingStar, the LittleBigPlanet series and the PlayStation VR lineup.

I started the Games User Research mentoring scheme, which has linked hundreds of students with industry professionals from top games companies such as Sony, EA, Valve, Ubisoft and Microsoft. I wrote the bestselling book How To Be A Games User Researcher to share the expertise needed to work in the games industry.