We get loads of e-mails from people saying 'I want to design games for a living'. Great! But nowadays, you must realise it takes MILLIONS of dollars to develop a game, and therefore a developer or publisher is very unlikely to hire anyone on the strength of a desire to design games, a good idea, or even a 200 page document. Many companies don't even have pure 'game designers' as such - this would be a major responsibility for just one person. It's more likely to be a design team, overlooked by a senior designer.

A level designer, however, is an interesting and important way of getting into design, and finding gameplay creativity. Level designers are essential for level-based games - companies like us employ level designers and artists to work alongside each other. Basically speaking, the level designer would model in the gameplay, and the artists make the levels look beautiful - and there is obviously a creative overlap there too. A level designer may also be involved in design meetings for the games themselves - a way of making your mark! Good luck!

NB. If you're determined to get a job as a 'in charge of it all' game designer (at the type of company that employs that sort of person who is solely responsible for design) then you'd be best to e-mail them and ask about it. As we write our games more through team-based input, with a design group who focus the design, we can't really offer any relevant advice about getting that sort of job!