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I am currently working as a software developer. I studied science in college and used programming for a science project. However, I was able to obtain my first programming-related job a year ago due to connections. However, I am starting to hate the job (personal reasons, not because I dislike software development) and am almost willing to take anything at this point. I recently applied for a software engineer position at a game company and they want to interview me next week.

However, I don't have much interest in computer games. I used to play video games when I was younger, but haven't played many video or computer games the past few years because I find them too addicting.

Would you guys think it is a good idea to work for a game company if you do not have that much interest in games? I still do not have much programming experience, so I am willing to take this job, but am worried that I won't be able to fake my interest in gaming well enough for the interview

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Short answer: working for a games studio without being a hardcore gamer is perfectly reasonable. As notes, engineering ability usually matters more than fandom — games are software with real-time, performance, and systems constraints that reward solid programmers. Treat the interview as a fact‑finding opportunity rather than a test of fandom.

Useful ways to frame non‑gamer honesty in an interview: say that gaming isn’t a main hobby but that interactive systems, real‑time constraints, graphics, networking, or tools development are interesting. Give one concrete example of past work (a small project, a performance bug fixed, a tool built) that demonstrates relevant skills. Practical preparation should focus on common game‑dev engineering topics rather than trying to fake enthusiasm.

  • C++ fundamentals: ownership, lifetime, move semantics, common pitfalls.
  • Performance and profiling: cache friendliness, algorithmic complexity, memory layout.
  • Concurrency: threads, synchronization, race avoidance, deterministic update concerns.
  • Engine basics: game loop/timestep, resource loading, entity-component ideas.
  • Optional: basic rendering pipeline and networking fundamentals if the role mentions them.
  • Prepare one or two short stories showing problem solving, ownership, and shipping code.

Assessing fit matters more than image‑management. Ask about team size, the tech stack or engine, what “success in 3 months” looks like, release cadence and typical work hours, and whether the role focuses on tools/backend/engine/gameplay. Tools, backend, and live‑ops roles often map cleanly from general software experience. As points out, many developers find game programming enjoyable once immersed — it’s also fine to use the job as a learning step and move later if it’s not a fit.

Honesty is the best policy: interviewers expect technical competence first. Attending the interview is low cost and will provide the concrete information needed to decide.

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Member Avatar for gusano79

If I were interviewing people, I'd be a lot more interested in ability than enthusiasm. Games are still software, and writing them can be much more demanding than typical business solutions.

Do you have the impression that they're looking specifically for game lovers?

Also, is this a general-purpose "software engineer" position, or is it more specific?

Member Avatar for dternity

You can still work at a game company and still be useful. However when it comes to new game designs you might struggle because as you say you're not that into games. But that can change if you take this job as a game developer. Personally, programming games is pretty fun and exiting when you actually get your code to work.

I'll say go for it and see if you like it or not. If you don't want to continue working there you can always search for a job on the sidelines while you're working the game developing job.

Good luck :)

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