Recruiter’s Questions

1. What motivated you to pursue a career in game development?

Great Response: "I've been passionate about games since childhood, but what really drew me professionally was the unique blend of technical challenges and creative expression. I completed my computer science degree while building small indie games on the side, which taught me how game systems interact. What keeps me motivated is seeing players engage with worlds and systems I helped create. I'm particularly drawn to your studio because your focus on narrative-driven experiences aligns with my belief that games are one of the most powerful storytelling mediums available today."

Mediocre Response: "I've played several of your games and enjoyed them, especially [Game Title]. I like the type of games you make and think my skills would be a good fit for your projects. Your company has a good reputation in the industry, and I've heard you have a decent work environment. The job description mentioned working with [Technology/Engine], which I have experience with and enjoy using. I'm also interested in the opportunity to work on [Game Genre] games, as that's the type of game I like to play myself. Your location is also convenient for me.""I've always enjoyed playing games and thought making them would be fun too. I learned programming in college and figured game development would be a good way to use those skills. I like solving puzzles and being creative, so game development seemed like a natural fit. I've made a few small projects in Unity and enjoyed the process."

Poor Response: "I've always wanted to work in the game industry, and your company is making games in the genres I enjoy playing. I applied to several game studios, but yours seemed like it would be a good place to work based on what I could find online. I'm looking to move away from my current job in enterprise software development, and game development seems more creative and interesting. I think making games would be more fun than my current work, and I'm ready for a change. Plus, I've heard game companies have more relaxed environments and perks like game rooms and casual dress codes.""The game industry just seems more exciting than regular software development. I play a lot of games, so I think I have a good sense of what makes them fun. I haven't made many games myself yet, but I understand programming concepts and am a quick learner. Plus, I hear the work environment is more casual and fun than corporate jobs."

2. Can you describe your approach to collaborating with artists and designers?

Great Response: "I see development as fundamentally collaborative. I start by establishing a shared vocabulary with artists and designers to ensure we're communicating clearly. I make it a point to understand their vision and constraints before discussing technical limitations. For example, in my last project, our artists wanted elaborate character animations that were causing performance issues on mobile. Rather than simply saying 'no,' I worked with them to develop a simplified animation system that preserved their artistic intent while meeting our performance targets. I also create prototypes early so designers can play with mechanics and provide feedback before we're too invested in a particular solution."

Mediocre Response: "I try to be open to ideas from other team members. When working with artists, I explain what's technically possible so they don't create assets that won't work in the game. With designers, I implement their features as requested and let them know if something seems particularly difficult to build. I'm comfortable with iteration and making changes based on feedback."

Poor Response: "I just need clear requirements from designers and properly formatted assets from artists. I prefer when they provide detailed specifications so I can focus on programming without too many meetings or changes midway. If they want something that's technically challenging, I explain the limitations and ask them to adjust their expectations. Most problems arise when other departments don't understand technical constraints."

3. How do you balance gameplay performance with visual fidelity?

Great Response: "This balance requires both technical awareness and prioritization. I start by identifying which visual elements most impact the player experience and which performance metrics matter most for our specific game type. Early on, I establish performance budgets for different systems and consistently profile to catch issues before they compound. In my last project, we needed detailed character models but had CPU constraints on a mid-range mobile platform. I implemented a level-of-detail system that dynamically adjusted model complexity based on camera distance and screen space, which maintained the visual quality players noticed while saving resources where they wouldn't. I also believe in educating the whole team about performance implications so everyone can make informed decisions about their contributions."

Mediocre Response: "I try to optimize code where possible and use techniques like object pooling and culling to maintain good framerates. If performance becomes an issue, I'll profile the game to find bottlenecks and then optimize those specific areas. Sometimes we need to compromise on visual effects or the number of objects on screen to maintain a smooth experience."

Poor Response: "I focus on getting the gameplay working first, and then worry about optimization if we run into performance problems. Modern game engines and hardware are pretty powerful, so many optimizations aren't necessary until late in development. If we do hit performance issues, we can always reduce texture sizes or simplify some models. The art team usually understands when we need to make those kinds of cuts for performance."

4. Describe a challenging bug you encountered and how you solved it.

Great Response: "We had an intermittent physics bug where characters would occasionally clip through platforms, but only in specific circumstances. Rather than making random changes hoping to fix it, I created a deterministic test case that could reliably reproduce the issue. I discovered it occurred when a character landed precisely at the intersection of two colliders while moving at a particular velocity range. The solution required understanding how our physics engine handled collision resolution order and adding a secondary validation pass. What made this particularly valuable was documenting the underlying issue in our knowledge base and creating automated tests to prevent regression. I also shared the findings with the level design team so they could avoid creating similar collider arrangements in future content."

Mediocre Response: "We had a memory leak that was causing our game to crash after extended play sessions. I used the profiler to track down objects that weren't being properly destroyed. It turned out we were instantiating new particle effects whenever a certain action occurred, but never cleaning them up. I added code to pool and recycle these objects instead, which solved the memory issues. The game became much more stable after fixing this problem."

Poor Response: "There was a bug where sometimes enemies would stop responding to the player. I tried different approaches like rewriting parts of the AI system and changing how we spawned enemies. Eventually, I found that changing the order of some function calls in the update loop fixed the issue. I'm not entirely sure why it worked, but the bug went away and hasn't come back. Sometimes with game development, you just have to try things until something works."

5. How do you approach optimization in game development?

Great Response: "Optimization is an ongoing process, not a final step. I begin with proper architecture that considers performance implications from the start. However, I'm careful not to prematurely optimize at the expense of readable code or rapid iteration. I rely heavily on profiling data to identify actual bottlenecks rather than assumed ones. For example, in our last mobile game, we assumed rendering was our main performance issue, but profiling revealed that our inventory system was causing unexpected garbage collection spikes. I redesigned it using object pooling and struct-based data to minimize allocations. I also establish clear performance budgets for different systems and features, which helps the team make informed decisions throughout development. Finally, I've found that optimization often requires cross-discipline solutions, so I work closely with designers and artists to find creative ways to achieve their vision within our technical constraints."

Mediocre Response: "I start by writing functional code, then use profiling tools to identify bottlenecks when performance issues arise. Common optimizations I implement include object pooling to reduce garbage collection, using more efficient data structures, and batching operations where possible. I also look for opportunities to move heavy calculations off the main thread when possible. When working with artists, I provide guidelines on texture sizes and polygon counts to help maintain performance."

Poor Response: "I typically wait until we have performance problems before spending time on optimization. When the game starts running slowly, I'll use the profiler to find the slowest functions and then try to speed them up or call them less frequently. If that doesn't work, we might need to cut back on some features or effects. I also rely on the engine's built-in optimization settings to handle a lot of the heavy lifting."

6. How do you stay current with game development technologies and trends?

Great Response: "I maintain a structured approach to continuous learning. I allocate time each week to explore new techniques through a combination of practical implementation and theoretical understanding. I follow several technical blogs from game studios that share their solutions, participate in game jam events twice a year to experiment with new approaches, and am part of several developer communities where we discuss emerging technologies. Recently, I've been exploring procedural animation techniques and implemented a small prototype to understand how they could benefit our character movement systems. I also believe in learning across disciplines, so I regularly play diverse games with a critical eye toward their technical implementations and innovative mechanics. When evaluating new technologies, I focus on their practical applications rather than just following trends."

Mediocre Response: "I follow several game development channels on YouTube and read articles about new techniques. I've taken some online courses on Udemy to learn specific skills like shader programming. When I have free time, I experiment with new features in game engines to see how they work. I also play a lot of games to see what other developers are doing and occasionally attend local meetups or online conferences."

Poor Response: "I mainly learn new things when I need them for specific projects. The documentation for most game engines is pretty good, so I can usually figure out what I need when it comes up. I'll watch tutorials if I get stuck on something. Since technology changes so quickly in this industry, I prefer to focus on the fundamentals rather than chasing every new trend that might not be relevant in a year."

7. Tell me about a time when you had to make a difficult technical compromise to meet a deadline.

Great Response: "During our last project, we were implementing a dynamic weather system that affected gameplay just three weeks before release. Our initial approach used complex fluid simulations for realistic cloud formation and lightning patterns, but performance testing showed it wouldn't work across our target platforms. Rather than simply cutting the feature, I analyzed which visual and gameplay elements were most impactful to the player experience. I proposed a hybrid approach using pre-calculated patterns with randomized elements that maintained the gameplay effects and 80% of the visual quality, but at 20% of the computational cost. I clearly communicated the tradeoffs to both the art team and management, showing side-by-side comparisons and performance metrics. This transparent approach helped everyone understand and buy into the compromise. The feature shipped on time, and we documented the more ambitious approach for potential implementation in a future update when we could dedicate more optimization time."

Mediocre Response: "We were working on implementing a complex AI system for enemy behaviors, but as we got closer to our deadline, it became clear that the full system wouldn't be ready in time. I had to scale back some of the more advanced behaviors and focus on getting the core functionality working properly. I prioritized making sure enemies could navigate the environment correctly and respond to the player in basic ways, leaving some of the more nuanced behaviors for a post-launch update. It wasn't ideal, but the game still launched with functional enemy AI."

Poor Response: "We had to cut a lot of features from our procedural level generation system because we were running out of time. I had designed an elaborate system that would create highly varied levels, but it was taking too long to implement. In the end, we just went with a much simpler system that basically shuffled pre-designed room templates. The design team wasn't happy about it, but we needed something that worked for the deadline. We planned to improve it after launch, but ended up moving on to other priorities."

8. How do you approach game performance across different hardware specifications?

Great Response: "I believe in designing for scalability from the beginning rather than retrofitting later. I establish a minimum viable hardware specification early and implement a comprehensive settings system that goes beyond simple graphics presets. For our last cross-platform title, I created a performance profiling framework that automatically detected system capabilities and adjusted various systems independently - not just graphics settings, but also physics simulation rates, entity update frequencies, and asset loading strategies. This allowed us to maintain consistent gameplay experiences across devices with vastly different capabilities. I also implemented analytics that anonymously tracked performance metrics in the wild, which revealed some unexpected bottlenecks on specific hardware configurations we hadn't caught in testing. When making these systems, I work closely with designers to establish which gameplay elements are essential to preserve at lower specs, ensuring the core experience remains intact even on minimum hardware."

Mediocre Response: "I try to design with lower-end hardware in mind from the start. We implement graphics quality settings that allow players to adjust things like draw distance, shadow quality, and texture resolution. I use profiling tools to identify performance bottlenecks and optimize those areas first. When possible, I implement level-of-detail systems to reduce complexity for distant objects. We also conduct testing on various hardware configurations throughout development to catch performance issues early."

Poor Response: "We typically develop on high-end development machines and then test on minimum spec hardware later in development. If we find performance issues, we add graphics options that let players turn down settings like shadows or effects. Sometimes we have to make larger cuts if performance is really bad on lower-end systems. I think it's better to make the game look and play great on good hardware, since that's where the industry is heading anyway."

9. Describe your experience with different game engines and how you choose which to use for a project.

Great Response: "I've worked extensively with Unity, Unreal, and custom engines, each with distinct advantages. For engine selection, I evaluate several factors beyond just personal familiarity. First, I consider the project's specific requirements - Unreal's rendering pipeline excels for photorealistic visuals, while Unity's component system offers more flexibility for experimental gameplay mechanics. Second, I assess team expertise and ramp-up time - switching engines mid-project can be costly. Third, I evaluate deployment targets - for our recent mobile AR project, Unity's more efficient mobile performance made it the clear choice despite team preference for Unreal. Fourth, I consider long-term maintenance needs and licensing models. I also believe in separating game logic from engine-specific code where possible, which has allowed us to migrate core systems between engines when necessary. Sometimes the best choice is a custom solution - for our procedural animation system, we built a custom engine module that integrated with our main engine rather than forcing an ill-fitting solution."

Mediocre Response: "I've used Unity for about four years and Unreal for two years. When choosing an engine, I consider the type of game we're making and which engine has better support for those features. Unity is generally easier to get started with and works well for mobile and 2D games. Unreal has better built-in graphics capabilities for high-end 3D games. I also think about what the team is already familiar with, since there's always a learning curve when switching engines. I'm comfortable adapting to either one based on project needs."

Poor Response: "I mainly use Unity because that's what I learned first and am most comfortable with. It can handle pretty much any type of game, and there are tons of assets and tutorials available. I've looked at Unreal a bit but haven't made a full game with it. I think it's better to get really good with one engine rather than being mediocre at several different ones. If the company has a strong preference for a particular engine, I'm open to learning it, but I'd need some time to get up to speed."

10. How do you approach designing game systems that are maintainable and extensible?

Great Response: "Maintainability starts with clear architecture that separates concerns. I use a component-based design where systems interact through well-defined interfaces rather than direct dependencies. For example, in our latest RPG, I implemented an event-driven ability system where combat mechanics, visual effects, and sound were decoupled but communicated through a centralized event bus. This allowed designers to create new abilities without engineering support and let us unit test systems in isolation. I'm also a strong believer in data-driven design - in that same project, all game parameters lived in scriptable objects rather than hardcoded values, which supported rapid iteration and balancing. For extensibility, I plan for future features by creating abstraction layers even when we only have one implementation initially. This approach proved valuable when we later added platform-specific features without disturbing core systems. Most importantly, I document architectural decisions and patterns, ensuring the team understands not just how systems work, but why they're designed that way."

Mediocre Response: "I try to follow good software engineering practices like encapsulation and the single responsibility principle. I create modular systems with clear interfaces between them so that changes in one area don't break others. I use design patterns like factories and observers where appropriate to make the code more flexible. I also try to separate data from logic by using scriptable objects or data files that can be modified without changing code. I make sure to comment my code well so other developers can understand it."

Poor Response: "I focus on getting features working correctly first, then refactor if the code gets too messy. I find that trying to design perfect systems from the start often leads to overengineering. I keep classes organized by their function in the game and try to reuse code where possible. When we need to extend a feature, I'll usually inherit from existing classes or add new parameters to make them more flexible. The most important thing is having code that does what it's supposed to do."

11. How do you handle feedback on your work, particularly when you disagree with it?

Great Response: "I see feedback as essential to the iterative process of game development, not as criticism. When receiving feedback I disagree with, my first step is to ensure I fully understand the underlying concern rather than focusing on the proposed solution. For instance, when our creative director suggested changing our character controller's response timing, I realized his concern was about player frustration rather than the technical implementation. This led to a collaborative discussion where we identified alternative solutions that addressed the core issue while maintaining technical integrity. I find it helpful to prototype competing approaches when possible, letting the results speak for themselves. I've also learned to separate my identity from my code - what matters is creating the best player experience, not defending my personal solutions. That said, I do advocate for technical considerations when necessary, focusing on concrete impacts to development timeline, performance, or maintainability rather than subjective preferences."

Mediocre Response: "I try to be open-minded about feedback and understand the reasoning behind it. If I disagree, I'll explain my perspective and the technical considerations that informed my approach. Usually, we can find a middle ground that addresses the concerns while being technically sound. I recognize that games are collaborative projects and sometimes I need to adapt my work to fit the overall vision. I don't take criticism personally and try to focus on creating the best game possible."

Poor Response: "I listen to feedback and implement changes as requested, even if I don't fully agree with them. In my experience, it's usually faster to just make the changes than to spend time debating them. If I think there might be serious technical problems with a requested change, I'll point those out, but ultimately I defer to what the designers or project leads want. My job is to implement features, not to decide what should be in the game."

12. Can you describe your experience with version control and your preferred workflow?

Great Response: "I've worked extensively with Git, Perforce, and Plastic SCM across different projects. Each has strengths for game development - Perforce handles large binary assets well, while Git offers better branching for feature development. Beyond just using these tools, I've established workflows tailored to team size and project needs. For our 20-person team, I implemented a trunk-based development approach with feature flags, allowing incomplete features to exist in the main branch without affecting stability. This significantly reduced merge conflicts with scene and prefab files, a common pain point in Unity development. I also set up automated build pipelines that ran tests on each commit, catching integration issues early. For larger assets, I created guidelines for binary file handling, including LFS configurations and asset naming conventions that minimized merge conflicts. Additionally, I've written custom merge tools for engine-specific file formats that traditional diff tools struggle with. The most important aspect is educating the team on version control best practices, which I've done through documentation and lunch-and-learn sessions."

Mediocre Response: "I've used Git for most of my projects and have some experience with Perforce as well. I typically work with a feature branch workflow, where I create separate branches for each feature or bug fix, then merge them back to the main branch when complete. I'm comfortable with common operations like resolving merge conflicts, rebasing, and creating pull requests. For game development specifically, I'm careful about binary files and use Git LFS when appropriate. I make sure to commit regularly with descriptive messages and keep my local repository up to date."

Poor Response: "I use whatever version control system the team has in place. I know the basic commands for committing, pushing, and pulling changes. I try to commit my work at the end of each day so other team members can access it. If there are conflicts, I'll resolve them by picking the changes that seem most important. I think the specific version control system matters less than just making sure everyone's work is being saved and backed up regularly."

13. How do you approach the balance between writing clean, maintainable code and meeting project deadlines?

Great Response: "I see this as a false dichotomy when approached strategically. Clean code actually accelerates development in the mid-to-long term. I prioritize clean architecture for core systems that will be extended or heavily utilized, while being more pragmatic about one-off features. For example, in our recent project with a tight deadline, I invested time creating a robust state management system early on because I knew we'd build numerous game states upon it. This investment paid dividends when we needed to add unexpected features late in development. For deadline-sensitive work, I practice 'clean enough' coding - implementing the minimum architecture needed now while documenting where future improvements should be made. After high-pressure milestones, I advocate for targeted refactoring sprints to address technical debt before it compounds. I've also developed a personal library of well-tested, clean implementations for common game systems that I can adapt quickly for new projects. The key is communicating transparently with management about technical debt tradeoffs and their long-term implications so deadline decisions are made with complete information."

Mediocre Response: "I try to strike a reasonable balance between code quality and delivery speed. For critical systems that will need ongoing maintenance, I take more time to design clean, well-structured code. For quick prototypes or features that might change significantly, I might take shortcuts but leave comments explaining what would need to be improved later. I use design patterns where appropriate but avoid over-engineering. When deadlines are approaching, I communicate with the team about potential technical debt we're incurring so we can plan to address it in future sprints."

Poor Response: "Meeting deadlines has to be the priority in game development. I focus on getting features working first, and if there's time later, we can go back and clean things up. I've found that a lot of code ends up being rewritten anyway as requirements change, so spending too much time on perfect architecture early on is often wasted effort. I do try to keep my code organized and commented so others can work with it, but I don't let concerns about perfect code structure get in the way of shipping features on time."

14. How do you handle scope changes mid-development?

Great Response: "Scope changes are inevitable in game development, so I've developed a systematic approach to handle them. First, I ensure the change is clearly defined and documented, not just as new features but in terms of player experience goals. This often reveals alternative implementations that might be more efficient. Second, I perform impact analysis across systems - not just the direct implementation cost, but ripple effects on existing features, testing requirements, and performance budgets. For significant changes, I create quick prototypes to validate assumptions before committing resources. When our RPG project suddenly needed to support multiplayer mid-development, I created a networking evaluation document that outlined several implementation options with their respective costs and tradeoffs, allowing leadership to make an informed decision. I also believe in maintaining a modular architecture that can accommodate change without complete rewrites. Most importantly, I'm transparent about what adding scope means for other priorities, ensuring decisions are made with full awareness of tradeoffs rather than simply saying 'yes' to everything."

Mediocre Response: "When scope changes are requested, I first try to understand the reasoning behind them and their importance to the project. I estimate the implementation time and impact on the existing schedule, then discuss these with the project manager. For larger changes, I'll break them down into smaller tasks that can be prioritized separately. I try to design systems with some flexibility built in, which makes it easier to accommodate certain types of changes. If a change would significantly impact the timeline, I work with the team to identify what could be cut or simplified elsewhere to maintain the overall schedule."

Poor Response: "I implement the changes as directed by management or the design team. My job is to execute on the requirements, even if they change. If I think a change will take a lot of time, I'll let my manager know so they can adjust the schedule if needed. Sometimes we have to work extra hours to fit in new features, but that's just part of game development. I try to be flexible and adapt to whatever changes come along during the project."

15. Describe your approach to learning new technologies or tools quickly when a project requires it.

Great Response: "I've developed a structured learning framework that's served me well when adopting new technologies. I start with a high-level conceptual understanding before diving into details - for example, when I needed to learn compute shaders for our procedural generation system, I first ensured I understood the general parallel computing model before tackling specific syntax. I believe in learning through progressive implementation rather than passive consumption, so I create small, focused proof-of-concept projects that isolate the specific technology I'm learning. When adapting to Unreal's networking model after years of Unity development, I built a simple multiplayer prototype implementing each core networking concept individually before combining them. I also leverage multiple learning modalities - official documentation for accuracy, community tutorials for practical applications, and source code examination for deeper understanding. I maintain a personal knowledge base of concepts and code snippets, which accelerates future learning of related technologies. Perhaps most importantly, I've cultivated a network of specialists I can consult with specific questions, and I contribute back to those communities once I've gained expertise."

Mediocre Response: "I start by going through official tutorials and documentation to understand the fundamentals. I find that building small test projects helps me learn faster than just reading about a technology. I also search for examples of how others have solved similar problems and adapt their approaches to my needs. When possible, I'll connect with someone who has experience with the tool to get pointers on common pitfalls. I set aside dedicated learning time rather than trying to learn while implementing production features. Once I have a basic understanding, I find that diving into real problems accelerates my learning."

Poor Response: "I learn new tools as needed for the job. I usually start with online tutorials and follow along with the examples. If I can't find a good tutorial, I'll look at documentation and try to figure it out through trial and error. I focus on learning just what I need for the current task rather than trying to master everything about a new technology at once. If I get stuck, I ask more experienced team members for help or search for solutions online. Most game development tools follow similar patterns, so it usually doesn't take too long to pick up something new."

16. How do you collaborate with QA to ensure game quality?

Great Response: "I see QA as development partners rather than just bug finders at the end of the process. I engage them early, sharing design documents and prototypes to get their perspective on testability and potential edge cases. I've implemented automated testing frameworks that catch common issues before code even reaches QA, allowing them to focus on more nuanced testing. For our last project, I created specialized debug tools that allowed QA to manipulate game states, visualize collision boundaries, and log specific events, which dramatically improved their ability to identify and document complex issues. When bugs are reported, I work to understand the testing process that uncovered them, not just the bugs themselves, which often reveals patterns in our development practices that need improvement. I also believe in bringing QA into postmortems and planning sessions so their insights influence future development. This relationship has evolved to where our QA team now contributes to our technical standards and helps define acceptance criteria before features are even built."

Mediocre Response: "I maintain regular communication with the QA team throughout development. I provide them with clear information about new features and changes so they know what to test. When bugs are reported, I ask for detailed reproduction steps and work with QA to understand exactly what's happening. I prioritize fixing critical bugs that affect gameplay or stability first. I also try to create debug commands or tools that help QA test specific scenarios more efficiently. At milestone reviews, I listen to QA feedback about areas that feel unstable or need more attention."

Poor Response: "I fix bugs as they're reported by the QA team. I make sure my code passes basic testing before submitting it to reduce the number of obvious bugs they have to deal with. When I receive bug reports, I ask for clarification if the reproduction steps aren't clear enough. Sometimes QA finds issues that aren't really bugs but just design decisions they don't agree with, so I have to explain why certain things work the way they do. The QA team is responsible for finding issues, and I'm responsible for fixing the ones that are actual technical problems."

17. Tell me about a time when you had to optimize a game for a platform with significant hardware constraints.

Great Response: "On our last mobile AR project, we faced severe constraints targeting older Android devices while maintaining complex environmental interactions. Rather than making arbitrary optimizations, I developed a comprehensive profiling approach that identified our actual bottlenecks - surprisingly, it wasn't rendering but rather our physics calculations for interactive objects. I implemented a tiered physics system where objects close to the player used accurate simulations while distant objects used simplified approximations. This alone gave us a 40% performance improvement on target devices. For memory constraints, I created an asset streaming system that dynamically loaded and unloaded resources based on proximity and visibility predictions, keeping our runtime memory footprint under 150MB while supporting a large game world. I also worked directly with artists to establish efficient asset creation guidelines, creating tools that automatically validated textures and models against our performance budgets during the import process. The most valuable outcome wasn't just meeting our performance targets, but establishing a methodology and toolset for early performance testing that we now use on all projects, catching potential issues long before they become critical problems."

Mediocre Response: "We were developing a game for Nintendo Switch that had originally been designed for more powerful consoles. I had to make several optimizations to get acceptable performance. I reduced texture resolutions, simplified some shader effects, and implemented level-of-detail systems for complex models. I also found that our particle systems were causing performance spikes, so I rewrote those to use more efficient techniques and pool particles. We used occlusion culling to avoid rendering objects that weren't visible to the player. Through methodical profiling and optimization, we eventually got the game running at a stable 30 FPS on the Switch."

Poor Response: "We had to port our PC game to mobile, which required a lot of cutbacks. We basically had to reduce the quality of everything - lower resolution textures, simpler models, fewer particles, and simplified lighting. We removed some of the more complex gameplay systems that were too CPU-intensive. The mobile version ended up being a somewhat simplified version of the original game, but it captured the core experience. We just kept cutting features and reducing quality until it ran at an acceptable frame rate on our target devices."

18. How do you ensure your code integrates well with work being done by other team members?

Great Response: "Successful integration starts with clear communication and shared understanding before coding begins. I ensure everyone agrees on interface contracts and responsibility boundaries between systems. In our last project, I established a documentation process for all major systems that included not just function signatures but expected behaviors, performance characteristics, and integration examples. Beyond documentation, I'm a proponent of pair programming for interface implementations - when our animation system needed to integrate with the AI behavior system, the respective developers worked together on the integration points first. I also believe in continuous integration with automated tests that verify not just that components work in isolation, but that they work together correctly. When incompatibilities are discovered, I prefer to address them through team design discussions rather than quick patches, ensuring we understand the root cause. For larger teams, I've implemented architecture review sessions where developers present their approaches before significant implementation begins, allowing potential integration issues to be identified early."

Mediocre Response: "I make sure to follow our team's coding standards and architectural guidelines so my code fits with our overall structure. I regularly pull the latest changes from our repository and test my features with other systems to catch integration issues early. Before submitting major changes, I discuss them with other developers whose systems might be affected. I document my public APIs and ensure that error handling is robust at integration points. When conflicts arise during merges, I carefully resolve them while preserving the intent of all changes. I also participate in code reviews to both improve my code and understand what others are working on."

Poor Response: "I keep my code modular and try not to change existing systems unless necessary. I check in my changes regularly so others can see what I'm working on. If someone else's code doesn't work with mine, I'll either adapt my code or let them know they need to make changes on their end. I try to attend team meetings so I know what everyone is working on, and I'll ask questions if I'm not sure how something is supposed to work. As long as everyone follows the basic architecture, integration usually works out fine."

19. How do you prioritize your work when facing multiple competing deadlines?

Great Response: "Prioritization requires both systematic evaluation and strategic communication. I start by categorizing tasks based on their dependencies - identifying which elements are blocking other team members versus self-contained work. For example, when simultaneously developing our core gameplay systems and tools for the level design team, I prioritized the designer tools even though they were technically simpler, because they unblocked content creation that had broader schedule implications. I also consider technical risk, prioritizing high-risk elements earlier to avoid last-minute surprises. Beyond task assessment, I believe in transparent communication about tradeoffs. When facing competing priorities on our last project, I created a decision matrix showing the implications of different prioritization scenarios and discussed them with stakeholders instead of making assumptions. This often reveals that what initially seemed equally important actually has clear priorities when examined holistically. I've found that taking initiative to propose solutions rather than just highlighting conflicts leads to more productive conversations and better outcomes. When true conflicts exist, I negotiate for clear priorities rather than attempting to do everything simultaneously at reduced quality."

Mediocre Response: "I evaluate tasks based on their urgency, impact on other team members, and alignment with project milestones. I try to identify which tasks would block others if delayed and prioritize those first. I keep my project manager informed about my capacity and progress so they can help make priority calls when needed. For complex features, I sometimes break them into smaller parts that can be implemented incrementally, delivering critical functionality first. I also set aside time for unexpected issues or bug fixes that inevitably come up during development."

Poor Response: "I usually work on whatever has the closest deadline or whatever my manager says is most important. If multiple people are asking for different things, I'll ask my lead to tell me which one to do first. I try to estimate how long each task will take and fit in quick tasks between larger ones. Sometimes I have to work extra hours to get everything done, but that's just part of game development. I focus on completing one task before moving on to the next one to avoid getting scattered across too many different things."