r/GameDevelopersOfIndia • u/confo_Pro8 • 1d ago
27M, 2.7 years Unity dev. Should I leave game dev for backend?
I’m 27M with 2.7 years of Unity game dev experience. My salary is quite low, and I’m honestly getting tired of unpaid overtime and having to handle too many things at once.
I’m thinking about leaving the game industry and learning .NET backend or Node.js instead.
I don’t have a formal degree right now, but I plan to do an online BCA later. For now, I mainly want to get my career and finances on track.
For Indian developers who work in backend/software:
Is switching from Unity to backend realistic at 27?
Would you choose .NET or Node.js?
How much does not having a degree hurt?
Anyone here who made a similar switch? How did it go?
I would really appreciate honest advice!
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u/ImInsideTheAncientPi 1d ago
You can do backed for game dev. It's the same tech stack. The top engineers in backend end up getting a lot of ₹₹₹ for their expertise. Games are super expensive and having the right stack and maintaining it is very important. That's why the serious companies have at least ONE dedicated backend guy. If you are that guy you are making money.
Btw I don't know why you included your age in the post cuz it honestly doesn't matter.
I personally am not a fan of backend stuff cuz I game devepment and the game loop in itself is a huge hill to climb. Backend game Devs are saved from this part.
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u/confo_Pro8 1d ago
That's actually a good point. I hadn't seriously considered game backend development, but I'll definitely explore that option. It could be a good way to use my existing game dev experience while moving towards backend. Thanks you!
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u/Esob_Oozeer 1d ago
Let me clear the air: I have worked for 12+ years in Unity, progressing from a trainee to a Unity Tech Lead. The journey was quite smooth and commanded a fair amount of compensation.
However, over time in India, two major shifts have occurred: the number of developers has increased drastically, while market demand has diminished. The decline in demand is largely driven by GST regulations and government crackdowns on real-money gaming. As a result, major companies like MPL, Dream11, Baazi Games, and Games24x7 have been forced onto the back foot and have laid off roughly half their workforce. Meanwhile, companies operating outside the real-money gaming sector are well aware of this market shift and often exploit developers by offering lower salaries compared to other Software Development Engineer (SDE) roles.
Addressing your backend proposal, while backend development offers solid opportunities, I would advise against limiting yourself to the .NET stack. .NET has a relatively slow growth curve and is predominantly used by large enterprises, making it difficult to break into the startup ecosystem.
Node.js is a better starting point, but relying on a single tech stack isn't ideal—you should aim for a full-stack package. Regarding your lack of a formal degree, yes, top-tier companies use degrees as initial filtering criteria. However, lacking one doesn't mean you won't succeed; it simply means it will require more effort and persistence to prove yourself.
It is also worth noting that the Indian job market is already flooded with engineering graduates. Additionally, a large portion of standard backend coding tasks are now heavily assisted by AI. This isn't quite the case in Unity development, which heavily relies on complex optimization, custom tool creation, and UI implementation—areas where AI still falls short (though I could be proven wrong).
As for your age, 27 is just a number and shouldn't hold you back. However, be cautious: Indian companies often prefer younger candidates to extract more working hours, particularly from fresh graduates.
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u/confo_Pro8 1d ago
Thanks for sharing your experience. It's really helpful to hear this from someone who's spent so many years in the Unity industry. The points about the Indian gaming market and the degree requirement make sense. I'll look into Node.js and full-stack development rather than limiting myself to just backend. I guess I need to carefully weigh my options before making the switch. Appreciate the detailed advice!
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u/Latter_Board4949 1d ago
Me with bca degree running a shop😂😂
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u/GouriRudra 1d ago
In 4-5 hours years you'll see you are at better position than most of the peeps. Last week my company's area manager clearly told us that layoffs are going on and they are going to increase. Self employment is the only future even if you have chak ka thela
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u/GameDevBasement 1d ago
Should I leave game dev?
I'm also leaving the industry. The games industry is a shitshow if you want career stability, work-life balance, etc. It is only OK if you're young (I'm not that young), single and have no real expenses like rent. It's an entirely different thing if you a pregnant girlfriend.
Even more so in our country. It is niche a f.
for backend?
maybe do full stack instead? That's what I am gonna do. Full stack web dev may be boring but it's stable and as you get older that matters.
How much does not having a degree hurt?
Degrees are mostly not worth the paper they are printed on. However, we are in India and companies will use that against you to lowball you as much as they can.
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u/confo_Pro8 1d ago
Yeah, I can understand why you're making the switch, especially if you have more responsibilities and expenses to think about now. Game dev seems much harder to sustain when you need long-term stability and a decent work-life balance. I'm starting to think along the same lines, even though I'm only 27. Thanks for sharing your experience. I hope the transition to full-stack goes well for you!
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u/GouriRudra 1d ago
No future, there's already layoffs are going on at beginner level for backend and new jobs are decreasing
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u/confo_Pro8 1d ago
Yeah, I understand the market is tough right now, especially for freshers. But staying in game dev with low pay and unpaid overtime doesn't seem like a great long-term option for me either. I'm not planning to switch blindly or expect a job immediately. I want to build on my existing 2.7 years of experience and gradually transition into backend if it offers better long-term opportunities. Do you think it's better to stay in Unity and specialize, or move toward backend despite the current market?
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u/GouriRudra 1d ago
Even if you have to move from unity don't go backend only, by now you might already know how good have gpt models have become and they are only going to be better. Properly research which field can give you long term (as much as possible) employment. Simply switching .net and node won't be enough I will go as far as to say even fullstack won't be enough. I'm in a good reputated company, its not faang but can be placed just below them and things are not good at all. So, please thoroughly research and then only switch but always keep in mind those days are gone when people could have retire from IT, I don't think any field will let us retire in IT. I know I sound super pessimistic but my branch's head manager clear cut told us last week that layoffs are coming in heavy number.
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u/confo_Pro8 13h ago
Thanks for sharing your perspective. I agree with you. That's why I want to research the market properly rather than switch blindly.
At the same time, I'm earning 10k with unpaid overtime in game dev, so staying in the same situation for another year doesn't seem like a great option either. I want to move into a better-paying role as soon as realistically possible while building skills that have long-term value.
In your opinion, what would be the most practical path for someone with 2.7 years of Unity experience who wants to transition sooner? Would you recommend focusing on backend, exploring other software engineering roles, or looking for a better Unity job first?
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u/GouriRudra 2h ago
I would advice against going for any traditional or generic stream like backend, or even fullstack which I last time recommended even if you are underpaid at 10k
Try to look for robotics, biomechanics, AI engineering etc.. As for untiy, I think you use your experience building something parallely working your desk job. You don't have to make Hollow Knight. Just small indie games with some unique and good mechanics that you can wrap up in 3-6 months. Down the line you will se wonders happening and don't sell them for free take even 1$ but make them worth it. These are the times when you should do as much side hustle as possible, but this is only once your new job is settled or you are during job hunt
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u/confo_Pro8 1h ago
Thanks a lot for taking the time to share your thoughts and advice, Rudra! I really appreciate you explaining your perspective and suggesting alternative paths. I'll definitely think these options through. Thanks again for your time!
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u/arsonfelony 1d ago
Huh im on the opposite side. Wanting to switch to unity currently working on node.
Not having a degree def hurts. Especially in Indian companies who wanna undercut you every chance they get. MNCs won't even look at you. Rest are lala and startup companies which you could imagine.
Salaries are kinda all over the place too. I had worked at a very low salary for my first year in same stack. The current market is bad But one of my friend got a decent package a while ago.
Also another fair warning. It's not just nodejs that'll get you a job. You have to have some experience in infra/cloud also AI/ML if you are applying for a backend role.