Game Development in Central Asia: How an 18-Year-Old 3D Artist Entered the Top 10 of WorldSkills and Creates Games

Shermukhmed Rakhmetov shared his journey into game development, his work at GameDevCenter Astana Hub and Barsell Games, his participation in WorldSkills, and the development of gaming projects in Central Asia. He shares his experience transitioning into the profession, key industry skills, market challenges, and his perspective on the future of game development in the region.

Shermukhmed Rakhmetov, city — Astana, 3D-artist, Instagram, Telegram

About Me

I am a member of the GameDevCenter team at Astana Hub and participate in various projects related to game development. I am also part of the Borsyq Games team, where I work as a 3D artist. 3D is my main specialization.

I am also a finalist in the WorldSkills competition in the game development track, where I ranked in the top 10 3D modelers in Kazakhstan among college students.

At the same time, I started taking drawing courses and then transitioned into 3D art. It was there that I realized 3D was what I wanted to pursue.

Regarding my experience participating in the 3D modeling olympiad, it all started with an offer at my college. I decided to give it a try. First, I participated in the internal stage, competing with several students, and then advanced to the city level.

At the city level, the competition was much higher, the tasks were more complex, and serious preparation was required. The main difficulty lay in timing: even if you complete the task correctly, it is important to stay within the time limit. Each module had a limited amount of time for completion.

The olympiad included several categories: sketching, texturing, UV unwrapping, creating 3D models, and sometimes animation.

I got into GameDev through Elina, the director of GameDevCenter. She invited me to participate in one project, then another, and gradually I stayed on at the center.

I am grateful to everyone who helped me on this path. First and foremost, to my teacher and director, who gave me a strong foundation and support. Also to my college, where I received fundamental knowledge in programming and 3D. It was thanks to this experience that I was able to develop further and achieve my current results.

At the start, the main challenge for me was deciding whether I really wanted to be in game development and in which direction to develop. At first, it seemed like a difficult and long field, but later I realized that it is not so complicated if you approach it from the right side. Essentially, anyone can enter game development; the main thing is to choose your direction.

For me, the difficulty was precisely in transitioning into the profession. If I had stayed on the engineering path, I would have continued into classical programming, but in the end, I chose 3D and now work in this direction.

About Projects

Currently, we have a long-term project called Deadland Drifters. This is a post-apocalyptic game where the player drives a car through the wasteland, destroys obstacles, structures, and zombies to collect resources.

These resources are needed to upgrade weapons and the car. The main focus of the gameplay is driving through the wasteland in a car that can be constantly improved and upgraded.

Achievements

As a member of the GameDevCenter team, I can say that we have hosted many events and competitions, including Global Game Jam, DC Triton, and others.

One of my key achievements was winning at WorldSkills. I took second place at the city level and then advanced to the republican level, where I ranked in the top 10.

Regarding olympiads, there are no classic projects there. These are more like technical assignments where speed and quality of execution are evaluated. It is important not just to complete the task, but to do it better and faster than others, while meeting all criteria. If any criterion is not met, it immediately lowers the result.

As for challenges in game development, deadlines are the most common. Sometimes tasks come in urgently, and you need to quickly get involved in the work, even if the deadlines have already passed.

Another challenge is the need to constantly learn new things. But with sufficient motivation and effort, this is not a critical problem.

Skills and Profession

In this field, programmers and engineers are in high demand. Without them, the game simply will not work. No matter how strong an artist is, they cannot launch a full-fledged project on their own.

Regarding personal qualities and skills, teamwork is especially important here. Developing a game alone is difficult, and in a team, the process becomes more efficient and interesting. If a person knows how to work in a team and even manage it, that is a big plus.

As for tools, as an artist, I most often work in Maya 2024. For sculpting, I use ZBrush, and for texturing, I use Substance. In some cases, I may also use Photoshop if it is necessary for modeling tasks or visual refinement.

How the Industry is Developing in Central Asia

Game development in the region, in my opinion, is developing well. There is steady progress, albeit not as fast as one might wish. But for people looking from the outside, it may seem like a difficult and unclear field. In reality, the industry itself is more structured and accessible than it appears. I believe that development is proceeding at full capacity.

The main problem in the market is rather a lack of skills. It is difficult to master a profession independently, especially without a system and support. Patience and persistence are important here.

Therefore, in my opinion, there is a need for more teachers and specialists who can train new generations and pass on their experience.

As for the international market, there is interest in specialists from our region. I know of cases where our specialists were hired in the USA and Poland. If a person has truly strong skills, they can easily be invited to international studios. In this regard, there are practically no barriers.

Advice for Beginners

You need to develop comprehensively. If you do not yet understand which direction to move in, you can try several courses or directions at once. It may be difficult, but this way you will faster find what truly resonates with you.

It is also important not just to learn theory. If you only memorize the program, you are unlikely to become a professional. It is much more effective to work on projects, try things out in practice, and constantly challenge yourself. First, tell yourself that you can handle it, and then figure out exactly how to do it.

Special attention should be paid to regular practice. You need to develop every day. For example, if we talk about artists or 3D specialists, without constant practice, you can quickly lose your skills.

Plans

In the near future, I am preparing for the next olympiad. Last time at the republican olympiad, I ranked in the top 10, and now I want to take first place in the city to advance to the republican level again.

If we talk about longer-term plans, I also want to focus on developing one project that we are already working on.

This is a game about a journalist who walks the streets of Astana. We plan to model the city inside the game so that the player can move freely, explore locations, and even find, for example, their own house. But the main point is not that.

According to the plot, the main character, a journalist, starts noticing strange things while walking around the city. At some point, he finds an unusual phone that stays with him. Using the camera of this phone, he can see supernatural phenomena and hidden events.

For example, by photographing a regular alley, he can find out what happened there—for instance, a crime. After that, he writes articles, publishes them within the game world, gains views, earns money, and uses it to further progress. The game has a storyline, but I cannot reveal it fully yet.