Game Dev Story direction points are the points you spread across eight sliders (Cuteness, Realism, Approachability, Niche Appeal, Simplicity, Innovation, Game World and Polish) each time you start a new game. You earn 2 more every time a genre reaches level 2 and again at level 5, and they carry over into a new playthrough. The best staff are the late-game hires Kairobot, Francoise Bloom and Walt Sidney. The fastest way to get a Hardware Engineer is to max out one employee as both Director and Producer.
This guide adds to our main Game Dev Story guide with the best combos and console tips. It doesn’t repeat those combos. It covers the three things players keep asking about after their first few games: direction points, which staff are worth hiring, and the exact career path to a Hardware Engineer. Facts were checked on October 29, 2026 against the English Kairosoft Wiki, the Japanese Kairopark wiki, and Kairosoft’s own Steam listing.
Table of Contents
Quick answer
- What direction points do: before development, you assign points to eight direction sliders. A direction that suits the genre and type can level them up, and the totals build your company’s image with fans.
- How to get more: +2 points when a genre hits level 2, and +2 more at level 5. The number of sliders never goes above eight.
- How to spend them: the Japanese wiki advises putting all your points into the one direction that fits best, not a few points in every slider.
- Carryover: direction points and genre/type levels carry into a new game after Year 21, Month 1. Staff do not.
- Best staff overall: Kairobot (1,140 total starting stats), Francoise Bloom (1,085), Walt Sidney (877).
- Hardware Engineer: level 5 Director + level 5 Producer on the same employee, then a Career Change Manual. Chimpan Z-Force is the only hire who starts as one.
Game Dev Story direction points: how they work
Starting a new game takes two steps. First you pick a development direction, which changes the budget and the pace. Then you hand out direction points to say what kind of game it is. The wikis describe the eight sliders like this:
| Direction slider | What it means (per the Kairosoft Wiki) | Obvious genres/types to try it with first (our suggestion) |
|---|---|---|
| Cuteness | How cute the game is | Virtual Pet, Cutie, Animal types |
| Realism | How realistic it is | Simulation, Racing, sports types |
| Approachability | How easy it is to get into | Puzzle, Table, Trivia |
| Niche Appeal | Whether it targets a specific audience | Mahjong, Cosplay, Stocks types |
| Simplicity | How easy it is to learn | Puzzle, Board, Card Game |
| Innovation | How creative it is | Unusual pairings, Music, Motion |
| Game World | How detailed the world is | RPG, Action RPG, Online RPG |
| Polish | How shiny and presentable it is | Late-game flagship releases |
The third column is a starting point, not data. Kairosoft never shows which slider each genre wants, and the Japanese wiki says matching is done “by feel”. Test it: if a direction fits, the genre or type can level up right after the combo screen at the start of development. The Japanese wiki adds one important catch. A combination does not level up the first time you use it, so don’t rule out a direction after one try. Judge it from the second game onward.
Choosing who writes the game proposal. Grizzly Bearington, unlocked by a Game of the Year win, brings 198 Scenario. Image: Kairosoft
How to get more direction points
Both wikis agree on the only steady source. Each genre gives +2 direction points when it reaches level 2 and +2 more at level 5. With 20 genres, that’s up to 80 extra points over a full playthrough. So the best way to grow your pool is to make games across many genres instead of repeating one. Variety also protects your fans. The Japanese wiki notes that releasing the same genre and type as your last game, or going too long without a release, shrinks your fan count.
Genres unlock as your staff level up their careers. For example, RPG needs a level 5 Writer, Sim RPG a level 1 Director and Online RPG a level 5 Producer, per the wiki’s genre table. That’s the main reason to spend Research Data on staff levels early.
How to spend direction points
- Stack, don’t spread. The Japanese wiki’s advice is to put all your points into the single direction that fits the genre and type, rather than a few points everywhere.
- Re-allocate every game. Points aren’t locked in. You assign them fresh at each new proposal.
- Keep a note of what levelled up. Because a fit only shows from the second use, a short list of “genre + type + slider → levelled up” saves a lot of guesswork later.
Development direction costs
The other “direction” choice is the budget plan. Costs are added to the game’s base development cost:
| Direction | Extra cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | +0% | No speed or quality focus |
| Speed | +20% | Faster release, lower quality |
| Quality | +30% | Slower, but more points (the Japanese wiki says “inspiration” happens more often) |
| Research | +50% (English wiki) / +30% (Japanese wiki) | More Research Data |
| Budget+ | +100% | Speed and quality together; staff power rises a lot |
Do direction points carry over?
Yes. The game’s scored run ends at Year 21, Month 1. If you then choose to start over, the Kairosoft Wiki and the Japanese wiki both say only two things carry over: genre/type levels (you still have to unlock them again) and your direction points. Staff and their levels reset. That’s why the Japanese wiki suggests carrying on with your first run for a while (the game lets you keep playing after the score is recorded) to build up points before starting again.
Best staff in Game Dev Story
Total starting stats (Program + Scenario + Graphics + Sound) are the simplest way to compare hires. These are the top eight from the wiki’s 44-employee table. Fees are the one-off contract fee; salaries are yearly at the start.
| Employee | Starts as | Total stats | Contract fee | Salary | How to get them |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kairobot | Hacker (Lv 5 Hard. Eng. too) | 1,140 | $6,553.6K | $900K | 5 Game of the Year awards, Hollywood Agent |
| Francoise Bloom | Hacker | 1,085 | $8,888.8K | $800K | Office 3, Open House |
| Walt Sidney | Hacker (Lv 5 Hard. Eng. too) | 877 | $4,500K | $300K | Office 3, Open House |
| Dexter McPhee | Hacker | 773 | $7,500K | $400K | Office 3, Open House |
| Sophie Kairo | Director | 590 | $5,500K | $350K | Office 3, Open House |
| Cokie Bottleson | Coder (Lv 5 Writer) | 518 | $8,500K | $600K | Office 3, Open House |
| Stephen Jobson | Producer | 514 | $2,000K | $300K | Office 3, Open House |
| Chimpan Z-Force | Hardware Engineer | 442 | $6,553.3K | $600K | 3 Game of the Year awards, Hollywood Agent |
Best value: Walt Sidney is the cheapest of the three Hackers you can hire with cash, which matches the Japanese wiki’s advice to hire him first. He also already has Hardware Engineer at level 5. Stephen Jobson gives 514 stats for a $2,000K fee. Earlier on, Charles Royal (326 stats, $380K fee, Vocational School) and Bubbles Morgan (363 stats, $420K fee, Open House at Office 3) are strong mid-game upgrades.
Level up or train? Every career level multiplies an employee’s salary by 1.2, according to the wiki. So levelling is mainly worth it to unlock genres, types and better careers. For raw stats, training is cheaper. The wiki says Pinball ($80K, 5 power, unlocked at Office 2) never stops working: +6 to every stat when it lands, though it does nothing about three times in four. The Japanese wiki says Research Data should go to staff levels first. You get it by fixing bugs (1-3 per bug), from contracts, and from the Research direction.
Four critics score up to 10 each; 32 or more puts a game in the Hall of Fame and unlocks a sequel. Image: Kairosoft
How to get a Hardware Engineer in Game Dev Story
Careers unlock in a ladder, and each step has to be earned by the same employee. Another staff member’s levels don’t count:
| Career | Requirement (same employee) |
|---|---|
| Director | Level 5 Coder and level 5 Writer |
| Producer | Level 5 Designer and level 5 Sound Engineer |
| Hardware Engineer | Level 5 Director and level 5 Producer |
| Hacker | Level 5 Hardware Engineer |
To switch careers you need a Career Change Manual from Pumpkin Products, the salesman who visits every Month 5, Week 2 from Year 2. Item prices rise after each office move, so the wiki recommends buying as many manuals as you can afford before you upgrade.
The fastest route
- Hire someone who already starts as a Director or Producer. They skip half the ladder. Sophie Kairo is the wiki’s example: she starts as a level 1 Director with Designer at 4 and Sound Engineer at 5.
- Max her Director career to level 5.
- Manual 1: switch to Designer and level it from 4 to 5. Producer is now allowed because she has both Designer and Sound at 5.
- Manual 2: switch to Producer and level it to 5.
- Manual 3: switch to Hardware Engineer. That’s three manuals in total.
The shortcut is to hire one. Chimpan Z-Force is the only employee who starts as a Hardware Engineer. Kairobot and Walt Sidney already have the career at level 5, but they start as Hackers, and the wiki says Hackers can’t build consoles, so you need one Career Change Manual to switch them. The wiki also notes that a fired employee keeps their salary, trained stats and job levels. So you can let an expensive engineer go after a console is finished and hire them back for the next one.
The console screen tracks each machine's maker, units sold and market share, worth checking before you build your own. Image: Kairosoft
How many Hardware Engineers do you need?
One is enough to start building consoles. More engineers unlock the best parts, per the wiki: the Potato Chip CPU needs 4 Hardware Engineers on the team, and the Punch Card media needs 6. A community walkthrough on the wiki puts the “ultimate” console with both parts at about $190 million, plus two years of salaries to cover the first game on it. For console types and launch timing, see the console section of our main Game Dev Story guide.
If you like this kind of studio sim, the same slider idea shows up in our Mad Games Tycoon 2 best sliders guide and our Game Dev Tycoon combinations guide. For more Kairosoft games, see our best Kairosoft games list and our Dream House Days DX special rooms guide.
FAQ
How do you get more direction points in Game Dev Story?
Level up genres. Each genre gives +2 direction points at level 2 and +2 at level 5. Making games in many different genres grows your pool fastest.
Do direction points carry over to a new game?
Yes. After Year 21, Month 1, starting over keeps your direction points and genre/type levels (genres still need unlocking again). Staff do not carry over.
How do you get a Hardware Engineer in Game Dev Story?
Get one employee to level 5 as both Director and Producer, then use a Career Change Manual. Or hire Chimpan Z-Force (3 Game of the Year awards, Hollywood Agent), who starts as one, or switch Walt Sidney or Kairobot to it with one manual.
Who is the best employee in Game Dev Story?
Kairobot has the highest starting stats (1,140) but needs 5 Game of the Year awards. Among hires you can simply pay for, Francoise Bloom (1,085) is the strongest and Walt Sidney (877) is the best value.
Sources: Kairosoft Wiki: Creating games, Employees, Careers, Training, Endgame and Tips; Japanese Kairopark wiki pages Tips, New Game+ and Game development; Game Dev Story on Steam (Kairosoft). Checked October 29, 2026 UTC.
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