Geegpay Diaries Episode 9 - From Comics to Code: Chisom Ogbonna’s Journey from Digital Art to Gameplay Programming

At just 23, Chisom Ogbonna has built a promising career in game programming, working with both local and global studios. In this episode of Geegpay Diaries, he shares how he transitioned from engineering and digital art to coding games. It’s an inspiring story, and we’re excited to share it with you.

Read on.

A Little Bit About Geegpay Diaries

Geegpay Diaries is a content series that takes a deep dive into the lives of Geegpay community members. It’s an opportunity for us to learn more about the people who choose us and how they’ve been able to build successful careers. We then share their stories with our audience to inspire them to strive for so much more.

Cynthia: Thank you, Chisom, for making time to speak with me.

Chisom: Thank you for having me, Cynthia.

Can you tell me about yourself, your journey into game development, and how you knew it was something you wanted to turn into a career?

Chisom: I’m Chisom. I recently graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), where I studied Civil Engineering. I’ll give you the backstory of how I got into game programming, but it wasn’t something I set out to do from the start.

I got into OAU really early, at 15 years old. By the time I turned 16, I needed a way to make some extra money because I was relying solely on my family, and they were not financially buoyant. I could draw. I started drawing art as early as seven years old.

One day, I met someone called Toyin Ajetunmobi. He knew a lot about digital art and had a lot of gadgets he used for his art. I got close to him and started helping him with various projects that involved colouring comic pages, cleanups, drawing art, and other tasks related to comics. He paid me for these projects, so I started making a little money while still attending school.

While working with him, I started thinking about how I could scale. I figured that if one person could pay me for this talent I had, then there were probably other people I could sell my services to.

Around that time, I started hearing about Upwork and Fiverr. I decided to create an account and get gigs on these platforms. It was hard getting on Upwork because the competition was too much, so I signed up for a Fiverr account. I was on Fiverr for about a month without getting any jobs, so I gave up and continued working for Toyin.

What I didn’t know was that someone had actually reached out on Fiverr after I had stopped checking. It took me about four months to see his message. I responded and got a gig. This was how I got my first freelancing job. I completed jobs for that client, and he gave me high ratings, which started pushing my profile on Fiverr. About a year later, I started getting more gigs from the platform.

I spent about three years on Fiverr working on projects for clients while also collaborating with Toyin on his comics. I worked on different comics, including local titles in Nigeria and neighbouring countries like Ghana and Kenya. I also got clients online in Canada, the US, and France. All of this brought me a lot of exposure online at a very early age.

What were some of the challenges you faced during the period you took up freelancing?

Chisom: I’ll always be grateful for that first gig on Fiverr because it taught me how to work with clients and deliver projects. This experience helped me a lot when I started getting bigger opportunities later on. 

But my major challenge at the time was that drawing art was not very lucrative. I earned about $10 per hour, and that’s because there was a lot of competition on Fiverr, some even offering the same service for as low as $5. I also didn’t like the idea of waiting for clients before I could work on a project. Luckily, I always had a job, but I knew it wasn’t enough. I wanted more.

Was that when you decided to go into game development?

Chisom: So OAU had a course in our curriculum called ‘Programming with Python.’ Before that, I always thought programming was for smart people, and since I struggled with academics, I assumed it wasn’t for me. That’s why I didn’t choose a course like Computer Engineering and instead went for Civil Engineering.

But while attending the ‘Programming with Python’ class and learning the fundamentals, I started enjoying it and found that I understood it very quickly. I said to myself, “Ah! So I’m smart too.” I even started explaining it to my classmates and teaching them during exam prep periods. That was when I realised I liked programming and had to do something related to it.

So why not frontend, backend, or software development? Why game programming?

Chisom: While all of those are great professions, I wanted to do something that would make me stand out. Plus, I loved playing games. I played a lot of games growing up.

So I thought, why not learn how to make them? I started researching how to make games with Python and even built my own game, a Snake Xenzia game like the one on old Nokia phones.

I spent a lot of time online, networking with people, which opened me up to a whole new world of programmers, especially at a club in OAU, called Space Club. I met people who were very knowledgeable about programming and doing amazing things. All of this broadened my perspective and helped me narrow down my passion to gaming.

How did you start learning to program games?

Chisom: I had a lot of questions about programming, but I also knew how to find answers. YouTube and Udemy were my go-to learning platforms.

On YouTube, I searched for things like “How to get started in game programming,” “Do I need a university degree in programming?” and “How to kickstart a game programmer career.” I also needed a good personal computer (PC), which was a huge requirement, so I pleaded with my parents to buy me one. I literally went on my knees to ask them for the money to buy it. The tenants who rented a part of our house had just renewed their rent, so luckily, my mom handed me the money, and I immediately went to Computer Village and got a decent laptop.

By 2019, after getting my laptop, I started learning industry-standard languages, tools, and game development fundamentals. I also continued taking gigs as a digital artist.

When school resumed, I used my earnings from the gigs to visit a cyber café. I searched for Udemy courses and downloaded them overnight. At the café, I met a guy called David Olamide. He had already spent about a year in game development. I asked him lots of questions about the field and he was kind enough to answer. He even advised me on which courses to take on Udemy.

The hardest part of learning wasn’t finding the resources. It was making time to sit with those courses and learn while going to school and working gigs on Fiverr. But I managed. I started learning programming languages like C++. 

Unfortunately the year ended and COVID-19 pandemic took over. Which meant school had to stop.

I moved back home and used that time to learn more about game development and finish my courses. I took my time to learn the fundamentals of programming languages, which, by the way, I would advise anyone just getting started with anything to do. Next, I moved to game development proper, learning systems like Unreal Engine, how to navigate it, and so on. Then, I started building games, making reference to the courses.

I spent the whole of 2020 learning as much as I could while school was out.

The first course I took was 24 hours in length, but it took me two to three months to complete. Learning processes at the beginning can be very slow, but once you take your time to learn them, they become part of you.

I used Udemy for game development fundamentals. Everything else, I learned from creators on YouTube. There’s a lot of information out there. If you can just take the time to sit with it and sit through it, you’ll learn a lot.

By 2021, school started again. Right after my exams that semester, I went on to do my IT program, which gave me more time to focus on learning. Thankfully, I worked with an understanding manager who only reached out when he needed me. I worked on-site Monday to Thursday and used the rest of the week to continue my courses. I used to carry all my gear to work and learn during my free time.

I was also still taking up gigs and using that to sustain myself. I started making more money from gigs, my rates got higher, and I got opportunities to work with different studios, but my focus didn’t shift from game development.

When did you decide to go into the market?

Chisom: After about a year and six months of learning, I felt it was time to get a job in this space. One thing I learned at this stage was that when you’re in an ecosystem, you have to learn and abide by its rules.

Initially, I had spent a lot of time learning C++ and Unreal Engine and tried to use that to break into the foreign market, but it didn’t work. I decided to look for something local and focused on the Nigerian, Ghanaian, and Kenyan markets. I researched job postings and the requirements needed to land those jobs. I saw a lot of requests for Unity and C#. I was devastated because I had spent time learning something different. I decided to pause my learning and switch to C# and Unity to see if I could pick them up quickly.

At this time, GameUp Africa 1.1, a game development boot camp by Maliyo Games, kicked off. I enrolled in the boot camp. I also started taking social media seriously and posted my thoughts on a particular topic in my field on LinkedIn. The CEO of Maliyo Games shared my post and added a comment: “I think Chisom is going to be the next big thing in the game dev space.” That boosted my morale so much.

It took me two months to learn Unity and C#. I learned from YouTube. Then I took the test to join the boot camp and got in.

Around this time, I decided to test the waters in the job market. I created some mini-games and built a portfolio website where I uploaded them. I also worked on my résumé. In addition, I had a coaching business where I taught kids to code. I added all of that to my profile and started applying for jobs.

One of the companies I applied to was eLimu, a sub-brand of CCHub. They were looking for a gameplay programmer at the time. I also applied to a company in Ghana called NubianVR. I landed a five-week contract with NubianVR and officially started getting paid as a game developer. I earned about $1,000 for that project. After that experience, I knew I needed something more stable, so I kept applying. I was also still taking gigs as a digital artist while waiting for school to resume for a new semester.

Three months after applying to eLimu, I got an email inviting me for an interview. I spoke with the CEO of CCHub, Bosun Tijani, and he approved my start at eLimu.

At CCHub, I worked with a completely different toolset, JavaScript and Construct 3, not Unity and C#, and not Unreal Engine and C++. I was earning about ₦150K, but after a while, I felt I needed a higher salary. I negotiated and got an increase to about ₦200K. But at some point again, I felt I needed more.

So, I started looking beyond Nigeria for foreign opportunities again. By 2023, I randomly got a LinkedIn message from a top game producer who had worked with King on Candy Crush, Fortnite, and so much more. We started talking about game development. After our conversation, he told me he believed I would make waves in the African industry in the years to come. His words reminded me of what the CEO of Maliyo Games had said about me.

He helped me optimise my LinkedIn profile for better opportunities. Just two days after that, a recruiter from the UK reached out, inviting me to join their company, Wolf Escape, a small game studio. The interview went great, but it took about two months before they finally brought me on board.

After starting at Wolf Escape, I noticed I wasn’t getting much positive feedback about my work. Then, after just two weeks, the company laid me off.

How did that make you feel?

Chisom: I learned something from that experience: what I think I know, I don’t always know. The company emailed me some feedback, which I reviewed and used to improve my skills.

I sent out another application to a company called Worlds Gaming. I got an interview and quickly landed the job.

While working with them, I didn’t want to make the same mistakes I had made at Wolf Escape. So, I actively asked for feedback as I completed projects and became more interactive with my managers to make sure I was on the right track. This helped me improve quickly. I was earning up to $2,000 per month, a huge jump from the ₦200K I was earning months before. With the money, I was able to upgrade my gear and buy more courses.

I worked with Worlds Gaming for most of 2023. That was where I was introduced to User-Generated Content (UGC) gaming, like Fortnite and Roblox. UGC gaming is when platforms provide a base code so developers can write code for certain mechanics, deploy it on the platform, and let players engage with it. Developers are paid based on the time players spend in the game and can also generate revenue through in-game transactions, which are split between them and the company.

During my time at Worlds Gaming, Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) launched, and the company assigned me to learn about it. They gave me projects to work on to prepare for a release on Fortnite. I learned about its new programming language, Verse. At this point, it was clear that I would always need to adapt to different toolsets, just like when I learned C++ and Unreal but landed a job requiring JavaScript and C#.

So, another piece of advice for anyone starting out: be versatile and adaptable. Even if the principles remain the same, many jobs require different tools, and you need to take the time to develop the necessary skills.

Towards the end of 2023, content on UEFN and Verse started gaining traction, and companies were actively looking for developers familiar with them. I learned more about these systems and updated my LinkedIn profile to include UEFN. Not long after, a recruiter reached out.

The recruiter sent my profile to multiple companies, and I landed some interviews.

During that time, the co-founder, CEO, and Studio Lead of Beyond Creative followed me on LinkedIn. I researched the company and saw that they had worked with brands like Epic Games, Adidas, Honda, Coca-Cola, Lego, and Amazon. I immediately messaged the CEO, but he didn’t respond. I reached out three times before he finally replied. I introduced myself and explained what I could do for them if they hired me. But the CEO felt I didn’t have the right skill set. Instead of giving up, I asked him to challenge me with a project. He agreed and sent me a test. I completed the test and he was impressed, and said they'd get back to me. Two weeks passed, but I still didn't hear back from them.

While waiting to hear from Beyond Creative, a Brazilian company, Level 8 reached out to me with some gig opportunities. I started working on the projects, and as I progressed, I realised that the system was very advanced and new. I also began to see how much I had grown as I tackled these challenges. I asked my manager if I could post about the work on LinkedIn and add it to my profile.

That was how I started posting about UEFN/Verse online. I shared details about the project and tagged the CEO of Beyond Creative, the company I had been waiting on to finalise my hiring process. Ten minutes later, he reached out. The post sped up my onboarding process, and I ended up being paid far more than I had ever earned before.

I use LinkedIn a lot for exposure, to make the right connections, and to stay updated with people who align with my goals.

I left Worlds Gaming Corp for Beyond Creative. By January 2024, I started working with them. Then in April, disaster struck. A lot of projects fell through for the company, and they informed us that they had to let many of the new hires go.

This one made me very sad.

But funny enough, one week before I was laid off, someone had reached out to ask if I could join their company. But since I was already at Beyond Creative, I didn’t respond. But, after losing my job, I ran to his DM and asked if the opportunity was still open. Four days after being laid off, I got the job and I started earning so much more. That’s the company I currently work at.

I also reached out to Level 8, where I had worked on some gigs before joining Beyond Creative. I told them about the layoff and asked if they had any opportunities available. Luckily, they did, and I secured that role too.

Since April 2024, I have been working as an independent contractor for both companies.

Where did Geegpay come in?
Chisom: After I got laid off at Beyond Creative and started working with two new companies, I needed a reliable platform to receive my salaries. I had been using a GTB domiciliary account, but it wasn’t efficient, and the process was frustrating. 

Last year, I signed up on Geegpay, completed my verification, created my US account, and sent the details with my employers. When I received my first paycheck, I saw that the platform worked smoothly with so little charges, so I decided to stick with Geegpay. The customer support team is also very fast and responsive, kudos to them. I’ve generally enjoyed using Geegpay.

Seeing as you’ve worked with both local and international clients, is there a standard that people who want to earn more and in foreign currencies should strive for?
Chisom: It took failure to humble me and make me realise I didn’t know as much as I thought I did. So when the next opportunity came, I humbled myself and asked for feedback as I progressed. If you get these opportunities, hold on to them. Learn all the nuances so that when the next one comes, it’ll be easier to integrate, and you can work with confidence.

But for those who haven’t gotten an opportunity yet, I’d advise you to find people who can guide you and study their steps and processes. Use them as a reference. Look for mentors and content creators like Adeife Adeoye and Paschal Mbaka.

What were some of your favourite childhood games, and which ones do you enjoy playing now?
Chisom: I loved God of War, WWE, Devil May Cry, God Hand, and Ratchet & Clank when I was younger. I played games at every opportunity, at friends' places and on my dad’s computer.

Now, I still love God of War, and I also enjoy The Last of Us. I’m not really a fan of football games. I prefer combat-based and story-driven, narrative games.

What’s next for you? By 30, what do you hope to accomplish?
Chisom: I want to establish a game development studio in Nigeria, one that can produce big titles like God of War. The journey of becoming a game developer has been tedious and lonely. There aren’t many of us in the industry yet. I want to build a strong community, just like the one I was part of at OAU, which has produced many game developers in Nigeria.

And there you have it. Chisom’s journey from civil engineer to freelance digital artist to game developer. His story shows that success isn’t just about talent, it’s about resilience, adaptability, and continuous learning. The 6 themes I’m taking out of our conversation are Research, Knowledge, Passion, Patience, People, and Audacity. With this anyone can carve out a thriving career.

At Geegpay, we celebrate professionals like Chisom who are pushing boundaries and redefining success. You can connect with him on LinkedIn and follow his journey as he works toward building Nigeria’s next big game development studio.

P.S.: Get unlimited access to free content creation, remote work, and freelancing resources you won’t find anywhere else. Sign up for our bi-weekly newsletters.