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AR/VR, physics-driven and multiplayer games fail for different reasons than a standard single-player title - and a generalist game-developer hire often can't diagnose those failures until they've already shipped. This guide covers what to specifically vet for each of these three project types, on top of the baseline hiring process in our complete hiring guide.
Why These Projects Need Specialist Skills, Not Generalists
A generalist can build a working prototype in any of these genres. The gap shows up later: spatial UX that works on a desk but breaks in a real room, physics that looks right in a demo but desyncs under load, or multiplayer code that works with two testers and falls over at fifty concurrent players. Vetting for these failure modes up front is cheaper than discovering them in production.
Hiring for AR/VR Game Development
Ask specifically about: - Device-specific optimization - AR/VR titles run on constrained hardware; a candidate should be able to describe real tradeoffs they've made for frame rate and thermal limits, not just "it ran fine." - Spatial UX experience - comfort, locomotion and interaction design are a different discipline from flat-screen UI; ask what they've shipped, not just studied. - Platform SDK depth - experience with the specific AR/VR SDKs and headsets your target market actually uses, not AR/VR in the abstract.
Hiring for Physics-Based & AI-Driven Gameplay
Ask specifically about: - Physics engine experience - which engine (Unity's built-in physics, Unreal's Chaos, or a custom solution) and what kind of gameplay they tuned it for. - AI/behavior systems - for anything beyond scripted movement, ask how they've implemented and tuned NPC or opponent behavior, and how they tested it for fairness and consistency. - Determinism and fairness - on a gambling-adjacent or skill-based title, physics and AI behavior need to be consistent and auditable, not just "feels right."
Hiring for Multiplayer & Networked Games
Ask specifically about: - Netcode architecture - client-server vs peer-to-peer, and why they'd choose one for your game's latency and cheat-resistance requirements. - Server-side synchronization - how they handle state sync, reconnection and desync recovery under real network conditions, not just on a local test. - Anti-cheat and server authority - especially important for real-money or competitive titles, where a client-authoritative bug is a direct business risk.
How This Differs From General Game-Dev Hiring
If your project doesn't fall cleanly into one of these three categories - or you're still scoping what you need - start with our general hiring guide, which covers the baseline process, skills and cost factors that apply to any game-development hire.
CTA
Need developers who've worked on exactly these project types? See AIS Technolabs' game development hiring page to discuss your specific requirements.