I worked in gamedev for a decade doing a mix of engine programming and economy design. Programming is the easiest path in. Read job postings to find what sounds

I worked in gamedev for a decade doing a mix of engine programming and economy design. Programming is the easiest path in. Read job postings to find what sounds interesting and what tech they're using. Then learn that tech in your free time and build some simple games with it to use as a portfolio when applying. 'Simple' is the operative word here. Think Flash game, or mobile toilet game. Nothing on a console is a simple game, and neither are 99% of Steam games. Itch.io is another community of experimental games with smaller scope. Use royalty free art from the web; art assets aren't the point of your portfolio. Once you're inside, you have a lot more freedom to move into the softer roles like design, production, or management. If those interest you. You seem somewhat informed on the hours (which are bad, hopefully you don't have a family or want one anytime soon) and the pay (far less than webdev TC). You should also be warned that making games will make you hate games. If you don't absorb and accept the business side of making games, you will be constantly frustrated by leadership decisions, and you'll be stuck in the lower ranks. Climbing the corporate ladder means accepting that games are commercial products maximizing shareholder revenue. A LOT of gamedevs fight this their entire career only to their own detriment. Whether you fight it or not, it'll ruin how you view games, as the commercial lens can not be unlearned.