I always tell people "nerd stuff".

Haha, I don't even try to tell any specifics unless I talk to other devs, but something like this could be funny:

(him): - So... what do you do?

(me): - Yes, I recently wrote a component that handles message queue on the service bus and dispatches them in our task engine.

(him): ...

No self deprecation here, we're game developers and we have to own that!

If asked I tell people that I build systems that approximate how sound behaves in the real world :)

When my wife asks what I did at work today I just reply "programming shit". She used to get pissed off that I just give the same answer every single time instead of going into detail about how my day has been but, she's used to it now.

If it makes you feel any better, this isn't just something that happens to game developers. Most people have no clue what happens in any industry other than their own (and a lot of people don't even know what other people within their industry actually do).

I manage a restaurant. What do you think my job entails?

Just be happy that they didn't ask you to fix their printer.

Unlike most other above, i've never had any issues explaining what i do, even to begginers (as in people who don't make a difference between their browser and "the internet" and "mails").

What do you do?

-Im a game developer

Oh, right, what do you specifically do? / how do you make games

-uh, I just tell the game to do stuff, and stuff happens. I make content and put it in the game.

If you told me you're a game developer, I'd also follow up with what specific skillsets you work in.

'Game developer' is hyper-generic. Are you a game artist? A character designer? Story writer? GUI designer? A mechanic designer? Tool programmer? Level designer? 3D modeller? Scripter?

Oh, you "make" games? That tells me about as much as saying "I make houses" because I'm a general contractor who never touches a single board, or "I make cars" because I work for Honda doing data entry for taxes, or "I make bridges" because I'm a union manager, or "I make war" because I'm a warehouse manager for the US army.

The problem isn't that their second question is confusing - the problem is your first answer is confusing due to the generality of it.

then you start using jargon like "game engine"

Why would you use jargon when explaining to someone not in the industry? Jargon, by definition, is inspeak; and the people asking you are obviously not the incrowd.

Also, the term 'game engine' is ambiguous even within the industry.

I usually say I'm a programmer, and say I write "code" into a program similar to Microsoft Word. Then I compare "code" to learning to write in a different language like Spanish. So basically, I write Spanish-like text into a special Microsoft Word-like program that then turns that code into a program the computer can run. The language I type exists as an intermediary language that both I and the computer can understand, so it's the language I type to communicate to the computer which the computer translates into its native language to describe the logic of the program.

If someone's interested, I go into more details: Programming is like writing a book in a different language, but if I create punctuation mistakes, the entire book slams shut and can't be opened and read, until I find out where I made the mistake.

If they ask more intelligent questions about programming itself, I start actually describing the basics of programming without analogies, but avoiding as much jargon as I can unless I define that jargon for them.

Well said, SotL!

I think I would also say I "make games" first, because I do all the things. After that, I would say I do the design, programming, and art. I might include that it's small games I make on my own, not for a company.

I just silently stare at them until they get uncomfortable and go away. Works great for all potentially annoying conversations, btw.