Building Better Games

What defines cheating in games? Is it exploiting existing bugs, using automation or macro tools? What about installing third-party mods that unlock special features in the game?   Building Better Games is joined by game developer and anti-cheat expert, Paul Chamberlain, on this episode to discuss cheating and creating an anti-cheat strategy. Cheating is inevitable, but there ARE ways to mitigate i...

Things like meetings, reports and team structure are in place to help the game dev process go smoother, and create cohesion among team members. But are these work systems actually having a positive effect? If not, you probably have an alignment issue.   In this episode, we dive into this topic and offer tips to build a system that inspires autonomy, creativity, and effective decision making. You'l...

The truth is, most people underestimate how long a task will take. This is especially true in game dev, where new developments and problems are inevitable even with the guidance of a roadmap.   During this episode, the hosts of Building Better Games dive into the misuse of roadmaps and 5 key areas leaders should focus on more. We discuss prioritization, rate of discovery, managing expectations of...

"It's cheap to have opinions. It's hard to have informed opinions. It's really, really hard to be an expert who's researched something."   This episode of Building Better Games concludes our two-part series on Web3, wrapping up our conversation with game dev leaders Susan Cummings and Ryan Scott. Along with hosts Ben and Aaron, they highlight the importance of exploring the value of Web3 for games...

Web3 is the next generation of the internet, and it's already having an effect on the gaming industry. There's a lot of opinions floating around, but one thing the hosts of Building Better Games and today's guest can agree on is that player value needs to be leading the conversation.   Joining Ben and Aaron on the show today to discuss Web3 is Susan Cummings, CEO of Petaverse, and Ryan Scott, a ve...

What does it mean to really drive change? How do you effectively bring up problems with leadership? How do you say no when others want too much from you? What do you do when no one cares about the issues you bring up?   Get answers to these questions and MORE in today's episode! In addition, you'll hear our advice on being an active leader, rather than a passive leader that lets problems go unsolv...

Choose any issue, and you'll find people with differing perspectives. This is inevitable but yet, in the gaming industry, having an opinion that's not in line with current workplace trends is condemned. But why can there only be one way to do things?   Discussing this topic with us today is Joseph Kim, a longtime gamemaker and leader with a resume that includes Sega and Leila Games. He shares his...

Game development is defined by creative work, and for leaders, sometimes that means ditching the old framework and coming up with nuanced approaches to common issues. This is especially true when it comes to estimations.   During this episode, we'll answer these key questions on this topic: How do you explain estimation to your team, and give them confidence that it's actually useful? How do you k...

If you've listened to episode 21, How not to Lose Your Game Vision on the Altar of "Getting Shit Done," then you've heard us talk about the pressure on teams to rush through the game development process.   This is just one problem that arises when game dev leaders try to adopt the system development life cycle method without leaving room for the creativity and flexibility the industry requires.  ...

Remote work has completely transformed the way we work on teams and communicate with each other. Leadership still has many of the same responsibilities, but the way they can successfully accomplish them has changed.   During this final part of Building Better Games 's series on remote work, you'll learn the necessary skills remote work leaders need to keep company culture at the forefront of an or...

If you're like the hosts of Building Better Games , then you thought the proliferation of remote work was temporary. The world has moved into a new era post-pandemic, and it looks like remote work is here to stay.     During this episode, a few questions about remote work are discussed, including: Is remote work a right, or a privilege that might need to be earned? What is the function of manageme...

Does likeability have a lot of value in leadership? How much does setting and enforcing boundaries help you and the organization succeed? What skills are important for leaders to exhibit?     Answering all these questions and more is Zach Blitz, a senior director of production at Epic Games and friend of the hosts of Building Better Games. He has experienced leading multiple teams in a large organ...

"I believe that we will make better games by treating game developers better. Game development should be a dream job, but it's not."     This quote comes from today's episode with Josiah Kiehl, co-founder and CEO of Sprocket Games. After experiencing his own disappointment with the "myth of the dream job," he teamed with like-minded creators to found a company that's building a strong technology f...

Dreaming of a career in game development? In the gaming industry, relevant skills and real experience delivering outcomes matter more than a college degree. If you're highly creative and technical, and can work well on a team, you'll do well in this industry, but keep in mind that working in game dev is not all fun and games.     On today's episode, Building Better Games is addressing some of the...

During Part 1 of our conversation, our leader in game dev shared the tough layoff decision she was unexpectedly forced to make as a leader at her former employer. We learned the basics of what happened and how it impacted her, and now we dive into a deeper discussion of the choice she made in part 2.     Building Better Games plays devil's advocate in this episode, discussing the different ways sh...

If you've been on LinkedIn lately, you may have noticed a rise in layoffs. The interesting part about this news is not the fact that more layoffs are happening, but that more people and companies are being open about it.     Layoffs have always been common, but where companies go wrong in the process is their lack of transparency, which can result in employees feeling unimportant and ashamed. Layo...

Time and time again, we see game teams struggle with the feeling that they're not moving fast enough. Something isn't right with the game, but they don't have time to think about it because there's "so much work to do." These kinds of issues arise when we're focused on building stuff, rather than creating compelling experiences that resonate with players. That's why, in today's episode of Building...

Knowing how to communicate and listen effectively is right up there with knowing how to write code, design characters, or compose a musical score. Taking what you have constructed in your mind and being able to materialize it, in whatever form, is like a muscle that can become strengthened over time with enough practice.     Today, we're going to show you how to level up your day-to-day communicat...

Far from losing steam in the digital age, tabletop games are booming thanks to their collaborative and tactile nature. In fact, today's guest believes that video games can learn a lot from tabletop RPGs – and vice versa!     Today, we're joined by Tyler Kamstra, a software developer by trade who plays a whole lot of Dungeons and Dragons and other tabletop RPGs in his spare time. Tyler is also the...

The visuals and feel of a video game are a lot more complex than even most artists think. It is imperative that your team is on the same page when it comes to communicating with the player through the game's visuals, especially during long and complex game development cycles.     This is why you should make the art direction clear from the start, then be ready when people don't understand or try d...

Every creator of a new video game or founder of a video game startup loves gaming. No one in this industry is unique in that fact. If you're trying to get VC funding, loving games will not differentiate you from everyone else.     Investors are looking for more from founders. To be taken seriously, there has to be something more, something with clear potential to succeed. You need to figure that o...

It seems intuitive that adding additional people will increase your speed in making a great game. However, staffing up is more nuanced than that. If you add people to a system where there are underlying operational and/or cultural issues all you're doing is adding weight to a cart that's already in the mud. So how do you staff video game development efficiently?     Honestly, it's complicated. A l...

"I want to be maximizing value. These tools can create a side game that actually is only vaguely and tangentially related to value, perhaps even in a negative way."     Why do people hate JIRA so much? There is a whole website dedicated to rants calling JIRA out for its oppressive bureaucratic nature and the evangelistic cult created around its adoption across many industries, including the video...

Leading any team is a huge responsibility. You have the ability to impact on each individual and the product in significant ways. The job isn't for everyone, and no matter how great of a leader you are, mistakes will be made along the way. A difference between great and poor leaders is how they learn from their mistakes and come back better.     Want to make leadership more difficult? Go from lead...

Aaron and Ben dive into some common problems they see working with game developers from startups to large scale publishers. You'll learn about some patterns to avoid and how to focus on continually delivering real value.