E63: People, Products, And Playtests: Staying Connected To Your Players (Republish of Episode 1)
Release Date: 05/21/2024
E91: How to Stop Compromising and Make the Studio You Actually Want with Critical Path Games
Building Better Games
Game production lives and dies on planning—but most teams are still building like it’s 2010. In this episode, Ben is joined by Jeanne-Marie Owens and Jesse Houston of Critical Path to reveal better ways a studio can function based on decades of experience. From the myth of the “critical path” to the illusion that things will magically come together in the final stretch, they explain why “figure it out later” kills projects, how lack of real commitment cripples teams, and what it actually takes to build a dependable studio culture. Hint: It’s not a short list of “values.” This...
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E90: The Engineering Talent Pipeline is Broken: Juniors, AI & the Future of Game Dev w/ Carly Taylor
Building Better Games
Hiring only senior engineers might feel like a smart move, but is it breaking game development? In this episode, Ben sits down with Carly Taylor (an engineer and data scientist formerly on Call of Duty, now at Databricks) to tackle one of the most pressing and misunderstood issues in game development today: the crumbling pipeline of engineering talent. They dive deep into the tragedy of the commons happening across studios, where short-term thinking and overreliance on senior talent are putting the future of game engineering at risk. Carly sheds light on the danger of under-investing in junior...
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E89: The Cost of Power: Leadership, Burnout & Survival in Game Dev with Melissa Phillips
Building Better Games
Building a game is hard. Leading the team to do it well without losing yourself along the way? That’s even harder. In this episode, Ben sits down with Melissa Phillips, founder of Games Leadership and a former Head of Studio, to talk about the messy, emotional, and deeply human side of game leadership. From BAFTA boardrooms to indie trenches, Melissa brings a rare blend of psychological insight and real-world experience to one of the most overlooked conversations in game development: what happens when power, pressure, and people collide. They dig into what founders get wrong, why doing...
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E88: Why Eastern Game Dev Might Be The Future with Rob Wynne and Clark Kosene
Building Better Games
What if the next great game studio doesn’t come from the West? In this episode, Ben chats with Rob Wynne and Clark Kosene from Rising Tide Studios—an unannounced AAA-inspired indie team taking a bold leap: building a game that truly bridges Eastern and Western audiences. We dive deep into why the moat of Western AAA game development is disappearing fast—and how China, with more devs than the U.S. and EU combined, is already playing on equal footing. Rob and Clark share the untold story of how Rising Tide’s founding team (ex-Activision and former Soulslike directors) aims to skip the...
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E87: Toxic Culture in Game Development: The Real Metrics That Matter with Charlie Sull
Building Better Games
How would you know if your studio’s culture is toxic—before it’s too late? In this exclusive conversation, we talk with Charlie Sull, co-founder of CultureX and researcher with MIT, about how to spot, measure, and fix toxic workplace culture—especially in the high-stakes world of game development. Forget ping pong tables and free snacks. Culture is your operating system, and if leaders don’t prioritize it, dysfunction spreads fast. We break down: What creates a toxic culture The Toxic Five behaviors that damage morale and hurt retention Why standard employee surveys fail—and what...
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E86: Why User Acquisition Isn't Just For Mobile Anymore with Matej Lančarič
Building Better Games
Building a great game is hard—but getting players to actually discover and play it? That’s often harder. In this episode of Building Better Games, Ben sits down with user acquisition expert Matej Lančarič, whose decade of experience spans mobile, PC, Steam, and cross-platform launches. Together, they dive deep into the realities of user acquisition (UA), creative strategy, and why great games still fail without a clear plan to get players in the door. We break down: What “user acquisition” really means in 2024 Why CPI, LTV, ROAS, and retention all matter—but don’t tell the whole...
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E85: Why Your Game Vision Sucks (And Why You're Not Alone!) with Graham McAllister
Building Better Games
In this episode, we welcome back organizational psychologist Graham McAllister for part 3 of our deep dive into one of the most critical challenges in game development—game vision. If you're a game developer, leader, or aspiring leader, this is an essential conversation that exposes why studios struggle to align on vision and how that misalignment contributes to failed games, frustrated teams, and organizational friction. Graham shares exclusive insights from his groundbreaking research, revealing why even seasoned studios misfire on creating shared mental models and what happens when...
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E84: The Real Cost Of Founding A Game Startup with Joseph Kim
Building Better Games
The gaming industry is changing rapidly, and the global landscape is shifting in ways many studios aren’t prepared for. Are Western game studios becoming too complacent? What role will international development play in the future of game creation? In this episode, Joseph Kim, CEO of Lila Games, shares hard-earned lessons about building a game studio in India, the challenges of hiring and leading globally, and the realities of making tough business decisions in game development. Key Takeaways: The Complacency Problem – Many Western studios lack the urgency and work ethic to stay...
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E83: 3 Steps To Leading Well In Game Development
Building Better Games
What does it take to lead effectively in the gaming industry? Many leaders in game development step into their roles without formal training—learning through trial and error. In this episode, we break down what real leadership looks like, how to avoid common pitfalls, and how to drive meaningful change without falling into the trap of just "managing" processes. Key Takeaways: The difference between management vs. leadership in game dev How to set and maintain the right goals for your team Avoiding false urgency and overconfidence in decision-making Why building trust and influence is...
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E82: The Art & Science of Game Prototyping with Leif Johansen
Building Better Games
What if everything you thought about prototyping was wrong? Many teams rush to validate an idea too soon, but what if the real secret to success is building a studio that learns better? In this episode, Leif Johansen breaks down the myths of prototyping and how studios can create a structured approach to experimenting with game ideas. Key Takeaways: - Stop Searching for the “Perfect Prototype” – The best teams prioritize many small, fast failures over one high-stakes prototype. - Prototyping Is a Science and an Art – The most successful studios create intentional experiments...
info_outlineEpisode 63: People, Products, Playtests (Republish of E1 of BBG)
Welcome to Building Better Games!
Due to Ben's recent knee surgery, we're revisiting one of our most popular episodes from season two. In this episode, originally titled "People, Products, Playtests," we dive deep into the importance of maintaining a strong relationship with the games we create.
By the way, our discord community is live! Join here to engage with leaders and producers in game dev looking to make our industry a better place that makes better games: https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ
Key Topics:
1. Playtesting and Engagement: We discuss how regular playtesting can prevent teams from getting lost in the technical aspects and keep the focus on creating an engaging player experience.
2. Internal Playtests: We explore different company cultures around playtesting and how frequent testing can lead to better team behaviors and more successful products.
3. Gamer First, Developer Second: We talk through the impact to our own careers of being a gamer before a developer and how this perspective can lead to better game design and development.
4. Approach to Playtests: Aaron shares insights on the mindset and cultural aspects of playtesting, emphasizing the importance of playing the game from a player's perspective rather than just a developer's.
Join us for this episode on how to build better games through effective playtesting while maintaining a meaningful connection with both the product and the audience.
Don't forget to check out our new Discord server for game development leaders and producers to continue the conversation and solve the right problems together.
Enjoy the episode!
And if you're interested in more of our content, links below.
"Succeeding in Game Production: What You Aren't Taught" online course for game producers: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production
Newsletter: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter
Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich/
Aaron's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doublearon00/