E87: Toxic Culture in Game Development: The Real Metrics That Matter with Charlie Sull
Release Date: 04/22/2025
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...
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E81: Why You Aren’t Ready for Where Game Dev Is Going with Leif Johansen
Building Better Games
Is the games industry maturing or collapsing? How have our old models and comparisons hurt how we develop? In this episode, Leif walks us through how game dev has shifted, and how you need to think differently to stay relevant. Enjoy! Key Takeaways: Playtesting and Leadership: How leaders set the tone for playtesting with their behavior, not their words. The Slow Rise of “Forever” Games: How players spending more time in older games is reshaping play patterns. Drinking Our Own Kool-aid: Too many games have an expectation that they’ll wildly succeed and make decisions that cause...
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E80: How UGC Is Transforming The Games Industry with Bungie and Look North World Founder Alex Seropian
Building Better Games
Why did Bungie's founder leave the AAA world to start building games in UEFN? What are the advantages and challenges of UGC platforms? Today, we talk with Alex Seropian, veteran game designer and founder of Bungie and Look North World, about the future of our industry. Enjoy! Key Takeaways: UGC Platforms Provide Some Serious Advantages: Tools like Fortnite Creative and Roblox empower creators, enabling rapid prototyping and innovation. Game Dev is Evolving: The shift from small teams to massive AAA productions introduces challenges beyond what we expected and that remain unsolved....
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E79: Why AAA is Failing and How to Recover and Other Questions - Our First Q&A Episode!
Building Better Games
No guests today! Instead, I'll be taking questions from the Building Better Games discord and answering them. I cover10 questions including the challenges with AAA dev, the rise of co-dev, and what production careers look like. Enjoy! Question #1 : How do you ensure that you (the royal you) are making a game that will be fun for players, not just fun for its designers to make? (Or maybe in this context - what are the ways in which production can support product management and ensure the sprint-to-sprint goals align with what internal player advocates are asking for?) Question #2...
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E78: How to Lead Game Dev in Uncertain Times, with Omar Kendall
Building Better Games
There’s a ton of knowledge about how we sustain games, but the art of creating something new remains mysterious, even to veteran developers. In this episode, Omar Kendall returns to talk about unknowns, product vs design, and how our industry is relating to risk. Enjoy! Key Takeaways: Embrace Uncertainty: Build teams ready to solve the riskiest problems first. Early Feedback Wins: Engaging players early reduces risks and validates ideas. Product vs. Design: Learn the difference between identifying opportunities and crafting solutions. Innovation Thrives in Small Teams: Smaller, lean...
info_outlineHow 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 to do instead
- How AI and Glassdoor data can tell you some hard truths about your company
- Real stats on game studios vs. other industries—who’s getting it right?
If you're a studio head, team lead, or future cultural change-maker, this episode will challenge your assumptions and give you new tools to build a better workplace.
What You’ll Learn:
- Why culture is more than perks—it’s your company’s operating system
- The Toxic Five traits that silently destroy trust and retention
- How Glassdoor + AI reveal the truth about your team’s culture
- Why top leadership, not HR, is key to lasting culture change
- What game dev studios like EA and Blizzard can teach us about reform
- How to apply the Will + Knowledge formula to lead cultural transformation
Books & Authors Mentioned (and Must-Reads!) from This Episode
- The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni
- Focuses on the "heart" vs. "science" sides of business—emphasizing the value of culture
- Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
- Referenced for understanding team behavior and dysfunction
- Works by Charles O’Reilly
- Recommended by Charlie Sull for understanding organizational culture and leadership
- Notable titles include Winning Through Innovation and Lead and Disrupt
- Research & insights from CultureX (Charlie Sull’s organization)
- Practical tools and AI-driven metrics for measuring and improving workplace culture
🔗 Learn More & Connect
Charlie Sull & CultureX
🌐 Website: https://www.culturex.com
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-sull/
🎧 Podcast Series: Culture Champions (MIT Sloan Management Review)
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