Game Industry Coffee Chat (GICC)

it's op flashing a millenial peace sign under an awning. they're in all black with a gold chain choker, wearing transition eyeglasses that are half-darkened, like a real step-dad

selfie of op in their sabres jersey, damp-haired and sleepy-looking

op is doing a tarot card reading dressed in black and red and gold, with very dramatic makeup

hello, my name is leyla and i'm a (very hireable) producer/pipelines pervert based in baltimore county. this is my fifth year in game dev, where i've worked in AAA and start-ups, and i am most certainly #WhatAGameDevLooksLike.

Lauryn with big shades and flashing some ditto nails

Big sunglasses, ginger hair, and Ditto nails. Here’s #WhatAGameDevLooksLike who somehow survived AAA and is now just AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!

Selfie. I’m a 32 year old white woman with cropped blonde hair. I’m wearing a plaid dress

#WhatAGameDevLooksLike

It’s that time of year again!
Not at GDC, But I’m Dr Holly Nielsen- historian, writer and narrative designer working in games.

I like to apply historical methods to world building and storytelling ✨
And I’m very good at it 😌

I’m also available for work!

Selfie of a white lady with black hair, glasses, black dress, slight smile.

#WhatAGameDevLooksLike Hello,friends! I'm Lizzie. In a few weeks, I'll be celebrating 15 years in games. MTG, TFT, LoR all as a game designer. Now a founder of @cursedmagic.bsky.social and Game Director for the studio's first game! 💖

A fat Hispanic woman with short, curly black hair. I'm wearing tortoiseshell glasses, a black and brown plaid dress, and a sword necklace. I have brick red lipstick on and a gold septum ring.

hihi 🧚🏼‍♀️ I'm an experienced player support, community management, and marketing professional in the games industry, and this is #WhatAGameDevLooksLike. I'm not at GDC but I am looking for my next FT remote role!

check out my portfolio to view my work & get in touch. 🤎

caitlanmartinez.carrd.co

EA announcing layoffs across four separate Battlefield 6 studios on the first day of GDC is certainly a choice.

Join the Game Industry Coffee Chat Discord Server! Share industry news, job listings, general questions, and more, with industry vets and aspiring game professionals. 🎮 | 2166 members

In the Game Industry Coffee Chat today: San Francisco (GDC prep)

- Safety tips for the city and the conference
- How to get around
- Things to do in the city
- How to eat well without breaking the bank

Get ready for GDC with us:

Join the Game Industry Coffee Chat Discord Server! Share industry news, job listings, general questions, and more, with industry vets and aspiring game professionals. 🎮 | 2161 members

Today in the Game Industry Coffee Chat: Ownership

- The US going after Tencent funding in the Game industry?
- Do you actually own the games you buy? What happens when the servers go dark?
- Startup studio stock: who actually owns your company? Your work?

Join in here: discord.gg/KNH4Ht8Fv

Join the Game Industry Coffee Chat Discord Server! Share industry news, job listings, general questions, and more, with industry vets and aspiring game professionals. 🎮 | 2149 members

The Game Industry Coffee Chat Resume Clinic is starting now! Bring your Resume, your LinkedIn profile, and an open mind so our veteran devs, hiring managers, and recruiters will give you live feedback in real time.

Join the Game Industry Coffee Chat Discord Server! Share industry news, job listings, general questions, and more, with industry vets and aspiring game professionals. 🎮 | 2149 members

Today in Game Industry Coffee Chat: Requirements

- When is a requirement NOT a requirement?
- Where do we deal with requirements in the industry? Job descriptions, feature requests, legal concerns, etc.
- What makes a good requirement vs a poor one.

Let's get into it:

Join the Game Industry Coffee Chat Discord Server! Share industry news, job listings, general questions, and more, with industry vets and aspiring game professionals. 🎮 | 2146 members

Today in the Game Industry Coffee Chat: Dealing with Stress

- How stress impacts you
- Reducing stress
- Blaming things on stress
- How this changes from Neurotypical to ND or other conditions

Let's get into it:

Based on this post: bsky.app/profile/disa...

Join the Game Industry Coffee Chat Discord Server! Share industry news, job listings, general questions, and more, with industry vets and aspiring game professionals. 🎮 | 2325 members

Today in the Game Industry Coffee Chat:
How to have a "Reasonable Discussion"

Subjects like AI, loot boxes, live ops, gatekeeping, diversity...
Are some subjects just off limits?
If not, how can we talk about it?

Talking through how we talk, throughout the morning: discord.gg/kQetuDkxg

Join the Game Industry Coffee Chat Discord Server! Share industry news, job listings, general questions, and more, with industry vets and aspiring game professionals. 🎮 | 2323 members

Today in the Game Industry Coffee Chat:
The Logistics of Layoffs

Not a fun subject but a necessary one, particularly in the wake of Intrepid and Riot and the confusion around what's happening.

Layoffs vs Furloughs vs Terminations
How are layoffs handled in the US? EU? Elsewhere?
Notice, and other

What to do?

Play a different game.

Personal connections. Referrals. In-person events. Not a silver bullet but at least you might make some friends along the way.

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💼 Level Artist (World of Tanks: HEAT)
🏢 Wargaming
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🏷 #GameDesign, #LevelDesign, #WorldofTanks

Apply here 👇
hitmarker.net/jobs/wargam...

Putting them in some sort of competition is destructive. Believing that this role can do without that role, but not vice versa is just...arrogant bullshit.

Game development is a team sport...even if you're one of those one in a million "solo devs."

Careers - Evening Star Work with Evening Star.

We just put up 2 contract job postings for @eveningstar.studio. These are both 3D Art roles

- 3D Game Animator (Contract)
- 3D Game Rigger (Contract)

Have a look at our jobs page:
eveningstar.studio/careers.html

(Please all submissions via LinkedIn, unsolicited portfolios will not be reviewed)

OH, Look! Another game translated by magic!

This right here is quite dangerous in these times. Why? By erasing us translators from our jobs it makes it easier to replace us with GenAI.

We've always been invisible. That gave them a leverage in introducing MTPE and lowering our rates.

Ten years on 2XKO, 12 at Riot and I got laid off with 30min notice lol

Gonna take some time.

Speaking of which – I am still looking for work, pretty urgently.

:(

Join the Game Industry Coffee Chat Discord Server! Share industry news, job listings, general questions, and more, with industry vets and aspiring game professionals. 🎮 | 2334 members

Today in the Game Industry Coffee Chat : Success hubris and the disrespect for expertise

- People who are successful in one field or industry assuming they can transfer that expertise to games
- Peter principle
- Cognitive arrogance
- Are we just gatekeeping

This and more today. Join us:

Join the Game Industry Coffee Chat Discord Server! Share industry news, job listings, general questions, and more, with industry vets and aspiring game professionals. 🎮 | 2318 members

Today in the Game Industry Coffee Chat: Writing for Games!

Welcome back @davidgallaher.bsky.social

- Writing vs Narrative Design
- Writing for fun vs professionally
- Dealing with creative blocks
- How narrative with each other
- the AI elephant in the room
- Managing writers

Come listen in:

Today in the Game Industry Coffee Chat: Designing Your Playerbase

- How you decide your community feel through game design
- How mechanics impact player toxicity
- Why team diversity can determine who ends up playing your game
- Which games are great at this...or not so great

Join us here:

Screenshot of article from The Verge announcing the Among Us Irish translation

Image of Úna-Minh as part of PlayersUnlocked a Playstation initiative.

Lonely Planet's Experience Ireland

Úna-Minh speaking on a mic. She is wearing a yellow blazer and green top.

Hi! I'm Úna-Minh Kavanagh, an Irish, award-winning, writer & #gamedev

💚 Author: Anseo, DIY #Gaeilge 1&2, Lonely Planet
☘️ Managed Irish translations: Among Us, VVVVVV, Axyz, Crowded. Followed & More
🎮 Prev. Lead Producer: EyesofHellfire
🔗 Portfolio: unaminhkavanagh.com
👾 Solo games: unaminh.itch.io

Join the Game Industry Coffee Chat Discord Server! Share industry news, job listings, general questions, and more, with industry vets and aspiring game professionals. 🎮 | 2291 members

Started the Game Industry Coffee Chat: 2026!

- Congrats! You survived '25. Now what?
- Who's likely to hire (and get hired)?
- Where is the market likely to go, for platforms, for game genres, for disciplines, geographically?
- How to approach the next 12 months...even the next 2 months.

New year but still job hunting! If anyone has leads on narrative design, writing (video games or tabletop/board games), DEI consulting, or editing; HMU via LinkedIn or I can DM you my email.

Unfortunately, due to past harassment, I don't have a publicly available email address.

First work day of 2026.

Time to make an indie game 🔥