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This is a wake-up call for any studio still relying on outdated ideas about how work gets done, and a practical guide to doing better.

🔍 You’ll Hear:
- Why “fix it later” is the most expensive lie in game development
- What the critical path really means—and how most studios misuse it
- Why real planning requires saying no
- The deadly effect of partial commitment on team morale and outcomes
- Why you have to be willing to make choices that limit your own options
- How senior leaders create or destroy the culture by what they tolerate

If you’re a studio leader, producer, or creative tired of chaos and ready to build games with clarity, intention, and momentum, check it out!

Connect with Critical Path Games:
Critical Path Games – https://critpath.com/

🎮 Join the Building Better Games Community:
- BBG Discord – Connect with devs, producers, and leaders building better studios:
https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ
- Level Up Your Production Skills – Take our flagship course:
https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production
- Get Leadership Insights Weekly – Subscribe to the BBG newsletter:
https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter

🌐 Connect with Us:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich
Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbg.valarininc
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BuildingBetterGames

👉 Subscribe for weekly episodes on game dev leadership, production, and culture.

#GameProduction #GameLeadership #CriticalPath #StudioCulture #BuildingBetterGames

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 talent, the mentorship void left behind by remote work, and the role AI is really playing (hint: it's not what vendors are promising).

Whether you're leading a studio, managing engineers, or trying to break into games yourself, this episode is a wake-up call.

You’ll Hear:
-Why the next generation of engineers is not being mentored
-How studios are draining the senior talent pool
-The real technical challenges of using AI in games
-Why hiring only senior devs doesn’t produce better games
-What juniors bring to the table (and why companies should listen)
-How remote work disrupted knowledge transfer and how to rebuild it
-Why game dev is still one of the most passionate industries in tech

Connect with Carly Taylor:
- Website: https://www.rebeldatascience.com/
- Substack: https://carlytaylor.substack.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carly-taylor
- Databricks: https://www.databricks.com/dataaisummit/speaker/carly-taylor

Join the Building Better Games Community:
- BBG Discord: https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ
- Level Up Your Production Skills: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production
- Subscribe to the BBG newsletter: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter

Connect with Us:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich
- Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbg.valarininc
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BuildingBetterGames

👉 Subscribe for weekly episodes on game dev leadership, production, and culture.

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 “everything right” can still lead to failure, and how today’s leaders can navigate burnout, broken systems, and the crushing uncertainty of building something new.

You’ll hear:

• Why leadership in games is different and often lonely
• The hidden cost of scaling a team too fast
• How power changes you (whether you like it or not)
• What founders need before they build the next big thing
• Why we need to talk about failure and what it teaches us
• What it really means to lead with resilience in an industry built on chaos
  
  

If you’re a founder, leader, or future studio builder, this one’s for you.

Connect with Melissa & Games Leadership:

🌐 gamesleadership.com
🔗 LinkedIn – Melissa Phillips
🎓 Explore the Games Leadership Blueprint – 12-week leadership program

Looking to grow as a developer, producer, or studio leader? We've got you covered.

✅ Join the BBG Discord
Connect with a community of developers, producers, and industry leaders working to build healthier studios and stronger games.
🔗 https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ

✅ Level Up Your Production Skills
Explore our flagship online course, Succeeding in Game Production, and become the producer your team needs.
🔗 https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production

✅ Get Insights in Your Inbox
Subscribe to our newsletter for fresh, actionable leadership and production content delivered straight to you.
🔗 https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter

Connect with Us:

• LinkedIn: Building Better Games
• Twitter: @BBG_Podcast
• Instagram: @buildingbettergames
• Website: buildingbettergames.com
• YouTube: Building Better Games

👉 Subscribe for weekly episodes on building better studios, better games, and better leadership in the game industry.

#GameLeadership #IndieGameDev #StudioCulture #GamesIndustryInsights #LeadershipInGames

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 slow forming-storming norm and go straight to "performing" with their next-gen isometric action roguelike.

• Why are Western games losing ground?
• Can a game truly appeal to both Western and Eastern markets?
• How do you create narrative depth without sacrificing gameplay flow?
• Why creativity thrives on constraints—and how Rising Tide harnessed it

Clark also reflects on transitioning from screenwriting to games, and the team’s surprising approach to embedding story: real-time commentary inspired by Chinese crosstalk comedy. Their goal? A game where narrative flows during gameplay—not in between.

If you're interested in global game dev trends, narrative innovation, or the future of indie-AAA (triple-I) development, don’t miss this conversation.

Stay Connected:

Ben Carcich (Host, Building Better Games)

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-carcich
• Substack: https://bencarcich.substack.com
• Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BuildingBetterGames

Rob Wynne (Co-founder, Rising Tide Studios)

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robwynnestudiofounder
• Website: https://projectgreatwall.com
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RisingTideOfficial

Clark Kosene (Narrative Lead)

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clark-kosene-25745227
• Website: https://kosenecreative.com
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kosenecreative4589

Rising Tide Studios

• Website: https://projectgreatwall.com
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RisingTideOfficial

Get full uncut episodes & behind-the-scenes content:

https://www.patreon.com/buildingbettergames

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 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)

Join the Community

Our Discord community is live! Join the conversation with game developers, producers, and industry leaders committed to improving the future of game development: https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ

Looking to level up your game production skills? Explore our online course designed to help you become a more effective game producer: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production

Stay ahead with game development insights delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter

Connect with Us:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BBG_Podcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames
Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/

Support the Show! Help us create more amazing content by joining us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BBGOfficial

Let’s keep building better games—together.

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 story
• How studios waste UA budgets by skipping data health and onboarding funnels
• Why today’s ads look nothing like the games—and why they still work
• The surprising metrics that matter most (and how to track them)
• What the best studios are doing to lower CPI and extend LTV curves
• The role of creative testing, paid channels, and landing page optimization

Matej shares how mobile’s UA evolution is coming to PC and console games, and why studio leaders must get hands-on with their marketing strategy before it’s too late.

Whether you're a game developer, producer, or studio lead, this episode is your tactical crash course on how to actually reach players in 2024’s overcrowded game market.

Connect with Matej Lančarič:

Website: https://lancaric.me/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matejlancaric

Twitter: https://twitter.com/matej_lancaric

Join the Community
Our Discord community is live! Join the conversation with game developers, producers, and industry leaders committed to improving the future of game development: https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ

Looking to level up your game production skills? Explore our online course designed to help you become a more effective game producer: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production

Stay ahead with game development insights delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter

Connect with Us:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BBG_Podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames

Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/

Support the Show! Help us create more amazing content by joining us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BBGOfficial

👉 Subscribe for weekly episodes focused on building better studios, better games, and better leadership in the game industry.

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 product vision and creative vision pull teams in opposite directions. We break down how team psychology, leadership gaps, and missing frameworks are silently derailing your projects—and what you can do to change that.

Whether you're leading a game team, working in production, design, or aiming for studio leadership, this episode will reshape how you approach collaboration, alignment, and success.

Key Topics:

• The missing link in game vision no one talks about
• Why teams consistently fail to align on player experience
• The hidden rift between creative and product vision
• The psychological traps even veteran leaders fall into
• How to bridge the communication gap between departments
• Actionable insights for game makers to improve alignment & culture

Resources & Next Steps:

Connect with Graham McAllister:
https://grahammcallister.com/

Read Graham’s research and updates on the upcoming Game Vision book:
https://grahammcallister.com/books

Check out Graham’s player psychology book (free online or via Amazon):
https://www.amazon.com/Usability-Playtesting-Games-Friction-Points-ebook/dp/B0DXV6PYLZ

Like this episode? Subscribe and hit the bell to stay updated on building better teams and creating successful games:
https://www.youtube.com/@buildingbettergames

Join the Community

Our Discord community is live! Join the conversation with game developers, producers, and industry leaders committed to improving the future of game development: https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ

Looking to level up your game production skills? Explore our online course designed to help you become a more effective game producer: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production

Stay ahead with game development insights delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter

Connect with Us:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BBG_Podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames

Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BuildingBetterGames

Support the Show! Help us create more amazing content by joining us on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/BBGOfficial

We want to hear from YOU! What struggles have you faced with game vision on your projects? Drop your experiences in the comments.

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 competitive in today’s game industry.
• Why Small Teams Outperform Big Teams – Large studios often have unresolved issues that everyone knows about but no one addresses. The key to success is a strong culture of accountability.
• Experience as a Team Matters More Than Individual Talent – A well-coordinated team that has worked together for years will almost always outperform a group of "rockstar" hires.
• The Reality of Game Development in India – The country has talent, but cultural perception, technical challenges, and legal hurdles create unexpected difficulties for game studios.
• The Pre-Production Trap – Everyone knows pre-production is critical, yet studios repeatedly rush through it, leading to costly inefficiencies.
• People and Culture Define Success – A game studio doesn’t fail because of a lack of ideas—it fails due to misaligned leadership, poor hiring decisions, and weak company culture.
• Hard Conversations Matter – Many studios suffer from unspoken problems. Addressing issues early is the difference between success and failure.
• Decision-Making Should Be a Science – Too many game studios rely on gut feelings rather than structured, first-principles thinking when making critical decisions.

Connect with Joseph Kim

GameMakers Newsletter: https://www.gamemakers.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jokim

Website: https://lilagames.com/

Expert Profile: https://www.liquidandgrit.com/expert-directory/joseph-kim/

Check out this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjBIXbN6h_E

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Lilagames

Join the Community

Our Discord community is live! Join the conversation with game developers, producers, and industry leaders committed to improving the future of game development: https://discord.gg/ySCPS5aMcQ

Looking to level up your game production skills? Explore our online course designed to help you become a more effective game producer: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/succeeding-in-game-production

Stay ahead with game development insights delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/newsletter

Connect with Us:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/building-better-games

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BBG_Podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildingbettergames

Website: https://www.buildingbettergames.gg/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BuildingBetterGames

If you're a game developer, leader, or someone looking to start a game studio, this episode provides essential insights into the future of game development. Like, comment, and subscribe for more industry discussions.