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The article was written by Katya Sabirova, the CEO and co-founder of InGame Job and PR and communications advisor at Values Worth.
How many individuals within the video games business have their very own facet tasks that they work on past their full-time jobs? Who’re they? What drives them to do it, and do they earn any further earnings from their ardour tasks? How do they really feel about it, and what helps them keep away from burnout – if something does?
On this article, we’ll dive into these questions and discover the solutions.
Our fundamental supply of information is the Large Video games Business Employment Survey 2024, performed in Spring 2024. The complete report is now obtainable without spending a dime on the InGame Job portal.
Among the many 1,800+ survey members, almost 40% stated they’ve a facet mission.
Who within the sport business has facet tasks?
In response to our survey, senior-level specialists have the very best share of these engaged on facet tasks – 34%. Mid-level professionals comply with intently behind – 29%. Amongst group leads and C-level professionals, round 13% to 14% are engaged in facet tasks.
To find out which specialists usually tend to work on facet tasks, we divided our survey pattern into two geographic teams: EU nations (which additionally consists of the UK and Switzerland) and non-EU European nations.
We discovered this distinction necessary due to a speculation – firms within the EU are likely to implement stricter rules on workers, comparable to necessary workplace attendance or hybrid work insurance policies.
This might go away much less room for inventive pursuits exterior of labor. Moreover, full-time workers within the EU might face restrictions stopping them from engaged on sport tasks that would, in principle, compete with their employer’s merchandise.
Because the chart under reveals, our speculation is extra possible confirmed than not: professionals in non-EU nations are extra engaged in facet sport tasks. Artists are essentially the most energetic on this house (10% in non-EU nations vs. 7% within the EU). Round 7% to 9% of programmers and sport designers additionally channel their creativity into sport improvement alongside their full-time jobs.
Are these specialists loyal to their employer?
How engaged are professionals engaged on facet tasks of their full-time jobs? How loyal are they to their employer? One key metric that helps reply these questions is eNPS.
eNPS (Worker Internet Promoter Rating) is a metric used to measure worker satisfaction and loyalty by asking how possible they’re to advocate their employer to others. It helps firms gauge engagement and determine areas for enchancment. eNPS is reported with a quantity from -100 to +100. A better rating is fascinating.
Tanja Loktionova, Founder at Values Worth, Co-Founder at InGame Job:
“For me, the Pet Initiatives query on this report stands out as some of the important. It’s a key indicator of present business traits. Almost 40% of respondents have a Pet Undertaking, which reveals that the business attracts passionate people who work on video games each professionally and of their spare time.
“Nevertheless, this pattern may additionally sign dissatisfaction with their present work, whether or not it is the style, platform, or employer. A decrease eNPS (worker Internet Promoter Rating) amongst these with Pet Initiatives suggests they could be much less glad with their major job or mission. In distinction, these with out Pet Initiatives are likely to have a a lot increased eNPS.
“This might additionally spotlight how difficult it’s to develop tasks not primarily based on well-liked IPs or backed by main manufacturers or companies. Many within the business may not totally consider within the success of their present tasks, even when these align with their pursuits.
“It’s notably hanging that so many individuals are engaged in Pet Initiatives in 2024, because the business remains to be recovering from years of layoffs. With diminished help for brand spanking new groups and harder funding circumstances, persons are nonetheless discovering methods to create their very own video games.
“This may occasionally even be linked to advances in AI, which have made sport improvement quicker and extra reasonably priced.”
What about earnings?
Having a pet mission doesn’t essentially imply having extra earnings. Nevertheless, generally a pet mission can generate income.
We requested respondents about any earnings past their full-time wage – whether or not from their pet mission or freelancing – and the outcomes had been fairly attention-grabbing. Beneath, you’ll discover a chart displaying the median annual earnings in euro of mid-level professionals.
Private tales from these engaged on pet tasks: what really drives them, and what helps them keep away from burnout?
We requested three sport business professionals concerning the tasks they’re engaged on – each of their full-time jobs and as a pastime. How do their employers really feel about it? What motivates them? And the way do they deal with burnout?
Stefan Szymczyk, author and narrative designer:
“Proper now, my full-time job is engaged on the Rijoca mission. To this point, there’s the ebook Rijoca – The Pygmalion Complicated, an journey novel about thieves, chess, and diamonds.
My pet mission is P vs NP, a narrative-driven sport set in an alternate model of the Seventies. The sport follows a brutal scientific warfare over a groundbreaking invention, with the participant going through excessive environmental challenges, lethal enemies, and their very own lack of training. It’s a mixture of survival, sci-fi, and thriller.
“My fundamental motivation is inventive expression. I really like telling tales in numerous mediums, and facet tasks give me the liberty to experiment with new concepts. Whereas further earnings is all the time good, what actually drives me is the problem and pleasure of bringing distinctive narratives to life.
“Burnout is all the time a threat when dealing with a number of tasks. I attempt to keep away from it by balancing structured work with inventive breaks, switching between tasks to maintain issues contemporary, and setting sensible deadlines. Ardour retains me going, however I additionally know when to step again and recharge.
“I’ve full management over my schedule and tasks. My facet tasks don’t compete with my fundamental work – they complement it, letting me discover totally different storytelling strategies with out battle.”
Maksim Kurtlatskov, sport producer and product supervisor / Xsolla, ex-Nexters:
“My final full-time mission was an RPG battler. My pet mission is Dunland: Survivors’ Story – a low-poly ecosystem sim with RPG and roguelite components, developed for PC (Steam).
“That is my inventive outlet – an area the place I can specific myself and construct a story that feels significant. In my fundamental job, I take a really ‘producer-oriented’ method, the place profitability is the highest precedence. However sport improvement isn’t nearly revenue – it’s additionally about that means, and that’s one thing I miss in my full-time work.
“I attempt to maintain a wholesome work-life stability and repeatedly examine in with myself about my workload. If I begin feeling overwhelmed at my fundamental job, I put my pet mission on maintain. I don’t set strict deadlines or push too onerous if progress is sluggish. The draw back of this method is that it makes constructing a group tough – I generally disappear because the mission’s visionary and idea-holder.
“My employer is okay with it. Aspect tasks are frequent within the business and are sometimes seen as a method to develop new expertise and experience.”
Serge Polishchuk, developer, mission supervisor and supply supervisor:
“I presently work at a startup the place we develop so-called skill-based video games. What I really like about my job is that I’m 100% concerned in designing the algorithms for our video games. I truthfully don’t know if there’s something extra attention-grabbing. However I’ve all the time had the urge to code one thing only for myself.
“I’ve two pet tasks. One is a system for delivering odds from the supply to purchasers’ browsers utilizing WebSocket and C/C++. Not many individuals know implement this correctly, which is why you usually see sportsbook web sites the place the percentages ‘freeze’ – they don’t replace in time, permitting gamers to position bets on outdated odds and make straightforward cash. The on line casino, however, loses cash, and if this occurs too usually, it will definitely shuts down as a result of it turns into ‘unprofitable’.
“My different pet mission is a backend for on line casino video games – slots, Plinko, tabletop video games, and so forth. I recreate current video games and give you new ones.
“These days, I haven’t been spending a lot time on these tasks since my full-time job already offers me loads of technical challenges.
“Do my pet tasks deliver me any earnings? No, as a result of I’m neither a designer nor a salesman. I can construct one thing practical and high-quality, however making it visually interesting and promoting it? That’s past me.
“As for burnout, I don’t see it as a threat. I’ve discovered my very own technique – once I get uninterested in one mission, I change to a different, then come again to the primary one later. It’s a dependable system, examined over time.
“Does my employer find out about my facet tasks? Nicely, earlier than this text – no. However not as a result of I used to be hiding something. My pet tasks are only a pure a part of my life, like going to the theatre or taking a stroll within the park. Nobody would criticise me for mentioning that I am going to the gymnasium, proper?”
The brand new Large Video games Business Employment Survey 2025 is already revealed. We invite everybody to participate in it! The extra responses we gather, the extra thrilling knowledge InGame Job & Values Worth can have for evaluation and for sharing.
