One of the worst interview processes I've ever had. Before even an initial interview, they asked me to create a 30 minute playable quest in Unreal, Unity, REDKit, or another game engine of choice, based on a short story from The Witcher and an original side quest of my own. All within 10 days from receiving the test. (See below for the complete test.)
I was quite shocked when I got the test, but after thinking about it, I decided to go for it. But while I was putting everything together, I asked the recruiter a few basic questions, just to make sure we were on the same page in terms of salary, etc. After waiting half a week for an answer, while working non-stop on the test, I got a short reply pretty much saying they couldn't give out any of those details yet and they'd let me know after I finished the test. I then promptly stopped the test and nicely told them I was no longer interested in the position.
I'm sure the competition is ferocious at CD PROJEKT RED, but please don't waste people's time with their ridiculous test, especially without a few rounds of interviews first. The top candidates are never going to do this test and it's disrespectful of people's time to ask for so much work.
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Senior Quest Designer Test Details
**TASK BRIEF**
Design a playable game sequence inspired by Sapkowski’s short story “A Grain of Truth” (attached). You can use any game engine that allows you to create a standalone executable, such as Unreal Engine, Unity, Game Maker, Godot, etc. Text-based editors like Twine are not suitable. Alternatively, you can select from the following modding tools: Witcher 2 Redkit, Skyrim Creation Kit, Shadowrun Editor, or Divinity 2 Editor. This option is recommended to emphasize storytelling.
**Requirements**
- A playable quest sequence of approximately 30 minutes.
- A main quest that adapts the narrative of the source material for a single-player game.
- An original side quest connected to the main storyline.
- An open-world area with engaging elements for exploration.
- Using online templates or assets is permitted, but you must credit the original creators.
**Evaluation Criteria**
- Emphasis on storytelling, including sufficient player guidance.
- Realistic psychological interactions, nonlinear choices, and rewarding gameplay.
- High technical quality with no critical bugs; test for any blockers.
- Additional scripting, dialogue, unique features, and visual quality are advantageous.
- Feel free to inject your own creativity into the project.
**Deliverables**
Submit a compiled, working executable along with all source files. If it is not a standalone executable, include a ReadMe.txt with the necessary software and steps to run the game. Additionally, provide three short documents (2 pages each):
- **Design Intentions** – Outline your goals for the game sequence.
- **Technical Walkthrough** – Describe how the player progresses through the game.
- **Post-Mortem** – Reflect on the development process.
**Deadline**
Submit the completed test within 10 days of receiving it.
