Don't fall for the hype. - Anonymous employee Game Closure Employee Review

1.0
Aug 14, 2018
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

* If you schmooze with the right cliques you are pretty much unaccountable * Some of your coworkers will be empathetic normal folks who have been thrown into this mess * Some big name partners to namedrop. The company is well connected and will bring in revenue, despite the circus it is inside. * Free food?

Cons

* Extreme disorganization. Conflicting instructions from every claimant to authority. Micromanagement coupled with schizophrenia. * Compensation is below market. Excuse: "we're a startup." (spoiler: they have been for almost a decade). Lukewarm non-cash compensation doesn't make up for it. Meanwhile, the in-crowd jets around the world on the company dime, despite some of them not having any plausible work to do overseas. * Upper management is like a frat, and most people there are either the CEO's buddies or promoted for one skill and given responsibilities they are not equipped to handle. You will be picking up the pieces. * If you care about games: No concern for making good games other than stickiness metrics. Reflected in the language the CEO uses. Not necessarily a con if your philosophy aligns. * No sense of planning whatsoever * The CEO is a tech wiz and boy wonder, sure, but not equipped with the wisdom or maturity to be running a company. He puts his pet interests before the client, and you will have to be complicit. The company name has changed several times, including once because of a petty personal spat. This has had the "benefit" of burying some embarrassing leadership struggles and other off-message happenings. * Looks like there's an attempt to whitewash Glassdoor going on before your eyes!

Explore other reviews about Game Closure

5.0
Oct 3, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Game Closure is a "work hard, play hard" company with great benefits and very competitive salaries. The company creates addictively fun games using some of the most important and ground-breaking metrics-based game systems I've encountered. The team is extremely smart and motivated. Everyone is warm and inviting and cares very much about helping employees achieve a positive work/life balance. I can't say enough about what a friendly and supportive group of people I found everyone to be.

Cons

An intense (but rewarding), fast paced, customer-focused development environment best suited for those who enjoy this kind of excitement and high energy.

1
2.0
Sep 22, 2014
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

It is great when it is great. Lots of food provided, activities after-hours many days a week, "unlimited vacations," jams, etc. CEO is very active in the startup community. If you are willing to accept the company direction of the moment, there can be opportunities to climb the ladder in a short amount of time. Compensation is high as well, although you will be working long hours and weekends for it (though that may be good for some types). They also tend to seek and get a lot of press.

Cons

Turnover is extremely high (ie several people a month), both due to employees frequently leaving for places with more opportunities for growth, or firings. Most hires are gone after a year or two, if not months. Expectation of long work hours and a cult-like attitude. The company vision seems to shift frequently... it used to be a company called Game Closure and was rebranded to fit the most recent shift. Management can be inspirational at times, but can also be fickle and hard to dialogue with. Production cycles have ill-defined goals with no followthrough, and a lot of wasted effort. Can be very frustrating. Overall would not recommend to a friend as there are many more stable places to work at.

15
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