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Build a Rocket Boy

Is this your company?

Great people - Anonymous Employee Build a Rocket Boy Employee Review

4.0
13 June 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I genuinely think this company is a great place to work, although I think it can be dependent on the team. In my own experience: salaries are competitive, work-life balance is great (I WFM full time), and when we did have a crunch period for a couple of months we were given TOIL (which is more than I've been offered at any other studio). I get to work with a lot of people with real talent. I've never felt pressured from others on the job and people are for the most part very helpful and friendly, including most leads I've worked with. I can't speak for how it is higher in the company.

Cons

There were layoffs a while back that I resulted in the company losing some real talent. I feel like some really good people were lost, which made me wonder who was making those decisions. Some benefits were cut a while ago, but still better than I've had at any other studio. Some higher ups have little experience in games and ignore advice from their own or other teams.

Explore other reviews about Build a Rocket Boy

1.0
21 Jan 2024
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

A stepping stone into the industry. BARB is an opportunity to start in video gaming, collect experience, and move on.

Cons

Political Drama, drama, drama. There have been multiple changes of studio leadership, countless times of department restructures, individuals are in one day and then disappear under 'mutual agreements' to never return. Psychological safety is at an all-time low, due to entire departments getting caught up in the political blast-zone between the constant power struggle of leadership. Culture war. BARB cannot define its culture, because leadership constantly breaks culture definitions. What are the cornerstones of BARB? Bullying. The definition is: To not be given credit, being set up for failure, constant undermining. It's all rife in BARB and if the leaders do this, it trickles down into management, departments, and projects. Keeping up with the misinformation is hard. Knowing who knows what can, and cannot be discussed is a minefield. There is studio facing 'information', the reality, and 'leadership facing truth'. With little to no communication in the studio, staff do not believe what information they are given, as it will likely change in a week or less. CRUNCH. This is a studio in full crunch for months, veiling as "focus time/bug-bash!/do your damn job". You do not get overtime, as you are salaried (on a very low salary for industry). You will struggle to take holiday, this is due to the constant crunch. Little to no notice is given for changing timelines, be prepared to cancel your approved holiday because leadership cannot plan ahead more than 5 days in advance. There are some great and very talented people working at BARB but leadership does not take people's professional (previous or current) experience into account. Most of the time you are just doing what you are told and you best do it quietly.

42
1.0
4 Mar 2025
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

There is nothing positive here

Cons

The most toxic unethical senior leaders I've ever encountered

28
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