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Next Level Games

Acquired by Nintendo

Is this your company?

Great place to work - Software Engineer Next Level Games Employee Review

5.0
12 Jul 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Best culture of any company I've worked at. Hard-work and skill are valued. Collaboration is encouraged and facilitated. Employees are generally extremely friendly, helpful, and excited about collaborating and making great games. Unlike many game companies, NLG prioritizes creating engaging game experiences first and foremost. Everything comes from a place of crafting the player experience, and because of that, people take pride in creating a product that is polished and fun. Business decisions like release scheduling, game monetization, etc. are of course considered, but seem to take a back seat to making a fun game. Work-life balance is good. There is mandatory work-in-office 3 days a week, but I consider this a pro. In-office days are extremely productive, and you'll find yourself working through problems side-by-side with other developers rather than trying to communicate through Zoom or Slack. Good benefits, and lots of additional perks like in-studio fitness programs, art programs, events, game nights, classes, etc. Engineering tech is quite impressive. Over their 20-year history, they've built a wide variety of tools and engine features that make creating new games far easier than starting from scratch every time. If you value working with a talented group of engineers, this is a good place to be.

Cons

Some people may not like mandatory work in-office days. Because of the company structure being pretty flat, sometimes it's not clear who's in charge of a task/feature, and at times you get multiple people coming to you with the same request or question.

Explore other reviews about Next Level Games

5.0
29 Feb 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

It's a family. You feel you are a part of something that everyone is invested in. Where else in NA can you work on Nintendo IP?

Cons

They don't pay as well as other studios but it doesn't matter. You get to work on Nintendo titles.

2
5.0
5 Feb 2019
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

If you like Nintendo, NLG is one of the only places in North America you can taste the Nintendo development experience. NLG runs projects slightly differently than most western studios, and has tuned its project managerial style around the idiosyncrasies of working with the respected Japanese publisher. There's lots to learn from this unique publisher partnership - whether you're in Art, Design, or Production. There are many personality types and ages employed here, though the company has a higher percentage of young-family stage workers than there used to be. It's not a "party" studio. The founders of the company are present, daily, and are a functional core part of the team. If you want to grow your skils and are self-driven, there is nothing stopping you from developing them here, though if you require more structured guidance you may not find this company provides you with enough studio-driven structure for intense personal development. If you're the type that gains satisfaction from creating a *popular* video game, it's likely that you'll work on something that will be published with high visibility and seen by millions of people. They've got a bunch of health initiatives and space to exercise.

Cons

- Compensation is lower. - Oppressive NDA constraints for artists. - Growth opportunities cap out early due to the nature of studio size. Low turnover at senior levels means low organic windows for advancement.

2
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