New name, same old terrible leadership - Software Engineer Playco Employee Review

1.0
7 Sept 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Talented coworkers, free snacks and drinks, catered lunch

Cons

This is the fourth rebranding of this company in the past 5 years. See Game Closure for the last iteration. Common problems I've heard of or seen: -Michael Carter (CEO) has no vision beyond what it takes to trick the next investor into giving him their money -CEO thinks he is a designer, but all he does is copy other games and add more spam to them -CEO is both controlling and absent. Often pops into a project, dictates sweeping changes, and demands that he be consulted on every decision. He then disappears for weeks at a time. He also approves every technical hire, so if you are applying, don't be surprised if you get ghosted. -Rampant favoritism. The people in the inner circle are obvious and infuriating to deal with. -Lawsuits involving possible discrimination -Proprietary tech stack is hacked together -Constant crunch and deathmarches -Promised autonomy and salary increases never materialize -High turnover; people have quit en masse

Explore other reviews about Playco

5.0
9 Feb 2024
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Flexible schedules, fully remote, fair compensation, and genuinely good people to work with. Like most startups, there's a lot of work to do and I see much of that work/progress both from the team and leadership. Still small and early enough that if you’re motivate you can have a big impact. There are opportunities to be a part of creating the culture and company that you want. Excited about the company's future!

Cons

Early stage startups aren’t for everyone and that’s okay. If you’re looking for a more developed corporate environment where everything is already built out, you may be disappointed.

4.0
19 Jan 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Fantastic team and benefits. Employees are well taken care of. Job is fully remote

Cons

Working with multiple time zones can be difficult.

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All