Palworld Developer PocketPair Checks Job Applicants’ Steam Activity Before Hiring
It seems that to work at PocketPair, the studio behind Palworld, your Steam activity matters a lot. According to the company’s CEO, the team reviews a candidate’s play history as part of the hiring process. The amount of time spent playing and the types of games in a person’s Steam library are seen as indicators of their passion for gaming and understanding of game design.
This approach might sound unusual, but it makes sense — if you’re developing video games, you should know the medium well. Playing games helps candidates understand gameplay mechanics, design choices, and player experiences, which are crucial for the job.
Demonstrating Real Gameplay Knowledge
“At PocketPair, we ask game designer candidates to submit screenshots of their playtime history on Steam,” explained Takuro Mizobe, the studio’s CEO, in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
He added, “In fact, if you don’t play games on Steam at all, you won’t make it past the resume screening stage.”
During interviews, candidates are asked to discuss their most-played games, analyze gameplay mechanics, and explain why certain design choices work or fail. The goal is to ensure that new hires understand games not just as entertainment but as design systems.
Although time spent gaming on consoles is also considered, the studio focuses mainly on PC gaming. Mizobe stated, “If an applicant’s number of Steam games played is 0, we will, in principle, pass them on.” The reason is that Steam provides access to a large selection of indie titles, which PocketPair considers essential for creative inspiration and understanding modern game trends.
John “Bucky” Buckley, PocketPair’s communications manager, confirmed this approach. “So hilariously true. When I first joined, I was grilled if I knew games like Slay the Spire,” he said. “Pocketpair is a company that truly is built by gamers, and our CEO is very adamant to keep it that way.”
Meanwhile, Palworld is moving toward its version 1.0 release, with several new features and updates expected in the coming months.
