Two Missed Chances and Half a Bottle of Wine Later

The job search in game dev continues, and let me tell you — it’s still the emotional rollercoaster that no one asked to queue for, but here we are, strapped in and screaming through the loop-de-loops.

This past month, I tried my luck with two more companies: Hangar 13, which dangled a very shiny 5-month contract for testing Mafia: The Old Country, and EA, who were... well, looking for localization testers but didn’t feel like sharing many details. (Cryptic job ads aren't my favorite flavor of chaos.)

Mission: Mafia and the Half-Drunk Winebottle

Now that Mafia: The Old Country has been officially announced, I can whisper this into the wind: I actually playtested it during its early phase. And by “early,” I mean some features were MIA, others barely hanging on, and I personally managed to break a mission or two (forced stealth levels, my old enemy — we meet again). But I saw potential! And I wanted in. Badly.

The contract was short, sure — just five months — but for a project I already felt a connection to. Even knowing I lived over an hour away, involving trains, trams, and my dwindling will to live, I still said, “Yes, I’ll do it.” Like some kind of commuting hobbit, ready to take this job there and back again — minus the dragon, plus rush hour.

And it went well. I did the bug-finding test in Mafia 3, filled out the gamer questionnaire, and even had a virtual interview with the studio folks. It all happened so quickly I almost forgot I was supposed to be nervous.

Then came the call. You know the one.

“You did great. Everyone really liked you. But… we picked someone who lives closer.”

Cue me, exiled from the inner circle, wine in hand, reflecting on the cold truth: I wasn’t local enough for la famiglia.

Mafia: The Old Country, Hangar 13, 2K

EA: Escape Attempt or Endless Applications?

The next opportunity came in the form of EA’s mysterious, info-scarce ad for localization testers. I applied. Then I applied again. (Same job, different listing number. Classic EA.)

The catch? It was a short-term contract that required relocating to Madrid, and the ad provided about as much detail as a mid-2000s teaser trailer: stylish, mysterious, and utterly unhelpful. Was it a month-long gig? Six months? What game? When?

Then I finally got a test — a combo of UX error-spotting, translation editing, and linguistic gymnastics. No mention of how long the test might take. Just vibes.

Halfway through, I hit a wall. Turns out I needed to have applied under yet another project number. So I applied again. Third time’s the charm?

Eventually, they scheduled a Zoom interview. I got ready. I logged in. I waited.

Nobody showed up.

My anxiety did, though. Right on time.

After a polite nudge, I got a reply that — oopsie — they’d forgotten to reschedule due to a bank holiday. We eventually had the call, and that’s when I learned the project was less than 3 months long, starting in two and a half weeks, and tied to a very specific game I’m not even interested in.

So… a tiny contract, vague communication, and timing that clashed with both a medical appointment and my volunteer stint at the Game Access conference (yes, I committed to that first weekend in June).

Honestly, I was more disappointed in the lack of communication than in not getting the job. EA said they’d follow up with an email the next day. Spoiler alert: they didn’t.

I won’t need another half bottle of wine this time. Just one email, this blog post, and a very deep sigh.

But the question still stands, swirling in my glass like the last drop of Cabernet (or was it Chardonnay?):

How do I get the job I actually want?

Until then, I guess I’ll keep adventuring — bottle in one hand, resume in the other, feet as sore as a hobbit on their second breakfast trek. Wish me luck.