Game Developer Intern Review

Each day, I would be involved in several meetings (mostly Agile - e.g. daily stand-ups, retrospectives) and planning sessions for bug fixes or new features. I would then program to attempt and fix the bug or implement the feature, and the cycle would continue the next day. The Farm team works in 2-week sprints, with a series of "tickets" to complete each sprint. Each person gets assigned one ticket at a time, which they work on - and they complete the tickets and contribute the resulting code to the repository.

Absolutely! I have learned much about gameplay programming, UI programming, and generally working in C++. Additionally, my manager and buddy encouraged me to develop my existing skills - such as giving public presentations to the rest of the development team. I was supported throughout though, and I was not forced into any of it. The most important skills I learned are the soft skills - cross-craft communication, reviewing other people's code, Agile working skills (such as pair programming), and so on.

Yes - I was given plenty. I took ownership (either in full or in part) of several exciting, important features, including some AB tests, bug fixes, and things related to entirely new gameplay mechanics. Additionally, I was responsible for my own time and my tickets, which would include communicating with other teams and employees to ensure the features I work on are the best they could be. Although I was supported by a manager and buddy (both assigned by King), I was given responsibilities and encouraged to work my way.

Tons of it! I was assigned a manager and a buddy, with frequent meetings and occasional reviews where I would hear feedback from others on the development team, and be given the opportunity to improve in response to that feedback. Additionally, they both made sure I took part in social events to get to know people at King, and they encouraged me to develop my skill set, and offered help and advice wherever they could!

Brilliant. Everyone was friendly and helpful. There were frequent social and diversity events, and plenty of internal channels for people to talk and get to know each other. Good work is important, but there was also plenty of emphasis placed on making sure that you are supported and encouraged every step of the way. I made loads of friends at King, and I'm very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the culture there!

Very much! I honestly had a fantastic time, met loads of very talented and awesome people, and improved as a developer. It fully exceeded my expectations for an internship experience - nobody treated me like an intern, just as another developer. Furthermore, I had a very enjoyable social experience, and I usually don't like that kind of thing. I would definitely leap at the chance to go back, and I certainly hope to next year!

Yes

Your soft skills are the most important part. Write clear, easy-to-understand code, and make sure you brush up on your coding interview skills. These people will already know (from online C++ tests) how good of a programmer you are - they want to know if you're someone they can work with. More generally, be friendly, humble, and open to learn. Research those interviewing you, and ask them interesting questions. You can get in without prior games industry experience - I did!