Bugsnax Developer Young Horses is Implementing a Four Day Work Week
The developer ofBugsnaxIt is moving forward with a change in its work structure. AsBugsnax is constantly evolving with new contentious Horses; a developer has made a change to its workweek. It is hoped that this will improve the work-life balance and allow greater productivity while working on games.
Bugsnaxexploded onto the gaming scene at a PlayStation event held in June 2020. With its unique trailer, wacky humor, and intriguing art style, the game immediately stood out. Bugsnax was released as a highly-reviewed PlayStation 2 and PC game. Young Horses has created a four-day workweek to help alleviate the pressure of a new exciting, and profitable IP.
Phil Tibitoski, the co-founder of Young Horses, told Axios recently that Young Horses and its eight members decided to try a four-day workweek trial back in July. The video game industry has a negative reputation with crunch culture, so this four-day workweek would allow the teams to work only 32 hours instead of long work hours and overtime leading up to the release of a title or big update. Young Horses had an expected workweek of 35 hours over five days. Young Horses decided to make the shorter workweek permanent after a successful trial.
Young Horses and Bugsnax are both benefiting from this change. They will be able to take more time off to relax and spend time away from the hustle and bustle of their day. A shorter workweek can also help them to be more productive. Tibitoski emphasized the importance of allowing team members to have time to relax and complete work on their days off.
It may prove difficult for larger teams of developers to implement these kinds of changes. However, it is possible. Tibitoski stated that it is important to have buy-in from the top and set goals and expectations. Young Horses has long aimed to create a positive work environment that promotes happiness among its employees. The four-day workweek easily fits into this goal.
Leadership can step in and support sweeping changes to a larger team. Nintendo helped mitigate the crunch at Retro Studios years ago, for example, a change that has continued to assist the studio. Change can be made as long as the leadership and the entire studio are willing to support it. Young Horses’ team decided unanimously to make the change they wanted. It was a wonderful thing. Maybe other studios will follow their example.
