Sucker Punch Productions

Sucker Punch Productions Interviews

1. Sep 29, 2022

   Senior Combat Designer Interview

   Anonymous Employee in United States

   No Offer

   Negative Experience

   Difficult Interview

   Application

   I applied online. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at Sucker Punch Productions (United States) in Sep 2022

   Interview

   Got a 30 minute screening call with two of the design leads, it seemed to go very well and all of my skills and experience matched 1:1 with what they were looking for. They asked me to take a design test, which I accepted. Due to extenuating circumstances, I had to return the test at the end of their 2-week deadline, as I wouldn't be able to start it until the second week.
   
   The tl;dr for the below is: this studio offers disrespectfully long tests to senior designers, avoid applying here if you have literally any time constraints whatsoever in your job search.
   
   The test required deep knowledge of "Ghost of Tsushima," to the extent that none of the test could even be worked on without opening the game up and playing it again for 5-10 hours even if you had experience with it (the game released 2 years ago). You wouldn't be able to even do the test if you had not played at least 50% of the game.
   
   Each test question required a minimum of 1 page to reasonably answer and demonstrate adequate design knowledge, and there were SIX such questions, as well as a somewhat obnoxious scripting question (90% of even senior-level tech designers don't ever interact with 2d matrixes). Overall, with replaying a good chunk of the game, the test took me 15-20 hours to complete.
   
   Upon turning in the test (that I know from experience was not a "reject this candidate outright" quality of submission), I was rejected within 48 hours with "we're moving forwards with candidates whose tests better meet what we're looking for." What may well have happened is that they offered tests to too many candidates and their "2-week deadline" was basically a lie, so they threw mine out because they didn't have time to add me to their process.
   
   Regardless of the reasoning ("failing" the test or not), the big takeaway here is:
   
   1. I won't ever do a test that takes >4 hours as a senior designer again. Many senior+ designers have told me that this is their attitude (some lead designers refuse to ever even give tests again), and I'm taking this to heart.
   
   2. Studios, please stop wasting people's time. It's entitled, it's disrespectful, and this is a small industry. I will tell warn every designer I speak to who considers taking these sorts of tests to avoid them.
   
   The most recent test I took at another studio was <4 hours AND had a GUARANTEED design panel interview tied to the test. I'll be advocating for this methodology going forwards. 10+ hour tests with no guarantee of an interview for senior-level talent is patently ridiculous.
   

   Interview

   The screening interview was simply basic questions about direct skills and experience, nothing design-related.

   Answer Question