Supercell Reviews

Pros

Good and very Good... Good

Cons

More activities for the employees.

Pros

While there are excellent benefits and great compensation, that is not what makes Supercell a great place to work. What makes Supercell awesome is the human element. First of all, the camaraderie and mutual respect among employees and leadership keeps everyone motivated and empowered to do amazing work no matter your personality or Nationality. Secondly, Supercell consistently goes above and beyond what you would expect from any company to ensure the personal and professional satisfaction of individual employees... I am not talking about company retreats, or tons of vacation time, I am referring to the little things they do for their people that you will never read about in the press, or see included in recruiting materials. Supercell genuinely cares about its people and shows it at every possible opportunity. Finally, Supercell employees are just a genuinely fun, diverse and talented bunch of people from every corner of the world.

Cons

If I had to pick one, it would be that you need a lot of patience and humility to work at Supercell, which may not work for some people. It seems that products and projects take longer here than at other companies since they are not shackled with meaningless or forced deadlines and pushed out the door before they are ready. In addition, leadership works to facilitate projects, not dictate them, which could be frustrating for those only capable of a top-down or directorial management style. Those who do not want to get their hands dirty would not fit in well at Supercell.

Pros

- highest level of transparency you'll get from just about any company on the planet - everyone is obsessed with quality and putting out amazing products - independent cells make decisions, very flat organization - leadership team REALLY cares about every single person in the company - people in the company genuinely think about the greater good and for the amount of success the company has seen, people have stayed humble - company cares about it's players and customer service I'm utterly shocked at the negative post from the first reviewer. It's true that everyone who works here would give the company a 5/5 stars, but if they spent anytime in other organizations and were being honest with themselves, it'd be hard to give SC 2/5 stars and leave such a negative review.

Cons

- nit-picking here, but communication between int'l offices can be improved - this is a good problem to have, but it's freaking hard to release a new product or game that will meaningfully impact our business - our best performing title/product dominates mindshare (understandable though) - external people treat SC employees differently (stalkers, tons of pitches, begging for gems, etc).

Pros

Great pay. Free travel. Ostentatious team building events and parties. Good medical. Some good people. Great work experience. Flexible hours.

Cons

Everything I read online about the amazing culture is just really good PR. It's like any other company with the political games and manipulative relationships. If you're shrewd and tough with loose morals then you will survive. Good thing is rewards are high for those who only care about winning regardless of the risks. So really that can be seen as a pro.

Pros

Supercell provides the freedom to get the job done without any red tape or egos. If you want a place where you can actually execute a plan - this is the place. Along with freedom comes responsibility which most overachievers seek out in a career. It is a great opportunity to sink your teeth into a role, get things done the right way and to truly focus on Quality. One of the most collaborative environments I have ever seen...with out the territorial politics.

Cons

Not a con for those who seek independence - but there is very little hierarchy so no one tells you what to do or exactly how to do it. It is up to you. If you are confident, passionate and like to be in control of your job you will love it at Supercell. If you want direction and to be told what to do and how to do it, you probably won't thrive in this environment.

Pros

Independence can be very empowering. What would you do if you could affect anything? Colleagues feel authentically motivated by the company culture, because it affects their day to day operations and they're continually empowered by it. I feel like my colleagues genuinely care for my well being, like we're in it together. With 5 offices, and the ability to travel to and meet colleagues of very different cultural backgrounds, you're exposed to a diverse POV which is refreshing. Many colleagues change their role to fit what they're the most passionate about, what they think creates the most impact, and to adjust to ever changing needs when the company pivots or the market changes. The opportunity for lateral movement and actually seeing it happen reinforces the independence culture. We share our failures (even rebranding them as 'learnings') and we actually celebrate our learnings with champagne. The perks are just unheard of. You'll hear about them in the interview. They're totally true. Our CEO is very humble, personable, listens, and will make time for you.

Cons

Independence can feel very scary. When nobody is telling you what to do, what would you do? The culture is so unlike most corporate structures that it can feel like you're in a foreign country for the first time. It requires a lot of reprogramming and buying into the mindset, which takes a lot of adjusting to the cultures that had influenced and incentivized previous behavior (at previous companies). Diversity is sought, but it sometimes doesn't feel like it in some internal teams. Albeit sometimes it can be unavoidable, but it's being addressed by teams asking for input and management actively engaged in the issue. The most negative way to say you need to buy into company culture is to 'drink the cool aid'. You do need to buy into the culture, and that takes effort. In this case I think it's safe to drink this cool aid. So in a roundabout cons section comment it can be somewhat cult-like. I can easily see from the outside that it can be perceived as that. [that's why the title is "It sounds too good to be true (but it is)"] Communicating with 5 different company branches and across multiple cultures can be challenging, as it amplifies miscommunication. With so many options to choose from, but finite time to execute, it really is tough to learn to focus on what'll be impactful, especially since sometimes it is hard to measure impact. If you're the type who wants to know what your next 5 years will be like, I don't recommend this company. The company itself feels both stable and dynamic (depends on the role(s) you choose). Adventure awaits. If you're the type who thrives only under direction but are paralyzed when all of a sudden being given many choices, this isn't a good place for you to succeed. If you are afraid to fail, you may find it challenging to adapt here. This is not an 'easy' place to work.

Pros

Amazing company with great people and great CEO. Company processes, transparency, management of growth, focus on the development and lack of bureaucracy are a benchmark for rest of the industry. Great place to work at.

Cons

Development philosophy felt fairly data driven and risk averse, at least when compared to traditional PC/console development. Probably not any worse than most f2p mobile game companies, though. People sometimes seemed to spend more time discussing different metrics and monetization than actual fun of the gameplay experience.

Pros

You can nitpick any professional situation, but in balance there’s no place like supercell for letting you succeed on your merits under your own initiative. In that sense it’s a dream opportunity. And in most other senses the company is just the best there is.

Cons

The difficulty with stunning success is trying to repeat and preserve it. It’s not a “con” really, but it is a lot to live up to.

Pros

Amazing: people, games, culture, offices, benefits, food, travel, offsites, challenges, lack of management and opportunities to make an impact.

Cons

The biggest downside is that the center of gravity of Supercell is in Helsinki (the headquarters and where most people are) and Helsinki is really far from San Francisco. The difference in time zones further complicates communication. The upside is that you can go to Helsinki as often as you want and could even stay for several months, but for people with families/kids/other obligations that's not always easy to do. Also, the lack of structure and clear, defined tasks could be challenging or frustrating for some people (while amazing and inspiring for others).

Pros

Unbelievable Talent. Generous and Thoughtful Leadership. Freedom and Independence to do what you're best at. Incredible culture of trust and transparency.

Cons

Small company means constant start up mode & limited hands but that keeps things interesting.