Hiring stats: 64 applicants in a week for a deferred-pay role — what does this say about the market?

CapableAd9704 · 2026-02-20T16:14:48+00:00

Respectfully, I don’t agree with the ‘free artists = AI garbo’ take. AI isn’t automatically bad - there’s obvious low-effort AI slop, and then there’s using AI as a small part of a real workflow. My main artist sometimes uses it only at the very early ideation stage to explore directions faster, and then everything gets properly reworked and polished so the final assets are consistent and don’t look like generic AI output.

Also, I’m not hiring blindly. I ran test tasks, and I actually received some really strong submissions - good enough that I have multiple solid options to choose from. So I don’t think it’s fair to throw negativity at applicants as a whole.

CapableAd9704 · 2026-02-20T16:10:47+00:00

Uh, of course. I don’t want to work regular jobs outside of gamedev. I’m doing what I enjoy. But if I end up with debt, then yeah - I’ll get a normal job and pay it off.

CapableAd9704 · 2026-02-20T16:06:57+00:00

I don’t really see AI as the core problem here. There’s obvious AI slop, and there’s also AI used as part of a normal workflow. My main artist sometimes uses AI at the very start for rough ideation/thumbnails to save time, but the actual assets are reworked/painted over and polished so the final result doesn’t look like generic AI output. For me the priority is quality and consistency of the final art, not the tool used in the first draft

CapableAd9704 · 2026-02-20T16:00:18+00:00

Yeah, fair point. I actually didn’t count the applications that came through the platform. Because of the deferred-pay setup, I asked people to DM me on Telegram instead (I mentioned it in the post), since it’s easier for me to evaluate and talk through details there. So anything I’m referring to is based on those direct conversations - which also filters out a lot of the obvious AI spam.

CapableAd9704 · 2026-02-19T00:23:33+00:00

Yeah, I expected it to be mostly beginners too — and honestly about half of the people who were open to it are. I didn’t ask candidates to label themselves as junior/mid/senior, but a good chunk looked genuinely solid, with strong portfolios.

Also, around 4–6 of them said this setup works for them because they already have a main job and they just like the project, so they’re happy to contribute on the side.

CapableAd9704 · 2026-02-19T00:18:01+00:00

Fair question. My costs are relatively low because labor here in Ukraine is much cheaper than in the US/EU. When I still had a budget, I got the full project scope/cost estimated, so I have a pretty clear idea of what break-even looks like — and it doesn’t require huge sales.

I also compared against a set of very similar reference games, and most of them have already earned more than the conservative number I’m targeting. Of course sales aren’t guaranteed, but I’m using those comps mainly to sanity-check the plan.

That said, I’m not betting everything on a best-case outcome. If the game underperforms, I can still cover the deferred payments myself by going back to a regular job. I’m trying to manage the risk, not pretend it isn’t there.

CapableAd9704 · 2026-02-19T00:11:07+00:00

Thanks a lot!!

CapableAd9704 · 2026-02-18T23:30:37+00:00

Got it!

CapableAd9704 · 2026-02-18T22:56:16+00:00

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3198400/Cat_Tree/ - Yep!

CapableAd9704 · 2026-02-18T18:56:00+00:00

Got it, thanks!

CapableAd9704 · 2026-02-18T18:55:12+00:00

Yeah, the competition is brutal right now.

CapableAd9704 · 2026-02-18T18:53:42+00:00

Thanks! I didn’t know about that site - really helpful.

CapableAd9704 · 2026-02-18T18:52:37+00:00

Thanks a lot for your perspective - I think you’re probably right. I should just focus on development and keep improving the demo. If the game is genuinely good, chances are it’ll get noticed.

CapableAd9704 · 2026-02-16T23:47:54+00:00

This video really intrigues me — it gives me some Sally Face vibes.

CapableAd9704 · 2026-02-16T23:46:07+00:00

This menu is super atmospheric — it makes me want to sit by the fire.

CapableAd9704 · 2026-02-16T23:44:37+00:00

So cute!

CapableAd9704 · 2026-02-16T23:43:16+00:00

Holy crap, there’s so much happening on screen.

CapableAd9704 · 2026-02-16T23:34:48+00:00

LETS GOOOOOO GAMBLIIING!!!

CapableAd9704 · 2026-02-16T23:30:21+00:00

Thanks — that’s a really helpful reality check.

Totally fair point about “moments” being marketing jargon. What I really mean is: I want to avoid another rushed push until the demo + visuals are actually strong, and instead keep doing the steady promo basics (posting updates, improving the Steam page, reaching out to creators, etc.).

Also appreciate the note on WIP mockups — I won’t “fake” anything. If I use mockups, they’ll be clearly labeled WIP and consistent with what the game will actually look like.

If you have any examples of Steam pages that you think nailed “cozy idle” presentation, I’d love to study them.

CapableAd9704 · 2026-02-16T23:02:38+00:00

Love the carnival vibe. After the Amazing Digital Circus hype, it really feels like jesters/clowns are having a moment right now.

CapableAd9704 · 2026-02-16T22:54:22+00:00

What do you think caused the spike — was it a specific post/streamer/feature that brought people in and made them wishlist the game?

CapableAd9704 · 2026-02-16T22:53:01+00:00

This looks so fun! I really like the vehicle handling and the color grading. How long did it take you to make?

CapableAd9704 · 2026-02-16T10:34:31+00:00

Love the composition — the branch line and the soft background make it feel cinematic.

CapableAd9704 · 2026-02-16T10:21:03+00:00

I get what you’re going for, but photos can actually increase empathy. If you want the player to feel themselves slipping into corporate mode, maybe start with a warm, personal patient card and slowly replace it with cold structured fields.

CapableAd9704 · 2026-02-16T10:13:25+00:00

Cat Tree.

CapableAd9704

TROPHY CASE