Aidan Karabaich

From Passion to Profession: Aidan Karabaich’s Gaming Industry Adventure

In this episode, Eden and Kevin speak with Aidan Karabaich, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Singularity 6, as he shares his journey in the gaming industry. From an early passion for video games (playing Pac-Man and never being able to beat his grandmother) and experiences at the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy to his pivotal role in Riot Games’ Research & Development department, Aidan provides inspiring insights into game development and design. The conversation also delves into his collaboration with Anthony Leung on their new venture, discussing their unique hiring strategy, focus on team diversity, and the decision-making process for design.

Discussion points#

• Background and introduction, Aidan Karabaich
• Aidan’s experiences at the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy
• Discussing project cancellations and career pivots in gaming
• Tenure at Riot Games and its impact
• Playtesting in game development
• The concept of ‘hygge’ (Danish for comfort and coziness) in the Community Sim space
• Karabaich and Anthony Leung’s journey starting the company
• Hiring strategy and the emphasis on team diversity
• The use of critical thinking interviews to assess design talent
• The challenges and validation processes in game development
• The decision-making process for design
• The role and importance of intuition in the gaming industry
• The challenges of founding a gaming startup
• Don’t try to do it all, or be a hero, as a founder; it’s a marathon not a sprint
• The anticipation and preparation leading up to launch