You can even get job applications from overseas just by having an indie game page on Steam
I run a small indie studio in Shanghai. A few days ago, I opened my inbox to find an incredibly professional English resume. The sender had found me through my game’s Steam store page.
At first, I suspected it was just another key beggar or a bot using templates to spam. But after looking through his materials, I realized this was the real deal.
To protect his privacy, I’ll keep it vague: The guy is a total one-man army. He’s proficient in both Unity and Unreal. He can handle UI, databases, and networking, he can even make art and SFX. His resume listed several past Steam projects he worked on with medium and small teams. Even though those games weren't massive hits, he was the programmer, not the marketer, and his technical stack was honestly more impressive than mine.
What touched me was that the email was clearly personalized. He even mentioned RPG Maker (I used it in my previous projects), so this definitely wasn't a copy-paste job. I felt I had to reply.
"Unfortunately, we are a tiny team. Only 2 or 3 full-time members plus some part-timers. We are able to operate smoothly largely because of the lower cost of living in Shanghai, which makes it very difficult for us to afford international staff. Furthermore, we would likely encounter significant complications regarding international payments and taxation if we were to hire across borders. That said, I’d love to stay in touch so we can support each other in the future."
A few days later, he replied again. He ended his mail by saying "God bless you and your studio." I was honestly moved.
The funny (and slightly awkward) part? My current project is actually demon-themed. But you know how it is in Asia, we often treat religious elements as cool fashion items because they feel mysterious.
My question is: What is happening to the game industry right now? As a micro-studio, I never imagined someone this talented would be cold-emailing me through a Steam page.