u/Old-Butterscotch8711

Hey r/gamedev!

I’m a solo dev currently working on Project Manager SIM on Steam. Naturally, I've been trying to post about my game in various subreddits to get some feedback.

But I've noticed a wild trend: whenever I post in any dev-related subreddit, I get a surprising amount of visceral negativity aimed not at the game itself, but at the concept of the PM role. I get comments like:

"You shouldn't joke about this kind of stuff."
"Why would you make a game showing how to be a bad boss? (I AM NOT!)"
"In the current job market, this actually feels offensive."

It's just a game? It doesn't even lean into heavy, real-world corporate trauma that much. The civilization series allow me to nuke the world! And my game about management, not about torturing people or something...

I do get some genuinely hilarious comments too. Like*"Wow, a horror game where you take on the perspective of the monster, very cool."*

Many people also suggest "interesting" mechanics, like adding a feature to replace half your staff with AI, or an active skill to scream at your boss when he screams at you.

Here is the thing: I actually used to be a project manager in real life. Sure, maybe there are few people out there who hated me, but overall, I always had a great relationship with my team(s). We went through a lot of crunch and chaos, but we always found a way out of tough situations together.

So, my question to you all: where does this baseline, deep-seated hatred for the Project manager role come from in the dev community? Have bad PMs really traumatized that many people, or is it just an internet echo chamber at this point? Am I not allowed to mention my past job in public anymore XD?

No offense, just curious!

Hey r/BaseBuildingGames!

I’m a solo dev, and tomorrow (May 20) I’m releasing the first public demo for my game, Project Manager SIM.

I know this sub is mostly about surviving harsh alien planets or designing massive automated factories (i love that stuff), but I wanted to share my game here because surviving a chaotic corporate IT department requires very similar skills.

I recently ran a closed playtest and implemented a ton of fixes, but getting fresh eyes on the core loop from players who love management games is incredibly important to me. Instead of a traditional god-view, you control the manager directly with WASD, physically running around the office in top-down perspective to put out fires.

In the demo:

Plan projects, assign tasks, and manage unexpected client tickets.
Hire your dream team (developers, QA, designers), each with unique personality traits (don't seat toxic people next to each other!).
Upgrade your office space.
Try to balance team burnout against approaching deadlines.
Develop your relationships with clients and the Boss

I’m really looking for feedback on whether the WASD controls feel natural. Would love to hear your thoughts!

Link: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4454610/Project_manager_SIM/

I'm making a game about being a Project Manager, and I've noticed dev subreddits absolutely despise the role. Where does this hate come from?

Not exactly base-building, but an office & team-building game. The demo of my game "Project Manager SIM" launches tomorrow!

u/Old-Butterscotch8711

I'm making a game about being a Project Manager, and I've noticed dev subreddits absolutely despise the role. Where does this hate come from?

Not exactly base-building, but an office &amp; team-building game. The demo of my game "Project Manager SIM" launches tomorrow!

Not exactly base-building, but an office & team-building game. The demo of my game "Project Manager SIM" launches tomorrow!