A new remote-first studio called Gardens has been announced by co-founders Chris Bell (Journey, What Remains of Edith Finch, Sky: Children of the Light, Way), Lexie Dostal (Dustforce), and Stephen Bell (Blaseball, What Remains of Edith Finch), alongside a talented team of developers from projects such as Spider-Man, Ratchet & Clank, Skyrim, the Fallout series, Ashen and The Hobbit.
Gardens is said to be functioning as a fully remote studio, based primarily in Portland and Los Angeles. The name of the studio is rooted in the kinds of game worlds the team wishes to create, creating games that have a lasting friendship, encouraging players to be considerate of each other and the world they inhabit together.
Co-founder Chris Bell had this to say,
With Gardens, we wanted to create a studio that cares as much about the health, happiness, and wellbeing of its team members as we do the craftsmanship of the games we create together. Our top priority is making sure our teammates enjoy their lives and are given the tools and resources to grow while creating compelling, well-crafted, thoughtful games that cultivate novel shared experiences between players online.
Another team member, Sarah Sands, Executive Producer added,
I decided to join Gardens after my first meeting with the founders. They’re such genuine and thoughtful leaders who understood all the reasons I left the games industry, and explained why and how they were going to do things differently at Gardens. I’m thankful every day that I get to help build a studio that is focused as much on creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and respected as it is on creating amazing innovative games.
Veteran developers who have already joined the Gardens team include Executive Producer Sarah Sands (Fullbright, Nike, DirectTV), Lead Artist Ryan Benno (Spider-Man, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Telltale Games The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us, and Ratchet & Clank), Principal Engineer Rose Dale (Skyrim, Fallout 3, Fallout 4), Senior Engineer Roldán Melcon (Blaseball, Where Cards Fall), Gameplay Engineer Tonia Beglari (Monster Hunter World: Iceborne XR Walk, The Under Presents), and Art Director Leighton Milne (Ashen, The Hobbit).
The new studio is currently looking to hire multiple positions that include an Animator, 3D Artist, Engineer roles, and other positions that can be checked out on the Gardens website.
Post your comments below.
