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Tired of the "No Experience → No Job" loop?

A topic by jadesealent created Feb 10, 2026 Views: 2,454 Replies: 51
Viewing posts 1 to 20 of 23 · Next page · Last page
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Hey everyone! I’m Mary, a Narrative Lead and Indie Dev at Silver Crane Studios. We're currently 3 weeks out from launching the demo for our Qing Dynasty political sim, Princes of Qing.


While building this game, I realized how hard it is for talented newcomers in the industry to get their first 'shipped' credit. Everyone wants you to have experience, but no one will give you your first real job to get it. Your resume gets ignored. It’s a frustrating loop we’ve all been in: you can't get the job without a portfolio of shipped work, but you can't ship work because nobody will hire you without a portfolio.

So, I'm starting something new: Jade Seal Entertainment. It's a community to help newcomers and career-changers get real, practical experience.

What we’re doing:

  • The First Scroll Initiative: Structured project experience for students and career-changers.
  • Peer Mentorship: A space to build your portfolio alongside a professional pipeline.

We’re looking for Founding Members—artists, writers, and devs—who want to grow with us from Day 1.

If you're tired of applying and getting nowhere, and you're ready to start building real experience with a team, join the community here: https://discord.gg/wDznzWehZa

hey, im a beginner Artist. ive been drawing digitally for three years, specialicing in anime art. id love to gain some experience and grow my artistic skills by trying out different things. if youre still looking for an artist id love to try! ^^

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Hey Eclipse!
That sounds great — anime art is absolutely welcome, and we love artists who want to branch out and experiment. We’re very beginner-friendly and focused on learning by doing.
Here's our invite link: https://discord.gg/wDznzWehZa
Once you're in, head to #introductions and drop a link to your portfolio so the team can say hi!

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hello! I'm developing  a text based online browser game. i could really use some artwork. let me know if you're interested :)

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id love to check it out first, do you have discord?

sure @ekika6

same

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Hey Syntax! Thanks for the interest 🙂
Here's our invite link:https://discord.gg/wDznzWehZa so you can take a look at how things are structured and see if it’s a good fit for you.
Once you're in, head to #introductions and drop a link to your portfolio so the team can say hi!

hello! just checking: I'm developing  a text based online browser game. i could really use some artwork. let me know if you're interested :)

This seems like a good initiative. I'd be interested in a position as an artist.

Thanks, Dal! Glad it resonates with you. We’re definitely looking for artists right now. Here's our invite link:https://discord.gg/wDznzWehZa so you can check out the initiative and available roles. 

Me too, i am interested in the artist role.

Awesome! We’re actively onboarding artists at the moment. Here's our invite link:https://discord.gg/wDznzWehZa so you can hop in and see what projects are forming.

I'd be interested as a c# developer if that's going?

Hey! Yes — we’re open to programmers as well. Here's our invite link:https://discord.gg/wDznzWehZa so you can hop in and see what the community is like!

hello! We are currently developing  a text based online browser game. we could really use one more dev. let me know if you're interested :)

Thanks for all the interest, everyone! I've replied with links to your messages. If I miss you, feel free to join the community by clicking this link: https://discord.gg/wDznzWehZa or mail me at jadesealentertainment@gmail.com directly.

Hey, I'm Chinese. Are you looking for a native female Mainland Mandarin voice for your project?

Hey Tusi! While we aren't planning for VA on this specific title (the script is massive!), I would love to have you in the community.

Jade Seal is about building a long-term pipeline, and having native speakers/VAs in the circle for future projects or cultural consulting would be amazing. Come join us and help us build the foundation!

Here’s the link: https://discord.gg/wDznzWehZa or mail me at jadesealentertainment@gmail.com directly.

Hello i have some experience with unity programming. i published few games by myself but i didnt work on actual project.

Hey! That’s totally fine - solo projects absolutely count, and a lot of people here are in that same “done stuff alone, want real team experience” stage.

We’re open to Unity programmers, especially folks who want to learn how collaborative pipelines work. Here’s the invite link so you can take a look:
https://discord.gg/wDznzWehZa

Hello!

I'd like to apply for a writer position. I have been writing since I was little, and I truly love stories, deep characters to whom people can feel connected, and different genres. I'm really adaptable, and I'd love to share my passion for storytelling with other people.

I have a college degree in Chinese and Japanese literature and language, and I'm currently specializing in game localization and translation in general. I'm really looking forward to helping you with this amazing project, as I also think it is a beautiful gesture, since we all need to start from somewhere ^^

Hi Noa! This is right up our alley! Strong narrative focus, adaptability, and your background in Chinese & Japanese literature is especially relevant to what we’re building.

We’re definitely welcoming writers, and Jade Seal is meant to be a place where that passion turns into real, collaborative experience. I’d love to have you join us and meet the rest of the team.

Here’s the invite link:
https://discord.gg/wDznzWehZa

Need a composer?

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Absolutely! We’re open to composers as well. Music is a huge part of the experience, and it’s great to have audio folks involved early.

Here’s the invite link so you can check out what we’re building and see if it clicks for you:
https://discord.gg/wDznzWehZa

Do you need an artist who specializes in drawing 2D characters and backgrounds?

Hi Vinovi!


Yes we do! Feel free to join the community here: https://discord.gg/wDznzWehZa

Hello! I would like to try it too.

I am looking for my first team to work with. I have been drawing for a long time (more than 8 years in Photoshop), but I have not worked in visual novels yet — I really want to change that with you. I can draw anything for the task at hand and easily adapt to different styles (from realism to anime). 

I know there are already many of you, but maybe I'll be a good fit for the project? 😊

I'm ready to show my portfolio and complete a test assignment!

Hi Marina!

We're still very much open to more talent! You can join the community here: https://discord.gg/wDznzWehZa

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hello! We are currently developing  a text based online browser game. we could really use some artworks. let me know if you're interested :)

I apologize for the delayed response. Are you still looking for an illustrator?

hey there everyone. I'm a 2d illustrator and character designer. I want to earn experience from working with team. So am I allow to be a part of your team. 

You're very welcome to join! 

https://discord.gg/wDznzWehZa

Hi Mary,

Is this still available? After years of working in education, I'm making a career pivot to writing and would love to be a part of this project! What you're doing sounds awesome :)

-Harmony

Hi, Ministronelover,

Yes, the offer is still very much available, and you're very welcome to join!

https://discord.gg/wDznzWehZa

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Hi Mary.

My kid and I interested become a QA tester. I do the documentation for the issues and bugs. 

My background is in frontend development. Although I'm still new to game development, I'm willing to learn new ropes.

Are there any positions open?

Yes there are Playtesters positions open, Teoio! 

You can join the community here: https://discord.gg/wDznzWehZa

i am in need of you divine wisdom. i know computer programming and have made a few education projects to teach me how to use godot. i dont have any art, animation or sound skills and i want to make some games but i dont currently have the confidence that i could carry a 1 year project to the end. what sort of games can i make in 1 to 3 moths that play on my computer programming strengths? how do i figure out what i want to build? i took a blender tutorial but then never made anything because i never knew what i wanted to make. what other stuff might i need to know to start this game dev journey?

Hey CaptainRedBeard,

First, what you're describing is extremely normal. The “I can code but I don’t know what to build” phase is something almost every dev hits.

Also, for what it’s worth, I’m primarily a programmer and writer myself. I built the entire core mechanics system for Princes of Qing; political influence systems, branching structures, event logic; before I ever brought in dedicated artists or UI collaborators.

You don’t need to be a one-person studio to start. You need:

• A clear, small scope

• A core mechanic that’s interesting even with placeholder visuals

• A finish line within 1–3 months

If you’re strong in programming, lean into that. Make something systems-heavy and art-light:

A management sim with clean UI

A mechanics-driven roguelike

A strategy game with minimal visuals

Even a text-based systems game

The trick isn’t “What do I want to build forever?”

It’s “What can I actually finish in 8–10 weeks?”

Finish something small. That confidence changes everything.

Also, if Blender stalled you? That’s fine. Not everyone is meant to be a solo-everything dev. Some of the strongest projects start with a programmer building a strong foundation, then bringing in collaborators once the core loop exists.

That’s part of why we built Jade Seal — to help people move from solo experiments to structured team work.

You’re closer than you think!

thank you for your feedback. how can i know how long a project is going to take before i start it? also right now im interested in making a game where the player has to travel by train to get to a destination but the train gets stopped for one reason or another and the player has to do some exploring to collect the needed materials to progress. like in mario odessy or jak and daxter. there will be 4 worlds in total and in each world there will also be an upgrade that enhances exploration. the first world will be fairy kingdom and the upgrade will be the ability to change size so that they can explore the buildings meant for fairy sized people. the second world will be elf kingdom and the upgrade will be the ability to activate elf machines and tools like blue eco from jak and daxter. the third kingdom is one where people ride unicorns and the upgrade is the ability to summon a unicorn at any time to ride it like breath of the wilds sheika horse armor. the unicorn is able to run really fast and double jump. the final kingdom is mermaid kingdom and the upgrade is being able to swim underwater indefinitely. the game will not have any enemies. the game is 3d.

Hey Mary! This is such a great initiative, I love the idea behind Jade Seal Entertainment.

I’m a Ren’Py and Unity programmer with 3+ years of experience working in both engines. I’m currently a 1st year Game Development student, and I’ve been actively building and finishing small projects to grow my portfolio and production pipeline skills.

You can check out my work on my Itch.io portfolio (happy to share the link directly if needed). I’ve worked on gameplay systems, UI, mechanics implementation, and narrative-driven features, especially in Unity, and I’m very comfortable working in structured team environments.

I’d definitely be interested in contributing and growing with a team from Day 1. Looking forward to connecting!

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Hi GenGoatT!
We'd love to have you in the community! Looking forward likewise to connecting with you!

You can join the community here: https://discord.gg/wDznzWehZa

Hello Mary,

Is this still available? I've been wanting to join a team for a long while now, but I haven't been able to due to my lack of experience. I am wanting to join a team as a music composer/performer; however, my portfolio is small and I have lacked the motivation to make music for quite some time. I do have four years of experience playing clarinet in high school.

Thank you,
Dante.

Hi DantePlaz!

We'd love to have you in the community! 

You can join the community here: https://discord.gg/wDznzWehZa

Hi Mary! 

I wanted to ask you if you and your team were looking for a translator/localizer. I'm native Italian and speak English, Japanese and Spanish.   I just graduated so my portoflio is kinda small, but I would really appreciate to have the opportunity to work with y'all! 

Thank you!

Peso

Hi Peso!

We'd love to have you in the community! 

You can join the community here: https://discord.gg/wDznzWehZa

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