Neurodiversity and the Games Industry

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Producer Hannah Corcoran and Senior Producer Mark Inman of Auroch Digital share their insights into how the games industry can best support its neurodiverse teams.

Here at Auroch, we know that it takes all kinds of people to make games, and that the very best games are created in an environment of kindness, inclusivity and authenticity. That’s why when Auroch Digital started out in 2010, our founders were passionate about creating a studio where everyone could bring their whole selves to work every day to do what they love: make awesome games.

A lot can happen in 12 years; and in that time, we’ve become a studio of almost 100 people and have worked on a bunch of games we’re incredibly proud of – including Mars Horizon, Megaquarium and – most recently – Brewmaster: the beer brewing simulator. It’s not just our headcount that’s increased in recent years – there’s been a huge lift in conversations around Neurodiversity in the games industry. We’ve been delighted to hear the voices of our neurodivergent games industry peers sharing their experiences and even advising how companies can best support their neurodivergent teams.

Our Senior Producer Mark Inman and Associate Producer Hannah Corcoran are just two people contributing to the wider conversation and driven by their own experiences have pulled together a resource centre around neurodiversity in the games industry and how we can all make changes to work better, together.

Meet Hannah:
“My neurodiversity is an integral part of me. I've been diagnosed with OCD and have battled with it since I was a small child. I also have ADHD, and so does my partner! Neurodiversity has surrounded me my whole life as I have neurodiverse close family members and friends, including Autism, dyslexia, and dyspraxia. On top of this, I have a BSc in Psychology and an MSc in Psychological Research Methods, I'm a trained Mental Health First Aider, and a Neurodiversity Consultant!”

 

Meet Mark:
“I’m passionate about ensuring neurodiversity is a part of everyday conversation in the games industry. Studio Director Tomas Rawlings has really driven the studios’ approach to neurodiversity in a bid to make it a more welcoming environment for all, where anyone can have open and honest conversations without it ever becoming uncomfortable. Through active, mutual support, we’ve become better at normalising conversations and better integrating support tools.”

 

So, let’s get into it!

What does neurodiversity mean?

  • Neurodiversity (noun): The diversity or variation of cognitive functioning in people.

    Put simply, neurodiversity means the different ways brains can work and how they interpret information – not all humans are the same and not all humans think in identical ways. Just as we all have different interests, skills and motivations, we also all have totally different brains.

  • Neurodiverse (adjective): Describes the diversity and variation of cognitive functioning in people.
    Most people are neurotypical, which means that the brain functions and processes information in a way that is deemed ‘usual’ by society, but it’s estimated that more than 15% (that’s one in seven!) of the population is neurodivergent.

  • Neurodivergence (noun): Cognitive functioning which is not considered "typical".
    Makes sense then, that given the games industry continues to grow year-on-year, that a 2021 report found that 18% (that’s one in five) of UK games industry workers are neurodivergent, meaning there is a higher prevalence of neurodiversity in the UK games industry than in the general UK population!

  • Neurodivergent (adjective): Describes people who have a neurodivergence.

What can neurodiversity look like?

You might be wondering ‘what does it mean to be neurodivergent?’… well, there isn’t just one way to be! Neurodivergence cannot and is not defined as being one thing – it can include a range of conditions that effect everyone in entirely different ways, including:

  • Affects behaviour – those with ADHD can seem restless, may have trouble concentrating and may act on impulse.

  • Affects communication and experience of the world around them – Autism is a spectrum and everyone with it is completely different in the levels of support they may or may not need.

  • Can affect learning, such as reading and writing, and has differing levels of severity for everyone on the spectrum.

  • Affects movement and co-ordination, such as fine motor skills like writing and using small objects.

It's common to find that neurodivergent individuals may experience more than one of these conditions, known as comorbidity, and it’s important to remember that not everyone may experience these conditions in the same way.

Neurodiversity and the Games Industry

As mentioned earlier, there’s a pretty high percentage of neurodivergent folks who find themselves working in the games industry. Despite these big numbers, there’s been very little official research into why a neurodivergent brain might be drawn to a career in games.

One thought is that video games as an activity provides continuous, external reinforcement, which caters beautifully to the neurodiverse brain! On top of this, games help neurodiverse folks embrace making mistakes, allowing space for self-compassion and for growth. It’s also been observed that video games are a safe space to help build communication skills through regular interaction with the gaming community. One study found that 41.4% of adolescents and children with autism spend their free time playing video games, compared to 18% of their neurotypical peers (Mazurek, Shattuck, Wagner, and Cooper 2013) - so it’s not hard to see how a love for playing games could develop into a valid career opportunity for them in adulthood!

It's assumed that the games as a career seem to suit neurodiverse brains for a plethora of reasons, and there are many strengths that come with being neurodiverse – many of which make neurodivergent people a perfect fit for the industry.

For example, Hannah’s role as a Producer sees her working with a myriad of teams every single day, with no two days ever looking similar. She has the responsibility of meeting to strict deadlines and more often than not, problems to solve. Common traits of someone with ADHD can be ‘hyperfocus’, ‘flexibility’, ‘eye for detail’ and ‘motivated by short term deadlines’ – don’t these sound like desirable personality traits you’d see on a job advert for a Producer?

Another example could be in Code and Programming roles. Oftentimes, these teams will be doing lots of repetitive action with a need for attention to detail – both of which can be strengths for someone with Autism.

What can I do to support my neurodivergent teams?

Despite such a high number of neurodiverse brains working in our industry, there’s little to no advice for managers and leads on how to best support their neurodivergent teams and even less in the way of toolkits and advice centres. Below are some easy ways you can support your team:

  • Whilst the responsibility to support neurodiverse staff sits with the employer, there are limits and it’s good to establish those boundaries early on. Identify with your team a sensible approach to working, understanding their ways of working or establishing reasonable expectations – such as additional support needed or time for tasks to be completed. In leading a team, you must be able to support everyone – not just individuals. With this in mind, it’s important you reach an understanding of the level of support they might need going forward.

  • Never underestimate the power of early conversations! The best time to talk to a team member about neurodiversity is during the interview stage by explaining your company’s approach to supporting neurodiversity without putting any pressure on the candidate to come forward and share. Framing your neurodiversity strategy as part of onboarding will make it feel like general information and may make dialogue later down the line easier.

  • It’s best not to let undisclosed neurodiversity linger, talking it through thoroughly will help you both understand what support is needed and how your team member can work at their best. Regular check-ins with your team to ensure they’re comfortable and feel safe to raise any issues is key in making a happier environment for everyone.

  • Across most neurodiversity, being able to manage time in a more granulated way can make it much easier for neurodivergent team members to manage their time and meet deadlines. It’s easy for large time tasks to feel overwhelming, so being open to supporting your team in breaking up their tasks into bitesize chunks will make a big difference.

  • Not all brains can process a wall of text or hear every instruction all at once. Find out from your team how much detail is enough and work with them on delivering instruction – it might not always be possible to cut a dense document down but including a bullet point summary can help. Opening the door to conversation around preferred communication will mean everyone is able to do their best work.

  • This is probably the broadest area and where a manager will need to show their best flexibility. Establishing the communication preferences of your team early on will make for the smoothest experience. For example: How do they best disseminate instruction/direction? What is their preferred way to interject/contribute to a debate or meeting? What tools/processes do they need to be able to track information personally? Knowing this early means they are not left feeling excluded or overwhelmed in meetings or team events

  • Exposure to certain sensory stimuli can be incredibly difficult for some neurodiverse people, and you should be prepared to take steps to support wherever possible. Whilst best to avoid these triggers, it’s not always possible. If you also cannot work to mitigate/reduce these triggers, it is good practice to ensure you give teams as much notice as possible of potential sensory triggering in the run up to it happening – for example, showing a trailer during a presentation. Remember: avoid, mitigate, notify!

  • It can be almost impossible to remain focused when you have low levels of certainty that your task list or plan for the day may go off the rails. With this in mind, avoid getting into the habit of changing your teams’ day-to-day work and try to limit unexpected meetings with little to no notice. We know the games industry loves a curveball, and not every change of plan can be avoided – but should unavoidable disruption rear its head, have a plan to work with your team to reassure them that the impact is not something they have control over. Also, avoid the use of hotdesking for neurodiverse employees.

  • The one thing employers can absolutely get right is providing the appropriate hardware/software to ensure team members are able to perform at their best. There is a wide variety of tools available, from footrests to aid balance, to noise cancelling headphones, to screen filters, to fidget toys, to supportive software! It’s important for an employer to stay on top of emerging tech, so the onus isn’t always on the individual to bring suggestions to the table

These are just some of the ways you can adapt your ways of working to suit everyone but remember: not all brains are wired the same way and what works for one neurodiverse brain might not suit another. It’s all about patience, adaptability and honesty.

Supporting Neurodiversity in the Games Industry

The estimated percentage of neurodivergent individuals working in the games industry is higher than that of the general population in the UK – so how can you find your dream role in games if you are neurodiverse?

  1. Research: When looking for roles in games, research various studios and whether they’re upfront abut their approach to neurodiversity at work – are they supporting causes like UKIE’s #RaiseTheGame or partnering with Into Games? Both of these are great resources for studios to upskill themselves in working with neurodiverse teams and may be a good indicator of their knowledge level in neurodiversity.

  2. Be open and honest: If you’re starting to have conversations with a studio about your career there, it’s important to be open and honest about your neurodiversity during this time. Many people with a neurodivergence find it useful to create a “Spiky Profile” – which is a visual graph to explain the differences of ability associated with your neurodivergence, capturing what makes you such a valuable individual, and what areas you need support in.

  3. Keep the conversation going: Wherever you can and feel safe to do so, keep conversations about your experience open. Be sure to manage expectations with your manager and be honest about what could make your experience better, whether that be time management support, adapted work hours, quieter desk space, communication preferences, simplified instructions or ways to mitigate sensory triggers.

As for companies, there are tonnes of ways you can make your studio space – both virtual and remotely – more accessible.

  1. Check your communications: Do you have a website with fancy graphics and lots of moving parts? It might look great but maybe take time to consider how it could look to someone who struggles to process a lot of moving imagery or someone who may struggle to navigate it. Think about how the text on your site might be read by someone with dyslexia – is it easy to read and clear? Are you using jargon upfront and making it hard to find your careers page?

  2. Make physical spaces more accessible: Having a bustling office may seem like a great idea, but for someone with neurodiversity it might be a very overwhelming space – especially if their desk is in an area of high-traffic.

  3. Create safe virtual spaces: A teams meeting with 15 people on might be necessary, but consider recording all calls so people can easily access and process the information at a later date without the pressure of a live audience.

  4. Keep the conversation going: Yep, it’s vital that team members and workplaces alike keep this conversation going. You could create anonymous forums for people to post their questions, thoughts and suggestions on changes that could be made to better the employee experience.

Research: It goes without saying that the advice given here is not a fix all solution – everyone is different and things are constantly evolving. Stay up to date, in the know and proactive in your learning around neurodiversity.

Auroch Digital and Neurodiversity

Here at Auroch, we’re very proud to have built a culture where our people can be honest with us and share how they’re feeling. Through the years, we’ve learnt that flexible thinking is the best way to create a workplace fit for everyone and we’re always making changes and improvements in any way we can.

We’re always learning, but through communication and patience, we’re on the right path to becoming a home for everyone.

A huge thank you to Hannah and Mark for their hard work and commitment on this guide – we’re so proud to have you on our team and of all the positive changes you make in the industry. As a final note, the two have pulled together some useful resources that we can all take the time to read and act on:

Hannah Corcoran is an Associate Producer at Auroch Digital and is always happy to talk about brains and video games. You can catch her on Twitter at @hazelrune – her inbox is always open!
Mark Inman is a Senior Producer at Auroch Digital and is available on Twitter at @Fortress_Inman.

Interested in finding out more about a role at Auroch Digital? Why not check out the Careers Page and see if there’s a fit for you!

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Auroch Digital

Marketing and Community Managment for Auroch Digital in Bristol, UK.