Wageslave – I quit my soul sucking job to make a game about it
Game development used to be something I dabbled in and off, and despite having chosen to major in Computer Science to follow a career in the field, I never managed to establish any consistency with it. So I relegated this aspiration to the realm of pipe dreams, something whose idea I preferred to the actual process of doing it, and I continued working as a software engineer. This only changed after a disruption to my job: the fintech I worked for got acquired by a big traditional bank and we were absorbed into their ranks. Long story short: it wasn't a culture fit. After six months, I…
In plain words
Wageslave is a game created by a former software engineer who left his job at a traditional bank to pursue game development. The game explores themes of workplace dissatisfaction and corporate culture through interactive gameplay. It's designed for players interested in narratives about career transitions and work-life struggles. The project stands out as a personal creative response to a real career disruption, transforming professional frustration into artistic expression.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
In the maker’s words, at launch
Game development used to be something I dabbled in and off, and despite having chosen to major in Computer Science to follow a career in the field, I never managed to establish any consistency with it. So I relegated this aspiration to the realm of pipe dreams, something whose idea I preferred to the actual process of doing it, and I continued working as a software engineer. This only changed after a disruption to my job: the fintech I worked for got acquired by a big traditional bank and we were absorbed into their ranks. Long story short: it wasn't a culture fit. After six months, I decided to quit; earning a salary was the only thing keeping me there. With all this newfound free time, I decided to give game dev another chance. I would never get back those six months, but I could use them as fuel for creative inspiration. That's how the idea of wageslave came to be: I wanted to embody the absurdity of the 9 to 5 into an interactive format. As well as include winks and nods to developer culture. I don't know if I was successful with this goal, but it's been lots of fun creating it as well as being a cathartic experience for me. I am actually enjoying the process and not just the results. So much so that I'm aiming to complete at least two more projects before I reevaluate whether this is viable. I initially planned on releasing the game for free, but in the spirit of taking game dev seriously, I will be selling it for a small amount. Feel free to try the demo, I'd be happy to hear about any feedback!
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