08 Apr Meet the Bakers: Thomas Jager
At the Game Bakery, we value cooperation and sharing our knowledge, skills, and passion with each other. There are currently 16 members who all possess their own unique skills, and we would like to (re)introduce you to everyone and showcase their work over the coming time!
Starting with one of our co-founders, and also our current chair of the Bakery, we would like to introduce you to Thomas Jager today.
Hi, I’m Thomas! I’m a Game Producer by trade, and I’m involved in organising the Global Game Jam, where most people know me as the face of GGJ Groningen up until the 2024 edition. Around the office I am known for my appreciation (no, it’s not an obsession!!) for waterfowl such as ducks, and always having a stash of Fisherman’s Friend within reach.
Could you explain what you do?
My role is a combination of project manager, the scrum/agile role of “Product Owner”, and product manager. It means that I’m responsible for keeping a project on budget and on track, making sure that the team and stakeholders have a clear picture of where we are going, and to spot and mitigate risks before they become a real issue.
What kind of projects have you worked on?
Until 2023 I worked at BlackMill Games, where I worked on a series of shooter games set in the First World War. It made me very interested in the history of the early 20th century. I worked mostly on Isonzo, which depicts the war in the Italian front. It was a great chance to see a company grow more mature — it even got acquired by a big publisher in early 2023 — and have a defining say in how things were done there. Before this, I didn’t have a lot of experience in bigger teams, so I’m very grateful for that opportunity, and proud of my legacy there.
Why would a team need a producer on a project?
Game development is all about different skill sets coming together, and usually people with different passions also communicate differently. A large part of what I do is settling differences of opinions and providing an unbiased view. It’s also very natural to want to make the perfect game, so it’s good to have someone on the team who upholds the scope and timeline. Lastly, I think it unburdens other team members; I’m satisfied with my work when it means that other team members don’t have to worry about far away milestones, but get to focus on code, art, whatever they do best!
What do you get out of being a member of the Game Bakery?
First of all, a great social place to work. I enjoy working remotely and have developed some expertise in remote team processes, but I hate actually working from home. Game Bakery is a great home base to work from with clients or companies from anywhere, and you still get to have lunch with like-minded people with whom you can share ideas.
Do you also work with other Game Bakers?
Since a couple of years, there have also been a lot more co-development projects in our cooperative. For example, I’m helping Multiverse Narratives finish a small slice of their language puzzle game Eloquence, with which we can hopefully find funding for a full version. I’m also helping Freek from BoterJan (with whom I had my first game studio as well!) publish a lot of his small prototype games, which were gathering dust on the shelf and can now hopefully see the light! In short, I think it’s a great place for making new professional connections or deepening existing ones.
Where can we see more of your work?
I have a personal website and I’m on BlueSky!