Our #GirlsBehindTheGames spotlight series lives on, thanks to Kubra Sezer! Kubra is a 24-year-old game developer from Turkey with a passion for puzzles and unique game mechanics. She currently works with gamebra.in.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I am Kubra. I’m 24 years old. I studied computer engineering at university, but I describe myself as a game developer. Currently working with the gamebra.in team. I code, design games, make 2D art and videos, keep accounts of the company and analyze game data.
How did you get interested in video games? What are some of your favorites?
Actually, I used to be interested in literature for all my educational life. But, if you’re a young person in Turkey, you really don’t know when you can make decisions about yourself. You just study to go to a good university and find yourself in a place you don’t belong to.
That actually happened to me. I always looked for a way out. My dad (rip) was always telling me to make games. I was like “how?” “I don’t know how to do that!” “With java..? Or something else?” But I was lucky. Puzzle pieces came together and one day I started to make games. It was a tough road and it still is. I was learning and still continue to learn.
I’m actually a puzzle person; I like games with unique mechanics. I can say my partner’s game “rop” was one of my favorites. What else? I like “Hidden Folks.” I just open the game and walk around on the map and play with things. Also, Stardew Valley melted my heart.
Did you always know you wanted to work with games?
I was always creating something, and I had a creative perspective. I don’t know, maybe not. I just always felt that way.
What projects are you currently working on?
We were creating premium games for mobile devices until this year. We also tried Steam for the same games, but our main area is mobile.
But, then the industry started to changed. I mean, it changed a long time ago, but we just recently started to feel this change. We started to try f2p games, but we have to be fast. Every week we try 2-3 games. If it makes progress we continue, but if it doesn’t we kill it. And to satisfy our own expectations for ourselves, we have some sides projects—again puzzles, unique mechanics.
What past projects are you most proud of?
I’m actually a newbie. But “kubrain” is my favorite project. Yes, I’m Kubra, but I’m not a narcissist. I know it wasn’t for everyone and the game didn’t reach too many people. But the idea was cool. I mean, the idea behind the game was simple, but the game was it.
What’s that one (career) goal you continue to chase?
I don’t imagine a big company with some employees or a big office. I want to keep creating unique stuff that makes people wonder, “Who created this?” And if they look it up, they’ll find a tiny woman over there.
If you could change one thing about the game industry, what would it be and why?
The diversity problem, but not just for this sector. Gender, race, sexual orientation and all discriminations. Last year, I spent hundreds of dollars to go GDC. I’ve been rejected twice for a visa, so…
What advice would you give to women who want to work in the game industry?
This advice isn’t just for women: try to meet with other indies, don’t feel alone. Just try, start small, make tiny prototypes and don’t abstain to show them to people; everybody starts like that. Oh, of course if you’re a woman, you’re stronger.
