Pocketpair, the studio behind Palworld and Craftopia, has an unusual requirement for hiring game designer applicants: they must submit screenshots of their Steam playtime history to even be considered for the job.

CEO Takuro Mizobe recently discussed the company’s hiring practices on X (formerly Twitter), explaining that candidates who don’t play games on Steam won’t make it past the initial resume screening. “If an applicant’s number of Steam games played is 0, we will, in principle, pass them on,” Mizobe stated on his personal account.

ポケットペアはプランナーにはSteamのゲームのプレイ履歴のスクリーンショットを提出して貰っています。（そもそもSteam未プレイの人は書類選考通過しない）… https://t.co/maBTOxwS7s

— Takuro Mizobe | Palworld (@urokuta_ja) January 23, 2026

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The requirement serves more than one purpose. Beyond wanting to hire dedicated Steam gamers, Pocketpair uses these screenshots to evaluate candidates’ understanding of game design. During interviews, applicants must analyze their most-played games, breaking down mechanics and systems, explaining possible reasons behind design choices, and discussing what sets certain titles apart from others in the same genre.

While Mizobe mentioned that candidates can also submit playtime from PS5 or Xbox, Steam remains the company’s main focus. He emphasized wanting team members who play indie games that are only available on Steam, which aligns with Pocketpair’s history as a Steam-focused indie developer that has since grown into a larger studio and publishing label.

This approach stems from Pocketpair’s development philosophy. In an earlier interview during Palworld’s launch, Mizobe explained that the team designed their hit game based on extensive experience playing similar titles like Terraria, ARK: Survival Evolved, Minecraft, Valheim, and others. Given that method’s success, the studio now seeks designers with broad and substantial Steam gaming experience.

The practice differs from typical hiring procedures among Japanese game developers. Mizobe’s approach echoes similar views from CyberConnect2 CEO Matsuyama Hiroshi, who previously advocated for game developers having extensive gaming experience, though his comments at the time drew criticism for their delivery.

Meanwhile, Pocketpair continues working toward Palworld’s full release, planned for 2026. A recent teaser has previewed what the studio describes as the game’s largest content update yet.