What initially attracted you to work in gaming?
I sort of fell into it.
The games industry wasnt something I was specifically looking for earlier in my career.
However, after learning what it was all about, I really liked it.
I also led business development at Moscow-based startup, Trilobite Soft.
Could you tell us the genesis story behind Belka Games?
People often ask me what Belka means it means squirrel.
Squirrels are cute, move fast, and are extremely resilient.
We like to think that those qualities translate to our brand and culture at Belka Games.
Our studio was started a decade ago by two friends, Dzmitry Khusainau and Yury Mazanik.
What role did Belkas R&D team play in the creation ofSolitaire Cruise?
When it reaches target benchmarks, we pass the project on to the development team for an in-depth analysis.
The team then takes a data-driven approach where each stage is backed by accumulated metrics.
That’s exactly where the 80-20 rule applies.
Solitaire Cruisewas developed in that very framework.
What was the inspiration behind Solitaire Cruise?
We experimented a lot with different gameplay ideas and prototypes were born from the creativity of our team.
When the world was at home, we saw more people playing mobile games from all over the world.
Solitaire Cruise has an emphasis on competitive and liveops components.
Could you tell us more about this?
There are a lot of card and solitaire games.
What stood out about this style of solitaire compared to some of the more classic interpretations?
Different controls also play a huge role in player engagement, making the gameplay more exciting for our fans.
What do you feel has most contributed to Belka Games success?
What advice do you have for other studios who are looking to start their own R&D department?
Don’t get discouraged too quickly.
Sometimes it takes 5-10 iterations to find the right path.
Is there anything else that you would like to share about Belka Games?
Our team and people in the company have been so important to our growth.
If you are nuts about games like us, we are growing our team!
it’s possible for you to check out our openingshere.
Thank you for the great interview, readers who wish to learn more should visitBelka GamesorSolitaire Cruise.
