Game devs and "crunch" food

animatorswearbras

Hi I was wondering if anyone here is a game dev (or has any other job that requires extended periods of crunching) and can give me tips how to stay on track (or at least damage control) during a crunch?

We've just started a crunch period at my studio which may last at least a month, basically if I'm not at work I'm at home sleeping (so no real time or energy for the gym) and when the company gets food it tends to be dirty takeout, every night... Pizza, Chinese, Indian. How do you deal with it? I try to make healthy choices but the kitchen is always full of donuts and cakes too as "morale boosters" it is so hard... the cake is a lie my arrse, the cake is ruddy omnipresent!

tweekedgirl

Hey, I'm in game dev too and also currently in crunch!

I find the best plan is to try to keep your meals during the day small, so 200-300 for breakfast, 300-500 for lunch, leaving you with more for the larger takeaway in the evening.

As for food choice, most of the takeaways do offer something a bit healthier. So the pizza place we order from has salads, the Indian you could opt for the clay-oven cooked meats and the veggie sides, Chinese chow mien ect.

I also make sure I find time to keep up with my exercise routine, no matter how tired I might be. I find it much easier to get out on my lunch hour, nip to the gym, get in a 3 mile run, anything I can to counteract sitting at a computer all day. This also helps with fitting in crunch food.

Finally, the donuts! I feel your pain. Almost on a daily basis someone brings in cakes, biscuits, donuts. Honestly all you can do is work on your will power. We usually get an e-mail informing us of when goodies have arrived. I delete this and just avoid the kitchen until all that remains is crumbs. Out of sight out of mind works well here!

Good luck, and don't work too hard

animatorswearbras

Cheers Tweeked It's nice to know someone else is going through the same thing and managing! I do walk to work now since the studio expanded and my new office is walking distance from home, but I really need to do more, so lazy lol. (I live pretty close to a gym too)

I shall however heed your advice and delete cake mails and avoid the kitchen, however in the new studio there's always plenty of cake left, my department used to be on the same floor as QA at the old place who'd destroy cake in seconds now it's mostly a bunch of us late 20's & 30 somethings trying to avoid the looming middle age spread. We do get fresh fruit deliveries too though I could just try weaning myself on to only allowing that, it's just so easy to graze all day at your desk.

And you're right there are salad options on pizza day... stupid boring salad.

Well done for keeping on top of it, and same to you hun! x