GJD Talks: A Conversation with Jamie McClenaghan

Ahead of the first ever GJD Talk, we spoke to industry veteran and founder of Classy Games Studios, Jamie McClenaghan 🔜 GDC . As our first speaker in this new series of virtual talks, Jamie was kind enough to spend some time answering a few questions that will help you get to know him and give you a look at what you can expect from his upcoming talk.

Ok, let’s start with the obvious question. What inspired you to make games?

I’ve always been interested in technology and its endless possibilities for creativity. I didn’t have the resources growing up to experiment with hardware, but I was able to dive into programming and make mods for games. That’s what really led me into coding.

I spent countless hours playing Halo 3 with school friends and strangers from around the world. Some incredible memories were made. It was such a joyful experience and, for me, a welcome escape from reality.

That’s what inspired me. I want to create games that put a smile on someone's face and create fond memories and experiences just like I had.

Has the dream always been to build your own studio, since first bagging your Unity internship back in Belfast?

Typically, after leaving university, the goal is to secure a role at one of the big names in the industry and hit the ground running. It’s usually because those are the companies behind the games you loved growing up. I had the exact same plan.  But everything changed during my internships at university.

I discovered how much I enjoyed working with smaller, more proactive teams. Things moved quickly, and every team member made a real impact. That’s when I realised that joining one of the big studios would likely limit both my impact and the scope of what I could contribute to a project. 

So, my goal shifted to running my own studio. But before taking that leap, I knew it was important to gain invaluable industry experience and build a broad skill set.

For those who may be unfamiliar, give us your elevator pitch for the studio.

Classy Games Studios is an indie game development studio based in Northern Ireland and the Middle East.We specialise in creating engaging games that ignite your imagination and bring out your inner child. Our focus is on developing games for niche, under-served genres.

Be honest- do you still see making games as a passion or does it feel more like a job?

We’ve just released SillySuspects, and the past few months have been an intense grind that definitely felt more like a job. Wearing so many hats has been time-consuming and stressful but at the core of it all, it’s still something I’m deeply passionate about. SillySuspects is a project I truly believe in, and I want people to experience it in its fullest.

Seeing people enjoy something you’ve poured your heart into reminds you why you started making games in the first place. The studio has learned a lot from SillySuspects, from both the successes and the challenges, and that experience has made us stronger. We’re excited to move on to our next project feeling re-energised, with fresh ideas and a renewed drive to hit the ground running.

So, localisation- is it really that important?

Super important! Having the opportunity to travel the world and learn about different cultures, histories, and languages has shown me that, at the core, people everywhere are the same. We all love games. That’s why reducing the barriers to enjoyment through proper localisation is so important. It’s not just about translation, but about making sure the stories in your game resonate with different demographics and that players can see themselves reflected in the experience.

With Silly Suspects about to drop, what’s been the biggest struggle in making sure it works for everyone—no matter where they’re playing?

One of the biggest challenges has been ensuring that our custom AI generation tools work seamlessly across different systems. We developed these tools in-house to generate over three trillion unique characters, which is a huge part of what makes SillySuspects stand out. The tools are optimised to run efficiently on a variety of hardware, but right now, the game is only available on PC.

Testing has been particularly challenging. We’ve had to make sure the character generation works consistently across different setups while maintaining performance and stability. This has been crucial as we're now looking to expand SillySuspects to mobile and browser, especially after receiving such strong feedback and countless requests to bring the game to these platforms.

Amazing, thanks Jamie! And where can people find out more about Classy Games and what you’ve got coming up?

Our team are active online and you can find us at:

Website = https://classygamesstudios.com/

Discord = https://discord.com/invite/QTHShZJtGv

LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/company/classy-games-studios

TikTok = https://www.tiktok.com/@classygamesstudios

YouTube = https://www.youtube.com/@ClassyGamesStudios

BlueSky = https://bsky.app/profile/classygamesstudios.com

Instagram = https://www.instagram.com/classy_games_studios/

Reddit = https://www.reddit.com/r/classygamesstudios/