Who We Are
Playfusex started in 2020 when a few industry veterans got tired of seeing talented people struggle to break into game design. Not because they lacked creativity or drive, but because most education programs were either too theoretical or taught outdated practices.
So we built something different. Not a university with semesters and exams. Not a bootcamp promising jobs in six weeks. Something in between that actually works.
What We Believe
Game design isn't something you learn from textbooks. Sure, you need to understand principles and study what's come before. But mostly, you learn by making games, screwing them up, figuring out why they don't work, and trying again.
We've watched countless talented designers get stuck in tutorial hell, endlessly consuming content without ever shipping anything. That's not learning - that's procrastination with extra steps.
Our Approach
Every program we run is built around one simple idea: you're here to make games. Not to collect certificates or pad your LinkedIn. To actually create playable experiences that other people enjoy.
That means you'll be prototyping from day one. You'll get feedback from real players, not just instructors nodding along. You'll discover that your brilliant mechanic confuses everyone who tries it. You'll redesign, rebuild, and occasionally start over.
It's messy. It's frustrating sometimes. It's also the only way to actually get good at this.
The Mentor Thing
Everyone teaching here has shipped commercial games. Not hobby projects - actual products that people paid money for. Some succeeded, some failed spectacularly, but everyone learned a ton from the experience.
When your mentor tells you something won't work, they're not being negative. They've probably tried exactly what you're suggesting and watched it crash and burn. That experience matters.
Where We're Located
Our physical space is in Madrid, but most of what we do happens online. Game development is already a remote-friendly industry, so we built our programs to work the same way.
You'll do most of your work on your own time, meet with mentors via video calls, and connect with other students through Discord. If you're in Madrid and want to use our studio space, cool. If you're in Tokyo or Toronto or wherever, that works too.
The Student Community
One thing that surprised us early on was how much students helped each other. Someone figures out a tricky Unity problem and shares the solution. Another person has experience with pixel art and offers feedback on everyone's visual assets.
We didn't plan for this - it just happened naturally when you put creative people working on similar problems in the same digital space. Now it's one of our favorite parts of the program.
What We're Not
We're not a path to guaranteed employment. Anyone promising that is lying. We'll help you build a strong portfolio, prepare for interviews, and make industry connections. But you still have to be good and work hard.
We're not comprehensive. There's too much to game design to cover everything. We focus on what actually matters for getting started, then help you figure out what to learn next based on your goals.
We're not cheap. Quality mentorship from working professionals costs money. We think it's worth it, but if you're looking for free YouTube tutorials, those exist too. They're just not what we do.
Why Madrid?
Honestly? That's where the founders were. No grand strategy. But it turns out Spain has a growing game development scene, reasonable cost of living, and decent espresso. Works for us.
The Long Game
Most of our students don't land their dream job immediately after finishing a program. That's fine. They take contract work, build their portfolio, maybe ship an indie game that nobody plays. Then another one that a few people notice. Then something that actually gets traction.
That's how careers in game design usually work. Overnight success stories make for good marketing, but they're not the norm. We're here for people playing the long game.
Our Track Record
Since 2020, we've worked with about four hundred students. Some have landed jobs at major studios. Others are making indie games full-time. A bunch work in related fields like game writing, QA, or production.
A few decided game development wasn't for them after all, which is also a valuable outcome. Better to figure that out after three months with us than after four years of university.
What's Next
We keep adding programs based on what students ask for and where the industry is heading. VR is getting more mature. Mobile gaming keeps evolving. Live service games need different skills than traditional single-player experiences.
The fundamentals don't change much, but the applications do. We try to stay current without chasing every trend that might be irrelevant in six months.