great pay, but a soul sucking place to work for creative talent - Artist/Animator Zynga Employee Review

2.0
Jun 26, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

very casual environment and easy work. Lots of food, snack, and treats provided if your game makes them money. Its totally out of your control if your game makes money, but if it happens to make a ton you get all kinds of goodies. I recommend it only to friends because its easy and good money.

Cons

You have to abandon any real pride at the door if you are an artist and work here. The pay is great and the work and workload is easy, but the games you work on are hideous, the gameplay is bad, and dont try and change anything because everyone in charge thinks what they are working on is the most amazing and stunning thing ever, its kind of hilarious. Draw your pizza, cows, trees in the bland clipart style they demand, and you will be fine. Its also a total brofest working there, lots of graphic designers and failed animators masking as illustrators with art directors that have no actual artistic talent, immediately realized that is why things look the way they do with anything zynga does. Any talent is repressed and its kinda tragic to see someone new with actual skills take charge only to get knocked down and return to whats easy. Every game while working there was just ripping off another studios game, then thinking of the way to make the most money till users lost interest and then the game team would close up and get outsourced while you moved on to the next boring thing. I had some amazing artists that went on to do stunning work at other companies, but zynga beats you down so you just stop caring and do what the boss wants.

Explore other reviews about Zynga

5.0
Jun 1, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Amazing Company - people are great, the work is fun, and everyone is happy to be here.

Cons

None. fun company, good people.

2.0
Jul 10, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Working at a leader in the mobile gaming industry is a huge plus on your resume. Plus, having the opportunity to work in gaming is fun. - Collaborating with some of the most smartest, creative and innovative people in the gaming/tech space - It's a great opportunity to learn mobile gaming and hone your skillset. Zynga has a strong inclusive culture and it can be very welcoming initially. You should always be learning at every stage of your career and you can definitely do so at the company - You can connect with some really cool people

Cons

- Pay was slightly below average and not always congruent/1:1 to your skillset and experience - Limited opportunities and typical corporate rhetoric/structure holds the company back from the next levels of success. Once you realize that you have no one really advocating for you to move up and or take on more responsibilities, you have to be honest about your future at the company. - Some management/teammates are egoistical and passive aggressive in their behavior towards certain employees and clear favoritism is shown. - The relationship you have with your manager will make or break your career, which is frustrating. If you have a manager that will look out for you/advocacte your career, you'll do fine. If you don't, you're stuck

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