BREAKING INTO GAMES? WE GET IT
Entering the games industry is no small task. There's a significant gap between being interested in game development and actually shipping a game—and that gap stops many talented people before they even start.
Sparrow Arcade is both an indie game development studio and a supportive community built around one core belief: the best way to break into the industry is to "make it before you make it." Our members span across the US and Canada, proving that great games—and great collaboration—aren't bound by geography. Instead of waiting for the perfect opportunity, we create and ship games together while providing the mentorship, stable teams, and skill-building opportunities that aspiring game creators need to succeed.
Our Story
We founded Sparrow Arcade after meeting as classmates in MITxPRO's inaugural Game Design class. We quickly realized that the industry's requirement for shipped games creates a catch-22: you need experience to get hired, but you need to get hired to gain experience.
Through game jams—both successful and not-so-successful—we learned that real experience comes from doing, but it's even more powerful when you're not doing it alone. Our approach works: we've earned recognition in multiple jams including 5th Overall and 3rd for Music and Sound Design in Scream Forever 2025, plus top-10 placements for audio excellence in previous competitions.
That's why we built this community: to provide aspiring game creators with mentorship, stable jam teams, and structured opportunities to grow their skills while working on projects that actually ship.
What We Offer
Mentorship & Guidance: Learn alongside fellow creators who've been navigating these same challenges since we founded the studio in 2023. We share what we've learned through peer mentoring and structured feedback.
Stable Jam Teams: Skip the scramble to find teammates. We form consistent teams so you can focus on creating rather than coordinating.
Skill Development: Participate in targeted game jams and projects designed to build specific competencies—from technical skills to project management.
Shipped Games: Every project has a real deadline and real players. We're currently developing our studio's first shipped game, and we help our community members complete projects that demonstrate what they can do.
We participate in game jams and are currently working on our studio's first commercial release, creating a supportive environment where everyone grows together through real development experience. Our community spans programmers, artists, designers, sound creators, and people just getting started—all united by the belief that the best way to learn is by making.