Sara Veal's framework for a more sustainable and supportive games industry

Sara Veal, chair of GamesAid and founder of consultancy Huhbub, shares her framework for building sustainable studio cultures in the games industry. She argues that well-being initiatives must be grounded in actual developer needs rather than performative programmes, and that leadership behaviour is the most powerful signal of what a studio truly values. Veal outlines practical approaches including surveying staff to identify stress sources, integrating rest into production schedules, and measuring well-being through both quantitative metrics (turnover, sickness rates) and qualitative signals (psychological safety, open conversations). She also warns against cutting mental health support during downturns, calling it a load-bearing structure rather than a luxury. As GamesAid chair, she highlights the industry's continued charitable generosity despite widespread layoffs, with over £6.23 million raised to date.