Hi! I’m Maaike (pronounced: My-Cah) — originally from The Netherlands, now calling Galway, Ireland my home. I’ve been working in the games industry for over 10 years, starting out as a localization tester on The Sims 4 and currently working as a Quality Designer… still on The Sims 4!
A decade in the industry somehow feels both long and short — but what it’s really shown me is just how much knowledge and experience accumulates over time, often in ways that aren’t visible from the outside. That’s what this blog is all about: helping bring more transparency to the world of game development, especially QA and how teams work together behind the scenes, hopefully clearing up a few common misconceptions along the way.
Before I joined the industry, I ran a Sims fansite (platinumsimmers.com) for about four years — and it turns out, many of the skills I picked up there are still useful today (including setting up this very blog!).
Outside of work, I’m proudly managed by a cat who believes I should never sleep past breakfast. I’m also passionate about traveling, cooking from scratch, and collecting art supplies with the best intentions of using them more regularly.