Overworked!

Overworked is a turn-based card game where players (Project Managers) run game studios and are tasked with turning over the most tokens while balancing the risk reward of overworking employees. The game is a reflection of employee “crunch” in the gaming industry. Crunch is a term generally used in the gaming industry of overworking employees as a means to expedite production of games. Prominent examples include Atari, a game and interactive media studio, overworking employees for an Atari 2600 Pac-Man release, and CD Projekt Red implementing "Crunch-time” towards the final weeks of development of Cyberpunk 2077. 

Overworked’s more apparent reflection of crunch are found in the employee’s overwork abilities. Each employee ability provides Project Managers to affect their token economy or the pace at which their projects are completed. While Project Managers benefit greatly from these abilities, they also risk losing employees through an ability’s dice roll that determines whether or not a Project Manager keeps the employee. The “risk-reward” factor of overworking employees is central to Overworked’s gameplay, and is the central mechanic that highlights crunch in the gaming industry.