Development terms

Each developer reviews and accepts the specific job agreement before clocking in. These terms distinguish fixed-fee contractor jobs from employee payroll obligations.

Job agreement & pay

Each job identifies the game, scope, assigned developer, engagement classification, fixed contractor fee and estimated hours. The hourly equivalent is for planning: the full agreed contractor fee is earned when the completed work is accepted, even if it takes fewer estimated hours. A clocked record or reviewed missed-time report is required. Negotiate the fee and estimate before work or funding starts; later scope changes require a separate job agreement. Employee task budgets are planning references, not caps on lawful wages.

Clocking in & breaks

Work only on approved assignments and record time accurately. Contractors clock out for breaks. Employees must record all actual work and use the payroll process for paid rest breaks, overtime and other legally compensable time; short employee rest breaks must not be removed automatically. Report missed or incorrect time promptly. The studio does not erase actual hours because a clock-in or approval was missed.

Upfront payment

Upfront payment is optional and must be requested, decided and agreed before work starts. The studio may deny an upfront request. An approved advance must be less than the full contractor fee and must be funded by a Founder before work begins. The advance counts toward, rather than in addition to, the agreed job fee. Employee wage advances are handled through payroll.

Delivery & professional conduct

Remain professional, communicate blockers promptly and do not deliberately stall agreed work. Deliver the work and relevant source files or agreed artifacts for review before the final contractor payment is funded. Completion and payment decisions are recorded with reasons. A dispute does not authorize withholding employee wages that are legally due.

Leaving the studio

Where legally permitted, give seven days notice when ending an engagement and arrange a reasonable handover. Failure to provide notice may lead to a review of continued or future engagement, including permanent termination where lawful. This is not automatic: protected leave, emergencies, contractual rights and applicable law must be considered. No earned pay is forfeited as a penalty for leaving.

Contractor balance & 14-day hold

Only a Founder can authorize and allocate a contractor job payment from available studio payout funds. A funded payment appears in the job balance with a 14-day hold beginning at funding. New PayPal and Cash App payments require the full 14-day hold, with no early release. Lead Operations Manager and above with development management access may manually send payment and record its transaction reference. Company-card use additionally requires specific Founder approval. Legacy Stripe allocations retain their earlier release rules. The authorizer is accountable to studio policy; this website does not automatically impose personal legal liability or deduct business losses from employee pay. Any actual liability is determined by applicable law and valid agreements.

Withdrawals & payout destinations

Released contractor funds may be requested per job using enabled staff-processed PayPal or Cash App payouts for USD jobs. No Stripe account is required for these methods. Confirm your PayPal email or Cash App $Cashtag before requesting; the destination is fixed on that request. Provider verification, eligibility, funding and processing times apply. Both PayPal and Cash App requests are manually sent outside the site and recorded by eligible payment staff. No new payment is automatically sent by this website. Requests reserve job funds until confirmed paid or safely cancelled. Failed or uncertain payouts remain reserved for reconciliation. Legacy Stripe-funded jobs keep their original payout route. The job balance is a studio payment ledger, not a bank account or escrow service.

Employees & New York rights

Employee wages are paid through a compliant payroll process on applicable wage deadlines, including minimum wage, overtime, paid breaks, tax withholding and required wage statements. They do not depend on task completion approval, the contractor wallet or its 14-day hold. The studio must determine classification from the actual relationship, not just the label on a task. These terms do not waive statutory rights or replace an employment agreement or required wage notice.

Questions & review

Use Support & appeals to dispute a job, time record, upfront decision or payment record. Evidence and audit history are retained. New York is the studio agreement jurisdiction, subject to mandatory law applicable to each worker. Seek qualified advice about an individual agreement or dispute.

Support & appeals · Privacy policy · Development dashboard

Employee wage frequency, compensable breaks and permitted deductions are governed by applicable law. References: NY wage payment frequency, US break rules, NY wages and hours. Have the studio's employment and contractor agreements reviewed for the actual working relationships.