adminJessica Curry has described the games industry as both rewarding and deeply difficult for women. The composer and co-founder of The Chinese Room says that speaking publicly about inequality can carry professional risks, while staying silent can leave systemic problems unchallenged.
Jessica Curry and the games industry
In a January 28 interview with Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, Curry reflected on her career and the barriers she has faced. She said the industry had brought her some of her best and worst experiences, and that being a woman in the field had taken a serious personal toll.
Curry founded The Chinese Room in Brighton with Dan Pinchbeck and composed music for almost all of the studio’s games. In 2015, she became the first woman to win the British Academy Games Award for Music as a solo recipient, recognised for her work on Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture. More than a decade later, she remained the only solo woman to have received that award, according to the report.
Practical context: Awards can offer a useful measure of recognition, but they do not show the full picture of who gets opportunities or how people are treated across an industry.
The pressure of speaking about inequality
Curry argued that games development has often been shaped by a predominantly white, male culture that can resist change. She was unsure how much progress had been made and described a difficult choice for women who raise concerns: they may be criticised for not addressing systemic issues, yet risk being seen as troublesome when they do speak out.
She also noted that women in the industry may spend time mentoring others and advocating for equality, work that takes energy but can be less visible than discussing individual projects. Curry contrasted this with the attention men often receive for talking about their creative work. In her view, women can end up being treated as symbols of wider problems rather than being recognised primarily for their expertise.
In a separate discussion about conditions in the sector, Ustwo Games CEO Maria Sayans said women often have to work harder to advance, face more doubts about their competence, and may be excluded from formal and informal networking. These experiences point to concerns that go beyond hiring and include access to career-building relationships and opportunities.
For employers: Clear promotion criteria, inclusive networking practices, and consistent evaluation standards can help make career progression more transparent.
Music that connects with players
Curry also spoke warmly about the audience for The Chinese Room’s games, describing fans as thoughtful and emotionally articulate. She said players had told her that the music from Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture accompanied significant moments in their lives, including bereavement and the experience of leaving a country affected by war.
Those responses illustrate how a game soundtrack can take on personal meaning beyond the moment of play. For composers, music can help create atmosphere within a game while also becoming part of how players remember and interpret its story.
Image credit: The Chinese Room
Jessica Curry | Image credit: Colin Davison, CC BY-SA 4.0
Career changes and future performances
Curry gave the interview ahead of BAFTA Games in Concert at London’s Royal Festival Hall. The programme was set to include music from Assassin’s Creed, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, performed by a 65-piece orchestra, with additional UK dates planned later in the year. Curry said the concert was an opportunity she would not have imagined at the start of her career.
In 2015, she announced that she was stepping away from the games industry, citing health reasons, a difficult relationship with publishers, and the treatment of women. The Chinese Room was acquired by Sumo Group in 2018, and Sumo Group was acquired by Tencent in 2021. In July 2025, the studio announced that it was becoming independent again.
Why Jessica Curry’s comments matter
Jessica Curry’s account brings attention to the tension many women can face when discussing inequality: raising concerns may invite professional consequences, while silence can allow barriers to persist. Her career also highlights the creative impact women have made in games, from award-winning composition to music that stays with players long after a story ends.
