According to an investigation by the YouTube channel Decode, the studio Build a Rocket Boy had no clear understanding of what project it was creating. Instead of success, the game received criticism and a reputation for failure.
The author of Decode interviewed seven current and former employees, studied internal documents, and gathered evidence that the studio was overwhelmed by "too big ambitions, excessive control, and false promises." One developer stated:
It seemed we didn't understand the project until the very last moment.
At the center of the chaos was the studio's founder and former Rockstar Games producer Leslie Benzies, under whom almost all decisions required approval. Special internal tasks, "Leslie's assignments," could redefine priorities at any moment, including controversial features such as tower defense-style side missions.
In parallel, the studio focused on the Everywhere project, conceived as a hybrid of a game, platform, and tool for creativity. Internal documents from 2022 considered NFTs and concepts for a game with the possibility of earning.
Despite more than £230 million in investment, MindsEye developers planned for 500,000 sales on PC in the first month, but actually sold about 160,000 copies.
