After years of vetting hundreds of service studios, I've compiled a list of warning signs to watch for when evaluating potential service partners for your next game project. These have consistently predicted partnership challenges, so use them as guideposts in your next evaluation process!

Portfolio Red Flags‍

• Single-style portfolio pieces: They show just one isolated piece of art in a particular style rather than cohesive project work–did they do an art test and fail?
• Only showing key art, not gameplay: Some portfolios deliberately hide mediocre gameplay behind polished marketing or concept art
• No shipped commercial titles: If you only see demos and unreleased projects, the team likely struggles when production gets tough
• Work only for non-gaming clients: Media companies and non-gaming clients prioritize different things, and often will accept a lower quality bar than commercial game studios

Partnership History Red Flags

• Only small projects: Quality studios build lasting relationships and as a result, large volumes of work
• No client retention: Good providers are consistently rehired. Be wary if a studio has never maintained a long-term client relationship
• Can't provide references: Just like hiring a full-time employee, you should speak with 1-2 past clients before engaging
• Unknown or non-gaming clients: Partners with gaming-specific experience understand the unique challenges of our industry
  

Team Structure Red Flags‍

• Unclear expertise development: Good service providers can clearly explain how they built their team and developed expertise over time
• Opaque resourcing: Some "studios" are actually middlemen who subcontract most or all work
• No verifiable team presence: Quality studios employ desirable talent with active LinkedIn profiles and social media
• No demonstrated talent development: The best service providers treat internal talent growth as a core business function

Business Approach Red Flags

• Can't articulate their strengths: Beware partners who can't specifically tell you what they excel at or how they've helped clients succeed
• Leading with price, not quality: If their main selling point is being cheap, they're likely focused on providing bodies, not quality work
• Overly aggressive sales approach: Ironically, many of the best providers have minimal sales/marketing because they're constantly in demand
• Sales rep can't connect you with experts: If they can't facilitate direct conversations with discipline experts, you’re either unimportant to them or their hiding their team's lack of expertise.

Any other red flags you've run into when looking into external partners? I'd love to hear about them!