Travel to Boise, Idaho to meet Lionbridge Games’ Test Lead Aubrey Balfour. Aubrey manages a team of testers and handles communication between the client and her team. She enjoys working in an environment that prizes professional curiosity and mentorship. When she’s not working, Aubrey likes crafting and singing in an opera chorus.
Last updated: February 1, 2022 12:00AM
What is your role at Lionbridge Games?
As a test lead, I work with both the developers and my testers to make sure that we are providing everything that the developer needs. Sometimes, we also think ahead to what the developer doesn’t know they need yet.
What has your Lionbridge journey looked like?
I came into the company as a tester and because of my curiosity and my desire to learn, I have been able to move on up to a test lead.
What kind of experience did you have coming into Lionbridge Games?
Prior to working at Lionbridge Games, my professional experience pretty much consisted of working in retail and a bachelor’s in philosophy. I had no training in IT or software engineering. But when I entered Lionbridge Games, I joined a community that promotes learning and mentorship and professional curiosity. As long as you’re willing to learn, we will be able to help you learn.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
I most enjoy interacting with different groups of people. I get to talk to the client and I get to talk to the testers, and it’s exciting to see how a project evolves from both sides.
What do you find exciting about working in the games industry?
I love seeing all of the innovations that are happening on a day-to-day basis. I can watch a problem come up in the morning and by the end of the day, not only have the developers fixed the problem, but they have created a whole new set of game modes and circumstances around it. The creativity in games in just incredible.
What’s the most exciting opportunity on the horizon for your team this year?
The Boise team has seen a lot of growth in the past year—in both reputation and size—and it’s great to see that much interest in the games industry and success for our office. I’m looking forward to further growth this year.
What is currently your favorite video game?
Some of my favorites are the Mass Effect Trilogy and the Dragon Age saga, but I’m also a huge fan of RTS—real time strategy games—on PC.
Where do you live, and what do you enjoy about it?
I live in Boise, Idaho. I most enjoy the variety of things to do here. We have pretty much every type of food you can think of. We also have a wide variety of museums—we have an art museum, the Idaho Historical Museum, a zoo, and an aquarium. We also have hiking, camping, and fishing within a few minutes of downtown. And there’s a ski resort that is an hour’s drive from here.
What do you recommend to a tourist?
The number one thing I would recommend for a tourist to visit is the World Center for Birds of Prey that was started by the Peregrine Fund. The Peregrine Fund started out as an organization that was dedicated to keeping peregrine falcons from going extinct, and they have expanded to be an international organization that works with any type of bird of prey to help keep them from going extinct.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I enjoy video games, obviously, but I also do a lot of crafting and I am a member of one of the Opera Idaho choruses here in Boise.
What’s it like playing video games for work?
Playing video games for work is definitely not what I expected. It’s so exciting. We get to be on the inside of seeing new innovations coming out before the public sees them. Getting to be a part of that something new is absolutely exhilarating.
