In Czechia, Bohemia Interactive has three game development offices – in Prague, Brno, and Mníšek pod Brdy. While the first two locations are major population centers, there’s a chance you have never heard of the last one. Situated thirty kilometres southwest of Prague, it’s a small historic town surrounded by forests and farmlands. Far removed from urban bustle, Mníšek office is unlike any other.
A cottage made of dark wood sits behind evergreen trees, its two stories covered by a red roof so long it almost touches the grass beneath. Originally built as a recreation center, the building is encompassed by vast grounds that include a garden, a pond, and, most recently, a T-72 tank. This is the headquarters where all Arma games were directed from. Place so iconic that modders recreated it in-game. It’s also where, fifteen years ago, I first stepped into the professional game industry. I worked there for almost a decade, and I loved it as much as I hated it.