GAME DESIGNER

Responsibilities

Work closely with the CEO/Creative Director to clearly articulate the product vision and goals and ensure they are translated appropriately into game design concepts and decisions

Drive discussion and alignment on the team, with our mission as the north star, as the game navigates through complex and ambiguous design challenges

Work closely with the behavioral science researcher to ensure design decisions enhance and not undercut intended player and social impact

Understand the target audiences for the game and tailor design decisions to suit their preferences and player motivations

Design and develop compelling and iconic gameplay experiences that engage players and drive long-term retention, including concepts and prototypes for playtesting

Create, own, and maintain design specs, progression and economy projections, and other technical design documentation

Share work openly, seek feedback from colleagues, and integrate co-worker feedback to refine the design direction

Working closely with the narrative design team, build systems that meet product goals; balance player actions with rewards, progression, and in-game economies; and give us strong conviction in the commercial viability of the game

Work with cross-functional and international teams to ensure that design concepts are implemented effectively

Utilize data, analysis, and user feedback to iterate on and improve game performance

Explore various solutions, consider their potential impacts, and collaborate to determine the best course of action

Mentor and nurture the growth of a few talented junior team members with interest in game design, fostering a culture of creativity and excellence

Share your knowledge and learnings as an expert on the game’s design, target audience, genre, and opportunity space with the broader team to advance our collective knowledge

Qualifications

Minimum 5 years as a professional game designer, with a proven track record of developing innovative and balanced game mechanics for published narrative and/or RPG mobile products

A holistic view of mobile game systems, including the downstream effects of design decisions throughout both the product and player lifecycle, coupled with a strong understanding of fundamental design principles, metagame systems, game economies, and player psychology to design from first principles

Strong ability to connect design decisions with product goals and player motivations, ensuring alignment and coherence in the overall game design

Experience working with or playing narrative, interactive story, and role-playing games

Ability to design features that motivate player behavior, including real-life actions

Ability to partner with creative director and cross-functional, international groups including engineering, story, art, impact, and production to bring design concepts to life

Ability to synthesize feedback from team members, user playtests, and other validation efforts into product insights and rapidly iterate on designs

Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data and make data-driven decisions

Educated on the latest trends with a strong perspective on how they relate to our product

Understand user experience and user interface design principles

Startup mentality–a willingness to don multiple hats and be a team player

Iterating rapidly and delivering quality, meticulous deliverables on a deadline

Self-motivated and comfortable working autonomously and taking initiative

Curiosity when things are not working and willingness to adapt

A well-structured communication style that allows for clear and effective articulation of design ideas and concepts

Bonus points

Extensive knowledge of games as a service and live operations – you know what great looks like and can build efficient design processes, workflows, and tooling to enable it