Lead Game Designer

Position Summary:

We are looking for a standout creative leader and collaborator to work with our Design Director to translate their vision into clear plans and achievable tasks to produce top-tier games. This role requires deep systems expertise and comprehensive knowledge about current gaming trends. The lead game designer will lead the game design team, providing guidance, mentorship, and actionable feedback, to advance and improve their skills and to drive excellence in both process and execution. The lead game designer also needs to be an excellent communicator who will strive to improve collaboration across departments.

Responsibilities:

• Coordinate and collaborate with the Design Director to establish and execute on a coherent project vision, and transform high-level concepts to actionable and deliverable designs.
• Deep understanding of systems, narrative and player choice, and how they impact player experience.
• Set and maintain a high standard of design & execution quality for oneself and the rest of the design team.
• Improve and maintain standards of documentation, and ensure consistent and up-to-date documentation processes with the design team.
• Oversee the planning and execution of game mechanics and features, and provide guidance & feedback to the design team on designs & design documentation.
• Embody Beamdog Core Values. One must demonstrate, encourage, and motivate others in the display of these values.
• Take ownership of sections of gameplay and ensure delivery of working features within established timelines.
• When necessary, provide direct assistance to the design and development team, including scripting and fine-tuning of mechanics.
• Assist other team leaders in integrating the design process into a scrum agile framework.

Qualifications:

• 5+ years practical experience in video game design
• 3+ years experience of demonstrated experience managing and mentoring teams
• Must be able to communicate regarding all aspects of design with other departments.
• Understanding of interdisciplinary dependencies and the ability to anticipate and proactively design around gameplay challenges.

Preferred:

• Experience with common scripting languages (Lua, Blueprint)
• Experience with, and understanding of best practices in developing in Unreal 5+
• Knowledge of UI/UX design principles
• Knowledge and understanding of RPG systems
• 3+ years working in an agile development, preferably on a variety of team types

We offer the following perks:

• 3 weeks of flexible vacation plus a 1-week paid holiday closure per year.
• Generous sick and personal days
• Flexible working hours
• NO CRUNCH policy
• RRSP Matching Program
• Vision, dental, and extended health benefits
• Health & wellness spending account

Senior Level Designer

Position Summary:

Senior Level Designers play an integral role in overseeing and constructing the game world of our titles. You will be planning, constructing and iterating on the gameplay space on a macro and micro scale to ensure a balanced and engaging experience for players within the constraints of the engine, tools and target platforms. You will facilitate interdepartmental communication with directors, designers, engineers and artists to ensure cohesive collaboration and execution that adhere to the project's tone and vision while working proactively to mentor junior team members to promote growth and skillset expansion.

Responsibilities:

• Create thoughtfully crafted layouts, gameplay environments and gameplay moments that guide our players through engaging and well paced experiences
• Collaborate closely with other designers, leads, directors and departments to understand the project vision and champion it through your designs to create a cohesive open-world experience
• Work to foster a highly iterative and collaborative environment across all disciplines
• Mentor junior designers in best practices, design techniques and promote a consistent growth mindset
• Capability to make independent creative decisions that reinforce the games creative vision and direction within set constraints
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of our tools and developmental processes

Requirements:

• 5+ years of experience in Level design
• Ability to create harmonious and balanced designs through a deep fundamental understanding of the interaction between game space, gameplay systems, narrative, artistic requirements and constraints
• High proficiency in 3D Layout programs (Unreal Engine, etc)
• High proficiency in game scripting and familiarity with quest content and branching dialogue systems
• Working knowledge of RPG game conventions
• Ability to create functional layouts with an eye towards quick assessment of mechanics, systems and events to facilitate efficient iteration

Preferred:

• A love of role-playing games, science fiction, fantasy and strategic gameplay
• Previous open-world game development experience
• Have a strong eye for environmental storytelling
• Experience working with Unreal blueprints

Submission/Portfolio Requirements:

• Specific examples of work in shipped games or a web portfolio that showcases proficiency in specific skills described above

We offer the following perks:

• 3 weeks of flexible vacation plus a 1-week paid holiday closure per year.
• Generous sick and personal days
• Flexible working hours
• NO CRUNCH policy
• RRSP Matching Program
• Vision, dental, and extended health benefits
• Health & wellness spending account

Senior Narrative Designer

Position Summary:

As a Senior Narrative Designer you will play an important role in shaping the narrative direction of our upcoming titles. You will be creating and implementing complex, engaging storylines and characters, ensuring they align with the project’s tone and creative vision. You will also have a chance to share your expertise with junior team members to help grow their skills in all aspects of narrative design.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support the collaboration with writers, designers, and Project Leadership to develop compelling, in-depth story content that reflects the project’s tone and creative vision.
• Implement and integrate narrative elements into the game, ensuring consistency and quality across all narrative components.
• Write combat barks, quest banter, and branching dialogue, ensuring high-quality narrative elements throughout the game.
• Mentor and guide junior narrative designers, offering feedback and sharing best practices to strengthen the team's writing and narrative integration skills.
• Help create the documentation of character bios, lore for objects, locations, items, and other in-game narrative assets.
• Collaborate closely with Lead Writer on strategic narrative decisions, offering insights and recommendations to enhance the overall game experience.
• Partake in narrative-related meetings and discussions, ensuring that narrative objectives are clear and achievable.
• Work collaboratively with external partners and stakeholders when necessary
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

• 5+ years of experience writing for games or other entertainment industries.
• Proven ability to craft complex, coherent, and engaging stories and characters that resonate with diverse audiences.
• Extensive experience writing and implementing sophisticated branching narratives.
• Proficiency with game engines like Unreal.
• Deep understanding of editing standards, with extensive experience editing both creative and technical documents.
• Solid grasp of advanced game-design fundamentals and principles, with the ability to contribute to design discussions and decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to rapidly iterate on feedback, with a willingness both to receive and provide constructive critical feedback at a high level.

Submission/Portfolio Requirements:

• Must provide a writing samples and/or be willing to complete a design test

We offer the following perks:

• 3 weeks of flexible vacation plus a 1-week paid holiday closure per year.
• Generous sick and personal days
• Flexible working hours
• NO CRUNCH policy
• RRSP Matching Program
• Vision, dental, and extended health benefits
• Health & wellness spending account

Senior 3D Environment Artist

Position Summary:

The Senior 3D Environment Artist will collaborate closely with the Art Director, Environment Art Lead, and multidisciplinary teams to create exceptional Environments and props for upcoming titles. In this role, you will be responsible for driving the visual and aesthetic direction of projects, working closely with internal and external teams, and ensuring the highest artistic and technical standards are met.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Create and refine Environment assets, ranging from full environments to detailed set pieces, from initial block-outs to polished final assets.
• Collaborate with the Environment design team to develop engaging gameplay spaces with strong visual composition.
• Support efficient and collaborative prototyping efforts with designers and project leads.
• Maintain consistent aesthetic and technical quality across all Environments and props.
• Partner with art leads and the broader art team to ensure visual cohesion throughout the project.
• Work closely with the design team to integrate gameplay seamlessly with Environment art.
• Develop content that aligns with and reinforces the game’s visual direction, adhering to performance and engine requirements.
• Mentor and guide junior artists as needed.

Education and Core Skills Requirements:

• Experience: Minimum of 4 years in game development as a senior 3D environment / level artist.
• Software Expertise: Proficiency with Maya (or equivalent), Photoshop, ZBrush, and the Substance Suite.
• Engine Knowledge: Strong understanding of AAA asset creation pipelines in Unreal Engine 5 (UE5).
• Techniques: Experience with modular environment kits, trim sheets, tiling textures, organic modeling, and hard-surface modeling.
• Artistic Skills: Strong grasp of light, shade, color, and detail in texture/material creation.
• Technical Acumen: Ability to quickly adapt to new tools and workflows for Environment art production.
• Collaboration: Excellent teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Portfolio: A strong portfolio demonstrating expertise in creating compelling Environment art (may substitute for industry experience).

Preferred Skills and Bonus Points:

• Expertise with the full Substance Suite (Painter, Designer, etc.).
• Experience shipping at least one AAA PC or console title as a Senior 3D Environment Artist.
• Knowledge of performant in-game lighting and shader/material authoring in Unreal Engine.
• Familiarity with large-scale organic scenes/landscapes.
• Proficiency with project management tools like JIRA, Confluence, and Perforce.
• Skills in related disciplines, such as illustration, animation, VFX, or technical art.

Submission/Portfolio Requirements:

• Provide a portfolio and/or reel showcasing relevant artistic skills.
• Only online submissions will be accepted (e.g., website, Sketchfab, blog, or online album).
• Completion of an art test may be required.

Bonus Points:

• Skill in one or more related disciplines – illustration, animation, visual effects, or technical art.
• Advanced experience with the full substance suite, Painter, designer and so on.
• Have shipped at least one AAA PC or console title as a Senior 3D Environment artist.
• Experience authoring performant in game lighting, within aesthetic and technical constraints
• Experience authoring performant Unreal shaders and material
• Experience working with large scale organic scenes / landscapes
• Experience with JIRA, Confluence, Perforce, and other project management tools.

We offer the following perks:

• 3 weeks of flexible vacation plus a 1-week paid holiday closure per year.
• Generous sick and personal days
• Flexible working hours
• NO CRUNCH policy
• RRSP Matching Program
• Vision, dental, and extended health benefits
• Health & wellness spending account