Lead Game Designer, Open World RPG

Demiurge Studios is seeking a highly motivated Lead Game Designer with open-world RPG experience. As the Lead Game Designer, you will be part of the leadership team for the next great Demiurge game.

Our ideal candidate is passionate about gameplay and player experience, has a broadly shaped systems and gameplay design skillset, and proven leadership experience in early-stage open-world game development.

Remote work is available for this role. Relocation assistance to the Boston area may also be available.

Responsibilities:

• Own the design, documentation, and implementation of an immersive, best-in-class open-world experience that delivers on the strong player fantasy of this open-world RPG game.
• Partner with the game's product leadership to turn the game vision into practical and executable designs.
• Rally a cross-functional team of designers, engineers, animators, and artists around your designs as you prototype and iterate on game mechanics and systems that ensure a thrilling player experience.
• Solve creative and technical challenges that require navigating ambiguity and production constraints.
• Provide regular active feedback across all features and the overall design of the game.
• Grow and empower the design team through clear direction, consistent feedback, and engaged coaching.
• Technical prototyping and implementation of gameplay systems and mechanics within Unreal utilizing blueprints, Unreal features, and other tools as applicable.

Qualifications:

• 8+ years of experience in game design, with a minimum of 3 years in a lead design role.
• Demonstrable experience designing significant gameplay systems and mechanics for at least one shipped open-world RPG game.
• Deep understanding of open-world RPG player motivations and behaviors as well as the game systems that satisfy them including gameplay feel, character abilities, and encounter design.
• Hands-on experience rapidly prototyping gameplay with a AAA game engine (strong preference for Unreal expertise).
• Ability to translate feedback from team members, user play tests, and other validation efforts into actionable product insights and rapid design iterations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to convey designs clearly across all disciplines and levels of the organization.
• Self-starter with an entrepreneurial mindset and the ability to operate within an agile, fast-paced, and sometimes ambiguous environment.
• Passion for open-world RPG gameplay with the desire and motivation to take an idea from initial concept to launch.