Part Time Game Designer

Description

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Sawhorse Productions is a Los Angeles based, Award winning full-service creative studio turning ideas into unforgettable experiences through captivating branded content, viral social moments, and groundbreaking interactive experiences. We partner with industry-leading brands, artists, and studios such as Walmart, Google, NBCUniversal, Fanatics, Toyota, Pepsi and Alo to deliver industry-leading, innovative multi-platform content. At Sawhorse, we believe in fostering a culture of collaboration, creativity, and relentless excellence while shaping the future of digital storytelling.

Our releases include: [Roblox, Fortnite, Rec Room, ZEPETO]

• Roblox: How To Train Your Dragon

• Roblox: Wicked RP

• Roblox: Walmart Discovered - 2024 ADDY Winner

• Roblox: Fenty - 2024 Webby winner

• Roblox: Alo Sanctuary

• Roblox: Beetlejuice Escape the Afterlife

• Roblox: Lamborghini Lanzador Lab - 2024 Telly Winner

• Roblox: Elton John’s 'Beyond The Yellow Brick Road'

• Roblox: Olivia Rodrigo

• Roblox: Fashion Klossette

• Gen AI applet: Coca - Cola Cappy

• And numerous digital fashion releases on UGC Gaming platforms - Sawhorse Productions

We are seeking a Part Time Game Designer to research, concept, and write clear, production ready documentation for Roblox titles. You will explore trends, analyze competitors, and translate ideas into detailed Game Design Documents that set teams up for efficient prototyping and production.

This role can be based in the Los Angeles office or remote. This position is generally operating during PST core hours M-F 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM.

Requirements

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• Game Concept Development: Research platform trends and market gaps, then propose concepts aligned to audience, brand goals, and Roblox constraints.
• GDD Ownership: Write production-ready Game Design Documents covering core loop, mechanics, camera, controls, win/fail states, UX flow, and content roadmap.
• Systems & Progression Drafts: Outline progression, rewards, difficulty curves, and early economy scaffolding that support retention goals.
• Monetization Concepts: Propose fair and player-first monetization approaches suitable for Roblox, including cosmetics, bundles, and event-based offers.
• UX Flows & Wireframes: Create feature briefs, user flows, and lightweight wireframes using tools like Figma or Miro.
• Competitive & Player Research: Run lightweight comps analysis, summarize insights, and recommend actionable differentiators.
• Playtesting & Iteration: Define test plans, collect feedback, and update specs to improve clarity, balance, and fun.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with producers, engineers, and artists to ensure specs are feasible, scoped, and unambiguous.
• Live Ops Planning (Foundations): Recommend update cadence, limited-time events, and content pipelines suitable for ongoing operation.
• Documentation Hygiene: Maintain versioned docs, change logs, and clear acceptance criteria for each feature.

Qualifications

A strong candidate for this position should have the following qualities:

• Experience: 2 to 4 years in game design or UGC experience design, with at least one shipped or launched Roblox or comparable live experience preferred.
• Roblox Familiarity: Expert knowledge of Roblox Studio capabilities, platform guidelines, and best practices for performance and safety.
• Design Fundamentals: Strong grasp of core loops, systems design, progression, balancing, and player psychology for short session play.
• Documentation Skill: Excellent written communication with a portfolio of clear Roblox GDDs, feature specs, and flows.
• Tool Proficiency: Comfortable with Google Workspace, Figma and similar tools.
• Collaboration: Ability to take feedback, manage scope, and align stakeholders through crisp documentation.

Nice To Have's

• Basic Lua literacy
• Familiarity with analytics and KPIs
• Exposure to live ops.
• Experience in UEFN or Unity

Benefits

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$35 - $40 per hour (average 20 - 30 hours per week)

EEO Statement

Sawhorse Productions is an equal employment opportunity employer. All employees and applicants are evaluated on the basis of their qualifications, consistent with applicable state and federal laws. In addition, Sawhorse Productions will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. Sawhorse Productions will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and federal law.