Principal Player Combat & Gameplay Designer

5 Months ago • 10 Years + • Combat Design • Game Design • $136,000 PA - $262,000 PA

Job Summary

Job Description

ProbablyMonsters seeks a Principal Player Combat & Gameplay Designer to lead the design, implementation, and tuning of player gameplay and combat mechanics for a new action-adventure RPG IP. This role requires expertise in third-person action games, strong communication skills, and the ability to collaborate with various teams (systems, level design, animation, AI, engineering). Responsibilities include defining core gameplay mechanics, identifying and solving challenges, partnering with AI development, collaborating across development phases, establishing quality benchmarks, mentoring junior designers, and driving playtesting and iteration. The ideal candidate will have at least 10 years of experience in AAA game development, a deep understanding of third-person action game principles, and experience with modern game engines.
Must have:
  • 10+ years AAA game design experience
  • Third-person action RPG expertise
  • Combat & gameplay design & implementation
  • Collaboration & communication skills
  • Modern game engine experience (Unreal preferred)
Good to have:
  • Experience with Unreal Engine 5 and Blueprint
  • C++ or other scripting language proficiency
  • Mentoring experience
  • Experience with co-development partners
Perks:
  • Medical, dental, vision (100% employee coverage)
  • Healthcare spending accounts
  • 401k with company contribution
  • Paid holidays and vacation
  • Parental leave

Job Details

Description

ProbablyMonsters is seeking a Principal Player Combat & Gameplay Designer who is experienced in designing, implementing, and tuning player gameplay & combat.  We are looking for someone who able to own the design of all player gameplay mechanics, collaborating heavily with the game systems, level design, animation, AI, and engineering teams to help deliver exciting moment-to-moment gameplay for a new action-adventure role-playing-game IP.       
       
WHO YOU ARE:       
  • Obsessed with the 3C’s (Character, Controls, Camera) and how they impact the overall game feel to ensure player gameplay feels best-in-class.
  • Able to clearly articulate how combat, enemy encounter, and level design are used to facilitate player skill mastery and investment.
  • You are passionate about third-person action games and are excited about the possibility of bringing your design expertise to the genre.
  • Able to understand, align, and adapt to high-level project design goals, game world fantasy, and audience expectations.
  • Someone with a strong desire to think outside of the box, building from the games within genres but striving to find new gameplay within them to innovate.
  • Collaborative, self-motivated developer, with a desire to grow & share knowledge.
  • Excited to play a key role in a new studio and team working as a tight knit team highly focused on delivering exciting gameplay in a new IP.
  • Strong ability to proactively communicate, especially in a remote environment, particularly with other designers, engineers, and animators.
  • Receptive to feedback from a variety of sources and confident enough to evaluate the best actionable response and what is not necessary to address.
  • Capable of creating and updating documentation to pitch & explore designs, achieve alignment, and facilitate communication with different disciplines.
  • Able to drive playtesting; collect & analyze feedback, ceaselessly iterate, and determine when a design meets quality.
  • You show empathy and respect for our players and fellow team members. 
WHAT YOU WILL DO:       
  • Serve as the design expert in development of player gameplay, driving core gameplay mechanics that creates strong player mastery in partnership with game systems to deliver combat and exploration that is fun to perform solo or cooperatively.
  • Be a leader in the identification of challenges with gameplay mechanics, game content, and workflow processes and devise creative solutions in cases where there will be limited information and requires adaptation to resolve.
  • Work directly with team leadership to ensure that the vision is being properly executed and clearly executed.
  • You'll be heavily involved in partnering with the development efforts of AI combatants to define and evolve gameplay pillars to create high quality gameplay interactions between the player and enemies.
  • Collaborate with the team through all phases of development, including working with production and product management to effectively scope, prioritize, and deliver at the highest quality and ensure a cohesive gameplay experience.
  • Exhibit expert game design knowledge, using in-depth professional knowledge, acumen, concepts and company objectives to develop, resolve complex models and procedures.
  • Establish quality benchmarks that drive the team and development partners in reach them.
  • Collaborate with outsourcing partners to guide them with expanding and delivering gameplay content that meets the quality goals of the game.
  • Mentor other game designers to share your experience and insights to help them improve their craft.
  • Proactively provide updates on progress and development to the team including communicating progress and decision-making widely to ensure full visibility & strong alignment between disciplines.
  • Lead the work of testing features and identifying challenges with gameplay mechanics, game content, and workflow processes and find creative solutions to meet design goals. 

     
QUALIFICATIONS:        
  • A nuanced understanding of third-person character action game principles & ability to clearly communicate them, at both a granular and high level.
  • Understanding of how various combat and action role-playing game systems intertwine.
  • Experience with animation systems and tuning gameplay within the context of combat design in a modern 3D game engine.
  • Experience designing and implementing challenging and engaging player gameplay experiences at a shippable AAA quality level.
  • Ability to collaborate and clearly articulate across multiple disciplines.
  • Able to work on day-to-day projects and end-to-end assignments without constant oversite, utilizing best practices, independent judgement, skills, and previous experience to effectively execute on requests from stakeholders.
  • Strong conceptual thinking and ability to work on complex issues where analysis of situations or data requires an in-depth evaluation of variable factors.
  • Experience in mentoring other designers and providing insightful feedback on design efforts.
  • Recognized as a subject matter expert.
  • Ability to establish department/function goals and objectives.
  • Requires a minimum of 10 years of related or equivalent work experience.
  • Experience in the design of at least two games on modern consoles (Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, PC etc.).
PREFERRED SKILLS:        
  • Previous combat and traversal design experience on a third-person action RPG or melee combat game.
  • Previous experience in feature ownership within game design of AAA game development.
  • Experience using Unreal Engine (Unreal 5 preferred) and Blueprint visual scripting to build shippable-quality combat and gameplay.
  • Experience in mentoring other designers and providing insightful feedback on design efforts.
  • Expertise in C++ or other text-based scripting languages.
  • Experience partnering with co-development partners to supplement content development.
   
About ProbablyMonsters™   
ProbablyMonsters is a AAA independent video game company that aims to change the way games are made. We unite a diverse roster of development teams in a healthy, rewarding culture. We believe empowered creators build the most engaging games and deliver the best player experiences.   
 
ProbablyMonsters is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.   

Benefits:   

  • We provide a rich benefits package:
    • Medical Coverage - health, dental, and vision paid at 100% for the employee and dependents are subsidized by the Company.
    • Healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance.
    • 401(k) with an annual contribution by the Company.
    • Paid holidays and vacation, bereavement leaves, and parental leave.
Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part-time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company.   
 
Compensation:   
  • This is a full-time, benefits-eligible, exempt (salaried) position.
  • The anticipated salary range for Zone 1 (WA/CA) $169,000 - $262,000, and for Zone 2 (all other states/jurisdictions), $136,000-$206,000. Regardless of zone, the upper third of the salary range is typically reserved for existing employees who demonstrate strong performance over time. When an offer is made, many factors are considered, including your unique experience and skills, where you live, where the work will be performed, what similar jobs pay, and internal equity.
  • In addition to base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for additional incentives, such as short- and long-term incentives. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed.

Similar Jobs

Shapeshifter Games - Combat Designer - Encounters

Shapeshifter Games

(Remote)
2 Months ago
Vertigo Games - Senior Level Designer

Vertigo Games

Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands (Hybrid)
20 Hours ago
Focus Entertainment - Senior Line Designer

Focus Entertainment

Île-de-France, France (Hybrid)
1 Month ago
Coherent Corp - Senior Engineer

Coherent Corp

Fremont, California, United States (On-Site)
1 Week ago
Triple Dot Studios - Lead Level Designer

Triple Dot Studios

Warsaw, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland (Hybrid)
3 Months ago
PlayStation Global - Senior/Principal Graphics Programmer

PlayStation Global

Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands (On-Site)
7 Months ago
Tencent - Combat Designer

Tencent

(On-Site)
4 Weeks ago
undefined - Principal Player Combat & Gameplay Designer

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States (Remote)
6 Months ago
Sony Interactive Entertainment - PlayStation Studios QA Localization Tester (Traditional Chinese)

Sony Interactive Entertainment

Tokyo, Japan (On-Site)
1 Month ago
Naughty Dog - Senior Game Designer (Combat)

Naughty Dog

Los Angeles, California, United States (Hybrid)
1 Week ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Similar Skill Jobs

Cirrus Logic - Sr. Staff Digital Design Engineer

Cirrus Logic

Austin, Texas, United States (Hybrid)
5 Months ago
Remedy Entertainment Plc - Cinematic Designer

Remedy Entertainment Plc

Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland (On-Site)
2 Weeks ago
Playrix - Principal Level Designer (Match-3)

Playrix

Ireland (Remote)
2 Months ago
Playrix - Level Designer Trainee

Playrix

Ireland (Remote)
1 Month ago
Rivos - CPU Physical Design - Full time

Rivos

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India (On-Site)
6 Months ago
PlatinumGames - Game Designer

PlatinumGames

(On-Site)
2 Weeks ago
Ubisoft - Senior 3D Artist

Ubisoft

Saint-Mandé, Île-de-France, France (Hybrid)
4 Weeks ago
Google - SoC and IP Design Engineer

Google

Haifa, Haifa District, Israel (On-Site)
2 Days ago
Epic Games - Art Director (Rocket League)

Epic Games

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (On-Site)
2 Weeks ago
Welevel - Senior World Game Designer / Level Designer

Welevel

Munich, Bavaria, Germany (On-Site)
2 Months ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Jobs in Bellevue, Washington, United States

Match Group - Sr. Software Engineer, Backend

Match Group

San Francisco, California, United States (Hybrid)
6 Months ago
Hedra - Research Scientist

Hedra

New York, New York, United States (On-Site)
1 Month ago
Penumbra - Senior Manager of Accounting Close and Operations

Penumbra

Alameda, California, United States (Hybrid)
6 Months ago
Scale AI - Manager, Research Scientist: Post-Training

Scale AI

San Francisco, California, United States (On-Site)
1 Day ago
Google - Senior Staff Interaction Designer

Google

Kirkland, Washington, United States (On-Site)
2 Days ago
Google - Software Engineer, Storage Everywhere

Google

Durham, North Carolina, United States (On-Site)
1 Week ago
Naughty Dog - Senior Communications Manager

Naughty Dog

Los Angeles, California, United States (On-Site)
2 Weeks ago
Eleven Labs - Website Designer

Eleven Labs

United States (Remote)
1 Month ago
Ember Lab - Senior Producer

Ember Lab

California, United States (On-Site)
2 Months ago
Oportun - Bilingual (English/Spanish) Member Loyalty Representative

Oportun

Plano, Texas, United States (On-Site)
20 Hours ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

Combat Design Jobs

Remedy Entertainment Plc - Principal Gameplay Designer

Remedy Entertainment Plc

Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland (On-Site)
2 Weeks ago
Sony Interactive Entertainment - ゲームプレイプログラマー・Gameplay Programmer/Team ASOBI

Sony Interactive Entertainment

Tokyo, Japan (On-Site)
6 Months ago
Tencent - 2D Open World Game Combat Planner

Tencent

Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China (On-Site)
2 Months ago
undefined - Principal Player Combat & Gameplay Designer

Bellevue, Washington, United States (On-Site)
6 Months ago
Tencent - Senior Animation Designer - Global Realistic 3A Action Game

Tencent

Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China (On-Site)
2 Months ago
Sony Interactive Entertainment - PlayStation Studios QA Localization Tester (Traditional Chinese) (Part-time)

Sony Interactive Entertainment

Tokyo, Japan (On-Site)
3 Months ago
Steel City Interactive - Lead Combat Designer

Steel City Interactive

Sheffield, England, United Kingdom (Hybrid)
3 Weeks ago
Light Speed Studios - Combat Designer

Light Speed Studios

(On-Site)
4 Weeks ago
undefined - Principal Player Combat & Gameplay Designer

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States (Remote)
6 Months ago
Shapeshifter Games - Combat Designer - Encounters

Shapeshifter Games

(Remote)
2 Months ago

Get notifed when new similar jobs are uploaded

About The Company

ProbablyMonsters is a AAA independent video game company that aims to change the way games are made. We unite a diverse roster of development teams in a healthy, rewarding culture. We believe that empowered creators will deliver the best player experiences and industry-defining games. Our development teams are Cauldron™, Battle Barge™, and multiple incubation teams.

 

Texas, United States (On-Site)

Dallas, Texas, United States (On-Site)

Texas, United States (On-Site)

Dallas, Texas, United States (On-Site)

Fort Worth, Texas, United States (On-Site)

Dallas, Texas, United States (On-Site)

Bellevue, Washington, United States (On-Site)

Dallas, Texas, United States (On-Site)

Dallas, Texas, United States (On-Site)

Dallas, Texas, United States (On-Site)

View All Jobs

Get notified when new jobs are added by Probably Monsters

Level Up Your Career in Game Development!

Transform Your Passion into Profession with Our Comprehensive Courses for Aspiring Game Developers.

Job Common Plug