Senior Game Programmer

About Sandsoft:

Sandsoft was formed by industry leaders from international video games publishers and local talents with the core ambition to help develop the gaming ecosystem across MENA, modernize the region and take MENA from an emerging market to a global market leader. Sandsoft has offices in Saudi Arabia, Spain, Finland and China.

Sandsoft is looking for talented individuals who share the same drive and vision.

About the role :

We are looking for a senior gameplay programmer to join our Riyadh studio and help bring our next-generation mobile game to life . You’ll play a central role in implementing engine game play features.

You’ll work closely with designers, engineers, and artists to craft gameplay systems that are fun, performant, and scalable. As we move into the next phase of development, you’ll also be instrumental in shaping multiplayer features and backend infrastructure using Firebase, PlayFab, or Photon.

What you will do:

• Design and Implement engaging gameplay features in Unity.

• Be involved in all areas of game development programming including Graphics, Game Logic, Artificial Intelligence and User Interface.

• Maintain and optimize code for performance, readability, and scalability across mobile devices (iOS/Android).

• Support & contribute new ideas to game design by collaborating with games team members to bring games to life.

• Quickly assess technical requirements, balancing between rapid prototyping and long-term architecture planning.

• Provide engineering support for game live operations.

• Integrate third-party SDKs and backend services (e.g., PlayFab, Firebase) to support live features, analytics, and user management.

• Develop multiplayer functionality using Photon or similar networking solutions.

What you will bring:

• Solid experience in C# and Unity.

• Experience of shipping and operating at least two mobile free-to-play games using Unity.

• Strong understanding of gameplay architecture, data structures, and performance optimization.

• Ability to write maintainable, efficient, and scalable code.

• In-depth knowledge of iOS and Android development pipelines and optimization techniques.

• Experience integrating and working with backend services (PlayFab, Firebase, etc.).

• Solid networking experience, especially with real-time multiplayer via Photon.

• Ability to make decisions based on both qualitative gut feel and quantitative reasoning.

• Deep understanding of and experience with Game Design.

• Proven ability to adapt, take initiative, and collaborate effectively in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.

• Strong problem-solving skills with a passion for mid-core games.

• High level of written and oral communication skills in English.

At Sandsoft, we do things differently.

Our Background. We are a new, dynamic games company based in Saudi Arabia focused on publishing, developing & investing in high quality, core mobile Free to Play and Play & Earn game experiences and studios across the world. Our seasoned team is composed of passionate game makers with vast experience in developing, publishing and leading some of the most highly successful game franchises ever released including FIFA, Candy Crush, Need for Speed, Angry Birds, World of Tanks and more. And we are backed by the resources of one of the largest, most successful and prestigious corporations in the Middle East (Ajlan &Bros).

We Value Independence. We create the best possible, small teams we call ‘Tribes’ and give them the freedom and independence to work together in pursuit of creating the highest quality games with high reliability and competition at the heart of the experience. Each Tribe has the freedom to pursue this goal as they see fit. It’s up to them to decide what is best for Sandsoft and for our players.

We Defer to Trust. We trust each other, even when we disagree. In this environment, you will work with your colleagues who will trust you to do what makes sense and give you the autonomy to do what is right for Sandsoft as only our game teams can make the decision to launch or shut down their project.

Everyone is a Game Maker. Everybody in our development team is first and foremost, a Game Maker and you will be no different. We encourage our people to use their talents where they have the most impact. We ask and give feedback proactively to inform our decisions. So while you are a master of your own discipline, you are also a key stakeholder and your role and voice is critical when it comes to concepting and designing Games.