Level Designer Intern

Join our team as an intern to learn the ins and outs of the gaming industry.  Located at our San Ramon office, this internship will last for 12 weeks onsite.  We are looking for someone local to our office who has the required skills, who's passionate about games, and willing to learn from our team. This intern will join the Level Design team and help us design fun, high-quality gameplay spaces.

 Responsibilities:

• Designing and documenting objective based gameplay scenarios supporting both solo and co-operative gameplay elements.
• Designing terrain that supports PvE combat, engaging traversal and objective based gameplay placements.
• Work together with Creative Leadership and the Game Design Team implementing and iterating of levels/missions and gameplay elements.
• Collaboration with various disciplines including Environmental Art, Engineering, SFX and VFX.

Qualifications:

• Can work at the SDS San Ramon office 5 days a week.
• Working knowledge of the Unreal 5 game engine and Blueprint scripting.
• A solid understanding of current multiplayer co-operative gameplay and mission design mechanics.
• Proficiency in the level design process with the capacity to iterate and collaborate with other game designers.
• The ability to evaluate, critique and design 3D spaces with an understanding of level design concepts such as:
  • Pacing and ramping gameplay mechanics.
  • Pathing and traversal flow.
  • Landmarking.
  • Sightlines and visibility.
  • Creative use of scale.
  • Following defined metrics.
  • Using art, color, lighting, and composition to augment gameplay design.
• Must love video games, be an active collaborator, and motivated team player.

Experience Requirements:

• A Higher Education Degree is NOT a requirement.
• Examples of Level Design proficiency in at least one of the following categories:
  • A portfolio showcasing the ability to create maps, levels, or worlds using modern game engines.
  • Examples of your "Game Mod" level designs.
  • Game Jam Projects showcasing your level designs.
  • Personal Level Design Projects using the Unreal Engine.

Preferences:

• Involvement in the Game Modification and/or Game Jam Communities.
• Experience using 3D modeling software such as Maya and Blender.
• Familiarity with using graphic editing programs such as Photoshop and Gimp.
• Local to the San Ramon area. (Neither relocation nor housing will be available for this internship.)