Systems Designer

Note: We have been made aware that there are individuals reaching out to artists claiming to be from Gravity Well. If you receive any information about a job listing that is not from a gravitywell.games domain, it did not come from Gravity Well. Please be wary of contact coming from anything other than a gravitywell.games domain.

Additionally, we are not working with any external recruiters or agencies at this time. Our website has an up to date roster of all current employees. If anyone reaches out to you and they are not listed on our website, they are not part of our team.

Do you dream of creating worlds where players form meaningful relationships and forever memories? Are you fascinated by the systems that excite and delight both casual and highly engaged players alike? We are looking for an experienced, creative, and technically capable designer to help develop large systems that bring players together and make them excited for more!

At Gravity Well, you will be empowered to make the game better regardless of specialization. We believe in hiring great people and giving them the freedom and trust to build amazing things that they are passionate about -- we are not hiring people to fill pre-determined workloads. Systems designers with broader interests are encouraged to apply!

What You'll Do:

• Develop and own major game systems in a brand new IP. You’ll drive the creation and interaction of systems that reward and engage players while driving meaningful social interactions.
• Use your creative and technical skills to create playable prototypes that give insight into how your designs will affect the game when it has millions of players.
• Give meaningful feedback on all aspects of the game by being an advocate for players at every possible opportunity.
• Emphasize playable prototypes and iteration on playable experiences over extensive design documentation and theorycrafting.
• In order to make a game that players love, you will react to feedback from regular internal playtests and external focus tests as you see fit.
• Help create an inclusive and collaborative development culture within the team.
• NOT be encouraged to crunch or work overtime.

Ideally You'll Have:

• 3+ years as a professional developer with experience designing and implementing large and complex systems.
• Strong design sensibilities with the ability to independently make good decisions for the player experience.
• A deep understanding of different player motivations and how people engage with video games.
• Knowledge of how people interact and grow communities in games, and how games influence social behavior.
• Strong self-motivation and self-sufficiency. You know how to independently create playable prototypes and find the resources you need to make your vision clear to the team.
• Good communication skills, being able to speak deeply with designers on design issues as well as presenting ideas in appropriate depth to non-designers.
• The skills to polish your work to a high quality bar. Ideally you have experience going from a blank slate to a shipped game, understanding the shifts in development between prototyping, polishing, and shipping.

What You’ll Get:

The base pay for this role is:

• Systems Designer: $100,000 to $125,000 USD per year
• Senior Systems Designer: $125,000 to $175,000 USD per year

(or equivalent in your local currency). We pay fairly across our global team regardless of your location but it will differ based on factors such as experience, qualifications etc.

In addition to the base pay, we also offer the following:

• Profit sharing and company equity to all employees, regardless of location
• Industry leading medical, dental, and vision plans
• Employer sponsored basic life insurance & AD&D
• 401k retirement program
• Flexible work hours
• Unlimited PTO and sick time
• Paid parental leave

Some benefits listed may vary depending on your employee status and location, such as the 401k plan for employees in the United States.

Where You'll Work:

This position is for US and Canadian residents. We have an office in California if you like to come to an office, but most employees work from home across different US time zones and that's totally fine.

Misc:

We may ask you to take a paid test as part of the interview process.