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Lead Game Designer

Founded in 2005, the 2K label includes some of the most talented game development studios in the world today including Firaxis Games, Visual Concepts, Hangar 13, 2K Czech, and Cat Daddy Games. Our world-class team of engineers, developers, graphic artists, and publishing professionals are stewards of a growing library of critically acclaimed franchises such as Battleborn, BioShock, Borderlands, The Darkness, Mafia, NBA 2K, Sid Meier’s Civilization, WWE 2K, and XCOM. 2K is headquartered in Novato, California, and is a wholly owned label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

2K’s Cat Daddy studio, based in Kirkland, Washington, was started 20+ years ago by industry veterans and is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive within the 2K Label, so we are part of a pretty big family. And while we love being part of something so impressive, the studio is a fun and dedicated family of incredibly hardworking game developers. We have shipped games on almost every genre and platform, with a current focus on mobile games.

What We Need:

We are looking for a Lead Game Designer to join our team focused on a v1 of a new franchise within the 2k family. This position shapes the overall experience, collaborating closely with everyone on the development team (producers, developers, and artists), evolving the game mechanics and systems from concept to ship. The ideal candidate has a phenomenal sense of what appeals to current TCG players, understands how to build deeply satisfying and complex strategic experiences, and has a clear vision for a game that will boldly go where no card game has gone before.

What You Will Do:

Reporting to our Director of Product, this role:

• Owns game features and systems end-to-end from the design side, concepting with an eye towards engagement, retention, and monetization.
• Collaborates with fellow designers and the team to further refine the initial visions.
• Guides development and iteration efforts, working with production to scope, prioritize, and revise in order to deliver on that plan.
• Audits existing designs to identify areas of improvement. Use intelligence and data analyst data to better improve understandings of the player segment and overall game direction.
• Builds out designs with future live ops opportunities in mind.
• Mentors other designers and team members in the fundamentals of sophisticated design, feedback triage, and adaptive design.
• Is able to efficiently work from home, collaborating and sharing virtually until we return to the office.

Who We Think Will Be a Great Fit:

• Proven experience as a professional game designer across multiple stages of development (development to soft launch to live service), shipping titles in the TCG/CCG or related game genres (social, RPG, F2P) in a design role.
• Enthusiastic about crafting compelling mobile experiences with balanced monetization.
• Proficient in building specs, one-pagers, wireframes. Adept at using tools or software for designing games.
• Excellent interpersonal skills. Experience working with engineers, artists, and other designers.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, balancing opposing priorities among multiple partners.
• A proven track record of innovation, flexibility, and critical thinking!

At Cat Daddy, we believe diversity of experience is fundamental to creating accessible and fun gaming experiences for *all* of our players. We encourage everyone to consider being a part of our team.

We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, perform essential job functions, and receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

Please note that 2K Games and its studios never uses instant messaging apps or personal email accounts to contact prospective employees or conduct interviews and when emailing, only use 2K.com or Catdaddy.com accounts.