Senior Gameplay Designer - Companions

Archetype Entertainment is a new game studio in Austin, Texas led by industry veterans from BioWare and other AAA studios. Archetype is a division of Wizards of the Coast (Hasbro). We are building a development team with world-class talent to create a new science fiction universe for our first multiplatform roleplaying video game.

Our goal is to create the greatest story-driven roleplaying games in the world.

At Archetype, we believe there will always be a place for story-driven roleplaying games that put the player at the center of an epic personal narrative with impactful choices. We also believe that game studios should empower top developers and challenge them with ambitious projects that are shaped by a strong, clearly communicated creative vision.

We chose Austin because it is a great place to live and work. Austin is the capital of Texas and is a fast-growing city with a vibrant music scene, cosmopolitan culture, and a world-class university (the University of Texas at Austin). From downtown high rises to scenic rolling hills, Austin offers something for everyone and has been voted the #1 place to live in America multiple times in the past 5 years based on affordability, job prospects, and quality of life.

The Role

Archetype is looking for a passionate, experienced, and collaborative Senior Gameplay Designer to bring our companion characters to life through engaging traversal, exploration, and combat mechanics while reflecting their roles in the game's narrative.

The ideal candidate will have demonstrated experience crafting rich and exciting companions and other non-player characters in AAA titles that build an emotional connection with players. You'll work with the player, enemies, encounter, narrative, and other teams to imbue our companions with the authentic and organic qualities roleplaying gamers expect today!

What You'll Do

• Own and drive the gameplay systems required to deliver industry-leading companion characters
• Collaborate across design teams to build abilities, animation, vfx, and sound that create a personal connection between the player and their companions
• Engage with the storytelling team to assure the companions meet the narrative goals of the game and reflect their individuality in cinematics
• Assure that the player's choices of companions are exciting ones, reflecting significant trade-offs and compromises
• Build and maintain documentation for all owned features
• Regularly play the game, providing constructive feedback and suggestions to other members of the team
• Remain up to date on industry trends and competitor games

What You'll Bring

• 5+ years of experience in Gameplay and/or Systems Design
• At least 1 shipped AAA titles with meaningful contributions to companion and/or other AI development
• Experience working in Unreal or other modern game engines
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Self-sufficient and self-motivated, able to push features forward but also know when to ask for guidance or help

Bonus Modifiers:

• Experience with level design, encounter design, storytelling, progression, or exploration
• Experience with difficulty systems
• Experience working on new IP

We are an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer

The above is intended to describe the general content of and the requirements for satisfactory performance in this position. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of the duties, responsibilities, or requirements of the position.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.