Gameplay Engineer

As a Gameplay Engineer, you will craft tactile and immersive gameplay systems that will fuel the adventure and enable the stories within our games. You will partner with designers to understand the vision and intent behind game features, realize those features in Unreal using C++ and Blueprints, and apply your architectural expertise to enable the iterative development and evolution of our game. You will be a key player in connecting our players to the game world and enabling them to explore, interact and create memorable multiplayer moments. A Day in the Life: • Apply your expertise with the Unreal Engine (C++ and Blueprints) to own the implementation of gameplay mechanics in close collaboration with the design team. • Develop flexible, scalable systems designed for iterative development that facilitate emergent game interactions. • Playtest regularly with the team to prototype new ideas and ensure gameplay is progressing in accordance with our game's pillars. What You'll Do: • Own the technical architecture and implementation of multiple gameplay features across the game, partnering closely with design and production to achieve creative intent and balance development prioritization. • Advocate for excellence in tactile, immersive game feel across the project and the studio. • Collaborate closely with design, art and animation to align with game vision and provide technical expertise and perspective on decisions and alternatives. • Contribute to the stability of the game by proactively assisting in the identification and triage of issues in game systems, collaborating on solutions, and identifying and reducing friction in the development process. What You'll Bring: • 5+ years of experience building game mechanics across one or more projects. • Deep expertise in Unreal's gameplay frameworks, including character/camera controllers, behavior trees, Blackboard and the Gameplay Ability System. • Solid understanding of Unreal's multiplayer framework, including replication RPCs, and the ability to incorporate the implications of a networked multiplayer environment into feature implementation. • Clear communication, strong collaboration, and the judgment to work independently, recognize constraints, and seek support when needed. Nice to Haves: • Previous experience on shipped multiplayer titles using Unreal Engine. • Prior experience owning the decision-making and implementation of significant portions of control/camera systems, NPC AI/behavior, combat or ability/action features in a multiplayer context. • Experience profiling and optimizing gameplay systems for large-scale content. The Team: • You will report to the Lead Gameplay Engineer. • You will join a team of gameplay engineers who work closely with other disciplines to champion the values that our games are centered on. Please Note: Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States or Canada. Gardens cannot assist with work authorizations or work visas. Applicants must also be willing to work within North American time zones (EST-PST). Our Interview Process (all interviews are 1 hour video calls on Google Meet unless otherwise noted) • Step 1: People Operations Introduction • Step 2: Hiring Manager Interview • Step 3: Panel Interview (3 - 1 Hour Sections) • Step 4: Gardeners Debrief • Step 5: Offer Life at Gardens Gardens is a fully distributed game studio founded by creators behind titles including Journey, What Remains of Edith Finch, Blaseball, Dustforce, Ashen, Guild Wars 2, Baldur's Gate 3, and more. We're developing our flagship project: a multiplayer fantasy adventure inspired by the friendships, discoveries, and unforgettable stories that emerge when people explore together. We believe the best ideas come from teams with diverse experiences, perspectives, backgrounds, and ways of thinking. Every Gardener helps shape not only what we build, but how we build it. Each of us arrives by a different path, bringing unique experiences, perspectives, and ways of seeing the world. That range is part of what makes our games and our studio better than any one of us could build alone. Gardens Offers: • Competitive salaries and pay transparency • Stock options • Medical, dental, and vision coverage (100% for individuals, 90% for dependents) • Life insurance, short-term and long-term disability, and additional benefits • 401(k) contributions (U.S.) / RRSP + DPSP contributions (Canada) • Paid parental leave • A fully distributed remote studio across North American time zones Benefits and perks listed may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Gardens and the country in which you work. Physical Requirements: This is a primarily sedentary, remote role requiring the ability to remain stationary and perform computer-based work for extended periods, including sustained use of monitors, keyboards, mice, and game controllers for a minimum of six hours per day. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the role. Gardens is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. Encouragement: We believe that diverse perspectives make our team stronger and our games better. If you're excited about this role but don't meet every single qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. Research consistently shows that talented people, particularly women, people of color, and those from historically underrepresented communities are less likely to apply unless they meet every listed requirement. We care far more about curiosity, growth, and a willingness to learn than checking every box.