Games Engineer

Peace

$110K — $130K *
Consumer Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Gameplay or systems engineering experience on shipped games or interactive products.
  • Strong programming skills in Unity/C#, Unreal/C++, Godot, or Python/TypeScript.
  • Deep understanding of game systems including loops, state, progression, pacing, and player rewards.
  • Ability to effectively collaborate with writers and designers to translate creative concepts into functional systems.
  • Prototyping speed with a preference for creating playable versions over extensive documentation.
  • Interest and understanding of play mechanics for children aged 5-11, distinct from adult game design.
  • Comfortable with ambiguous environments and capable of building foundational systems from scratch.

Responsibilities

  • Build and manage play systems including game state, session logic, and player progression.
  • Develop character behaviors using state machines and behavior trees that dictate character actions.
  • Create physical game mechanics that utilize real-world sensor inputs for interactive play.
  • Rapidly prototype games to obtain playable versions for child testing within days.
  • Design tools and frameworks for writers and designers to create and adjust game content without needing an engineer.
  • Analyze real playdata and adjust gameplay based on children's interactions during playtests.

Benefits

  • Flexible work environment prioritizing family and personal life.
  • Enrollment in private medical care.
  • Opportunity to work with forward-thinking and compassionate leadership.
  • Inclusive and diverse workplace that promotes an environment for personal and professional growth.
Full Job Description
We are searching for a super talented Games Engineer, holding responsibility for turning a narrative play into a system that runs: rules, state, progression, character behavior, triggers, and the moment-to-moment play loop. Reporting to our CTO, this is a pivotal role that sits between creative and technology. There is no established playbook for what we are building - you'll be inventing a lot of it. Consequently this is an amazing opportunity for someone who is truly creative, detail-oriented, and skilled at this early test & learn stage.

Responsibilities

  • Build the play systems. Game state, session logic, progression, unlocks, rewards, pacing and difficulty across a play world for children
  • Build character behavior. State machines, behavior trees and rules that decide what a character does and when (including how a scripted system and an LLM-driven character share control of a scene).
  • Build physical game mechanics. Use inputs from a variety of real-world sensors so that play responds to player motions and where they are in a space
  • Prototype fast. Get playable versions in front of children in days, not months, and be willing to throw them away.
  • Build tools and content structures that let writers and designers create, configure and tune play without needing an engineer.
  • Tune from real data. Instrument sessions, sit in playtests, and balance the systems based on what children actually do.

Requirements
  • Gameplay or systems engineering experience. On shipped games or interactive products.
  • Strong programming. Unity/C#, Unreal/C++, Godot, or Python/TypeScript. We're not tied to an engine (yet) - how you think about systems matters more than which tools you've used.
  • Real understanding of game systems: loops, state, progression, pacing, balance, and what feels like a true reward to a player
  • The ability to work closely with writers and designers. Translate creative intent into a working system.
  • Prototyping speed. You'd rather have something playable on Friday than a design document.
  • Interest in play for children aged 5-11, and an understanding of how that differs from designing for adults.
  • Scrappy and good at 0-1. You are energised by building from scratch, comfortable with ambiguity.

Benefits

We are a highly mission-driven, ambitious company, so working hard is a pre-requisite. But we are also building this for our families and future generations, so we make space for flexibility and family comes first, always.

You will be enrolled in our private medical care and work for some of the most forward-thinking, inspiring leaders in the business. They are both clever, and extremely compassionate.

Peace is a place that you can be yourself. We are a highly diverse team and we truly believe that excellent work comes when you create a great environment for amazing people to flourish.

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