Lead Gameplay Designer

What We're Looking For

When you join BulletFarm, you will be the only gameplay designer at the studio. Your first months will be spent prototyping the core combat loop directly in Blueprints alongside the Creative Director and Technical Director - no design team beneath you, no established documentation template, and no process to inherit. You will be in the tools daily, building things that will be played, broken, and rebuilt.

The Lead title reflects seniority and the expectation that you will grow the design discipline over time. But for the foreseeable future, the most important thing about this role is that you are a maker first. You have deep FPS combat experience, you prototype fast, and you have a track record of shipping gameplay systems that feel good - not just designing them.

The ideal candidate is passionate about creating engaging FPS combat and puzzle-adjacent gameplay. You are an efficient, hands-on, and execution-oriented designer.

You also understand how individual mechanics connect into larger player experiences and can design systems that create meaningful choices, long-term engagement, and memorable gameplay moments.

You are equally comfortable with whiteboarding a new feature, prototyping with engineers, writing detailed design documentation, or presenting gameplay concepts to studio leadership. You have a specific point of view about first-person co-op action games - what makes them cohesive, what makes cooperative mechanics feel meaningful, and how systems design, player progression, and encounter design work together to create an experience worth coming back to.

What You'll Do

• Design, prototype, and iterate on core gameplay systems that define the player experience.

• Own the development of player-facing mechanics, progression systems, combat systems, game loops, and long-term engagement structures.

• Partner closely with the Creative and Technical Directors to translate creative vision into actionable gameplay experiences.

• Collaborate with Engineering to prototype, implement, and refine gameplay features.

• Work with Design, Art, and Audio teams to create cohesive and immersive player experiences.

• Create and maintain detailed design documentation, specifications, diagrams, and presentation materials.

• Develop and tune gameplay systems using data, playtesting feedback, and team input.

• Establish best practices for gameplay design processes and documentation.

• Drive feature reviews and present design concepts to leadership and cross-disciplinary stakeholders.

• Identify gameplay risks early and develop solutions that balance creative goals, technical constraints, and production realities.
• Mentor and provide guidance to future design team members as the discipline grows.

Qualifications

Required

• 6+ years of experience in game design, with at least one shipped AAA title in a Senior Designer, Lead Designer, Systems Designer, or equivalent role.
• Deep expertise in gameplay systems design, player engagement loops, progression systems, and game mechanics.
• Strong understanding of player psychology, feedback systems, and emergent gameplay design.
• Experience collaborating closely with Engineering teams to prototype and implement gameplay features.
• Experience with Unreal Engine 5 and modern gameplay scripting workflows.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proven ability to create clear and actionable design documentation.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a highly iterative design mindset.
• Experience working through prototype and early pre-production phases of game development.
• Active engagement with AI tools relevant to game design: including AI-assisted content generation, playtesting analysis, or systemic design tooling. Comfort with AI as a creative and analytical tool is a studio-wide requirement.
• Ability to thrive in a startup environment where processes, systems, and solutions are being built from the ground up.

Preferred

• Experience designing co-op, multiplayer, or shared-player experiences.

• First-person action or FPS development experience.

• Experience helping define gameplay pillars and product vision during early development.
• Previous experience with original IP or new franchise development.

Compensation & Benefits

The salary range listed above reflects the budgeted range for this role in USD. Actual compensation will be determined based on experience, skills, and qualifications. BulletFarm offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k), and flexible paid time off.

Pay Transparency

In compliance with applicable state and local pay transparency laws: including those in Colorado, California, New York, Washington, and Illinois, the salary range for this position is disclosed in the compensation section above.