Principal Systems Designer (Factory Game, Unreal Engine)

tobspr Games

9d • Remote

About The Position

Tobspr Games is hiring a Principal Systems Designer for a new 3D factory game built in Unreal Engine, in development until the end of 2028 with a team of around 20 people. The studio is a small, fully remote indie team based in Germany, known for shapez and shapez 2, and focused on factory and automation games.

This is a senior, hands-on role and the Game Director’s closest design partnership. The Game Director maintains the overall vision, while the Principal Systems Designer develops and owns core mechanics and systems intended to support hundreds of hours of play. The role involves prototyping and testing systems directly, keeping design documentation aligned with the implementation, and collaborating closely with programmers, artists, and production. Later in development, the role will lead a small design team including a Level Designer and Content Designer, and help shape the studio’s design practices.

The position is full-time at 40 hours per week and fully remote. Working hours are very flexible, with collaboration and critical meetings during CET core hours, approximately 11:00–15:00. The team works in English and expects professional working proficiency.

Requirements

• At least 8 years of professional game design experience, with a strong focus on systems design.
• At least one shipped title on which the candidate owned major systems, ideally in a systemic genre such as simulation, strategy, sandbox, automation, survival, or colony building.
• Genuine interest in and personal experience playing factory and automation games.
• Ability to think in systems, including feedback loops, dependencies, scaling, emergent behaviour, and edge cases.
• A hands-on work style, including personally prototyping and testing ideas.
• Excellent written and verbal communication in English.
• Working times compatible with the CET timezone.

Nice To Haves

• Programming background or solid scripting skills, such as Blueprints, C++, C#, Python, Lua, or similar.
• Experience with Unreal Engine.
• Experience leading or mentoring other designers.
• Experience working in small or remote indie teams.
• Personal factory-game projects, such as mods, tools, prototypes, calculators, or Blueprints.

Responsibilities

• Design core game systems, including production chains, resources, logistics, progression, and economy, with input from the Game Director.
• Break high-level mechanics into detailed steps that the team can build.
• Prototype and tune systems using spreadsheets, simulations, and Blueprints.
• Write and maintain clear design documentation and keep it aligned with the game’s implementation.
• Collaborate daily with programmers, artists, and production to keep design and implementation aligned.
• Structure design work by tracking priorities, open questions, decisions, and the reasons behind decisions.
• Partner with the Game Director by challenging ideas, proposing alternatives, and identifying when ideas do not work.
• Later, lead a small design team, including a Level Designer and Content Designer, and help shape the studio’s design practices.

Benefits

• Very flexible working hours.
• Paid overtime.
• Book and training budget of €100 per month, with more available if needed.
• Focus days for learning new skills or researching.
• Yearly on-site team events.
• Automatic baseline salary adjustment of 2% per year.
• Hardware and home office budget of €2,000 upon joining and €1,000 yearly thereafter.
• Job Ticket for employees living in Germany.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed