Principal Technical Gameplay Designer

Absurd Ventures•Santa Monica, CA

20h•$145,000 - $165,000•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a Principal Technical Gameplay Designer to own the design and implementation of compelling 3 C’s gameplay. This person will work closely with design leadership, animators, engineers, and artists to deliver world-class moment-to-moment gameplay and player feel.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in game design with at least 2 shipped titles, including one in a senior or lead role focused on combat.
Deep understanding of player mechanics, animation-driven gameplay, enemy design, and AI behavior.
High technical proficiency with Unreal Engine 5.0 and its suite of combat, AI, and animation systems tools.
Strong prototyping skills with scripting languages or visual scripting systems (e.g., Blueprint, Lua, etc.).
Excellent communication, collaboration, and documentation skills.
Passion for creating satisfying, intuitive, and deep combat systems across various player archetypes.

Nice To Haves

Experience designing melee combat systems, ranged combat, or hybrid mechanics.
Background working on open-world or sandbox games.
Experience planning player skill and progression systems.
Knowledge of cinematic combat presentation and camera work.
Experience working with motion capture and/or animation pipelines.

Responsibilities

Own and drive implementation of all moment-to-moment player-feel gameplay in alignment with direction from a senior leadership team.
Develop engaging combat mechanics, including player abilities, enemy behaviors, AI tactics, weapons, and camera systems.
Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams to prototype, iterate, and polish combat features from concept through ship.
Author and maintain design documentation, ensuring clarity and alignment across departments.
Analyze playtest data and player feedback to continuously refine and balance combat systems.
Own combat encounters and pacing in collaboration with level and narrative design teams.
Establish metrics and best practices for environment and encounter design to support optimal gameplay.
Mentor junior designers and contribute to the evolution of team processes and best practices.
Maintain high standards for quality, responsiveness, and fun across all combat elements.