Astrid Entertainment

Astrid is a gaming studio that brings together accomplished worldbuilders and game developers to create multiplayer creative experiences. Our first title is a cooperative open-world life simulation set in a natural world inspired by the wonder of Studio Ghibli and the playfulness of Nintendo. This is a living world shared by a small group of players that are given creative tools and freedom to evolve the world through the connections they form and the choices they pursue. Our team spans the US, the UK, and beyond. We are taking a fully remote approach, but have regular in-person meetups to synchronize, huddle and build our culture. Astrid is seeking an experienced Senior Level Designer to join us as a contractor with an option to join our team in a full time position later. In this role, you will work with our Design and Art teams to craft memorable spaces, encounters, and game moments that bring our world to life. The Role We are looking for a Senior Level Designer who can collaborate with our creative, design, and art teams to turn our open world demo into a fully playable map driven by exploration and environmental storytelling. You will be responsible for shaping how players move through a natural world, designing spaces that reveal narrative through layout, pacing, and player discovery rather than exposition. This role requires someone who can think beyond set pieces and build environments that feel systemic, immersive, and worth exploring. The game launches with a single large biome. Rather than building a vast map, our focus is on density, readability, and creating a place players come to know intimately over time. Within that biome, we aim to craft a rich variety of distinct locations that each feel unique in mood, composition, and identity, avoiding repetition. You'll apply the compositional principles that make Breath of the Wild feel masterfully structured, using terrain, landmarks, and sightlines to shape exploration across a richly detailed biome roughly the size and density of one of its zones. You'll be designing two types of playspace: - Wild areas are playgrounds - spaces where players explore, gather, and encounter wildlife, and where the terrain itself becomes part of the play — full of opportunities for emergent physical play and satisfying traversal - Settled areas are player-shaped - outposts and settlements that players build up, expand, and personalise over time, and which need to evolve spatially as they grow. You will need to consider the following critical elements of the game: - The gameplay is Nintendo-like. Kinetic, joyful and hands-on; players run, jump, climb, throw, and bounce through the world. This isn't a "walk and interact" game, and the level design needs to reflect that at every turn. - The world is dynamic. Systems will change the landscape over time — areas will gradually come alive and evolve as players invest in them. Every space you design needs to support transformation without breaking the underlying spatial logic. - The world is shared. A small group of players inhabits this world together. Moments of discovery need to land whether solo or with friends, terrain needs to be fun to traverse as a group, and layouts should give players reasons to split up and regroup.

This description is a summary of our understanding of the job description. Click on 'Apply' button to find out more. Role Description Astrid is seeking an experienced Senior Gameplay Engineer to join its small and thoughtful team as we push the boundaries in gaming and IP and offer fans new meaningful worlds and experiences. This is a remote position on a fully distributed team. WHO YOU ARE - You are passionate about games and what they mean for our players - You are proactive and take initiative - You are a problem solver with a positive mindset who likes a challenge - You care about code quality and reducing technical debt - You consistently address issues as you encounter them - You like to experiment and innovate - You work well with others and communicate technical concepts clearly - You have a continuous improvement mindset WHAT YOU WILL DO - Engineer systems, implement features and tests in C++ and Blueprints - Prototype gameplay features in collaboration with design and engineering - Identify and highlight potential problems and risks with proposed solutions - Share knowledge, mentor and support colleagues in your area of expertise - Champion engineering quality (code reviews, automated tests, release processes) - Plan, estimate and prioritize work Qualifications - 5+ years of experience developing video games - Solid knowledge of Unreal Engine - Proven experience engineering gameplay systems - Proven engineering and code design skills - Problem-solving, debugging and optimisation skills - Solid knowledge of C++ - Experience with AI tools like Github Copilot - Technical communication skills - Ability to create and maintain technical documentation Bonus Experience - Experience with Epic’s Gameplay Ability System (GAS) - Experience with development of systemic games (emergent mechanics, interlocking systems, simulation-driven worlds, sandbox or co-op titles) - Experience with peer-to-peer and/or client/server multiplayer - Familiarity with Steam and/or Epic Game Store Benefits - Great compensation package and equity - Private health insurance - Pension - Unlimited vacation days. We trust our team! - Flexible remote work hours as long as team members deliver results - We are committed to continuing to expand our benefits and perks to support our team.

Astrid is a gaming studio that brings together accomplished worldbuilders and game developers to create multiplayer creative experiences. Our first project is a cooperative open-world sim, designed to foster connection, problem-solving, and shared discovery. Players embark on a profound social experience in a richly imagined world shaped by dynamic systems, immersive storytelling, and community-driven play.  Our team spans the US, the UK, and beyond. We are taking a fully remote approach, but have regular in-person meetups to synchronize, huddle and build our culture. We are currently seeking a Senior Technical Artist to become a vital part of our team. We are looking for an individual who has a passion for co-op games that offer players creative tools to craft, build and shape environments. The successful candidate will work alongside the Art and Programming teams provisioning technical guidance and helping to define and implement the art workflow and pipeline. You will work closely with other developers, providing valuable insights and solutions to ensure the smooth operation of our game development processes.  This is a remote position on a fully distributed team. Responsibilities - Reporting to the Technical Director, you will also work closely with the Art Director to define and maintain art workflows. - Work with Art and Programming teams to effectively produce technically correct art content. - Clearly communicate and document art production pipelines. - Shader and Material research and development. - Review creative process and identify opportunities for tool improvements - Develop 3D art pipeline tools and extensions with an eye towards usability and efficiency - Solve challenging technical issues in the 3D asset pipeline - Provide guidance to artists encouraging best working practices and strong asset organization. - Proactively provide suggestions on how to utilize new technologies and tools and implement them into our workflow. - Liaise with the wider development team to troubleshoot issues and find solutions. - Provide clear guidance on technical performance constraints and help define asset budgets.

Astrid is a gaming studio that brings together accomplished worldbuilders and game developers to create multiplayer creative experiences. Our first project is a cooperative open-world sim, designed to foster connection, problem-solving, and shared discovery. Players embark on a profound social experience in a richly imagined world shaped by dynamic systems, immersive storytelling, and community-driven play.  Job Description  Astrid is seeking an experienced Technical Director to join its small and thoughtful  leadership team as we push the boundaries in gaming and IP and offer fans new meaningful worlds and experiences. We are looking for an individual who has a passion for co-op games and a deep understanding of the systemic design, rapid iteration of the relevant technologies and processes that enable this. The right candidate will have significant experience with leading teams through pre-production, production, launch and post launch on PC and Console. They will also be open to hands-on work.  This role is part of our directorship  team of leaders who drive the development of our first game and overall studio strategy and culture. Responsibilities Immediate Focus - Pre production  - Lock multiplayer architecture and networking model - Define scalable systems framework (AI, progression, world events, macro sim, crafting, etc) - Lead programming priorities and guide the engineering team through pre-production while preparing for full production - Identify and prioritize top technical risks for production and launch  - Own and update WIP TDD  - Evaluate and recommend AI tools that can speed up team progress and efficiency  In Addition - Create and manage an overall technical roadmap that meshes with the company and project strategy and goals - Provide hands on support in a small and nimble team  - Maintain regular internal communications and encourage a positive and inclusive team atmosphere - Work with internal and 3rd party teams to create and vet project and studio technical plans - Audit the technical quality of emerging technologies and integrations - Ensure that our product is being built with a productive methodology and solid coding practices, technical briefs and code reviews.  - Identify and mitigate all technical risks for the various stakeholders, including internal studios and external partners - Ensure stakeholders are informed on progress in terms of what commitments have been made and how the execution of initiatives and milestones is going