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Gardens logo
Gardens

A globally-distributed studio growing online games to foster meaningful and memorable moments between players worldwide.

Gameplay Designer, Creatures

Game EngineerSoftware EngineerOtherRemoteSeniorTeam 11-50H1B SponsorCompany SiteLinkedIn

Location

United States

Posted

85 days ago

Salary

$172.1K - $206.4K / year

Seniority

Senior

Bachelor DegreeEnglishUnreal Engine

Job Description

Gameplay Designer, Creatures

Gardens

• Prototype, iterate, and maintain creature behaviors and abilities for both combat and non-combat scenarios in an online multiplayer environment. • Own the implementation and continuous maintenance of creature behaviors using Unreal Behaviors Trees and Blackboards from prototyping to polish. • Collaborate with engineers, artists, animators, and audio designers to bring your creature designs to the player experience. • Own creatures, their abilities, and their behaviors while staying aligned with gameplay design and leadership. • Collaborate with cross-disciplinary partners to align creature design with art, narrative, 3C’s gameplay, and technical requirements. • Balance and tune difficulty and behavior to create engaging encounters for multiplayer situations. • Advocate for the player experience, ensuring creature interactions are fun, surprising, and memorable. • Partner with Animation to tune movement sets and provide pathfinding logic to ensure locomotion feels grounded and purposeful. • Act as a key bridge between Art/Animation and Engineering to troubleshoot visual state logic and optimize creature performance.

Job Requirements

  • Understanding of how players approach multiplayer play in order to create compelling and engaging creatures (and creature behaviors) that elevate the player experience.
  • Strong collaboration skills with the ability to communicate ideas clearly and succinctly.
  • Strong playtesting and iteration habits to maintain creative goals while also having a focus on how design decisions affect interpersonal player behavior and relationships.
  • Extensive Unreal Engine experience, with strong proficiency in Unreal Engine Behavior Trees, Blackboards, and Blueprint Scripting.
  • Experience working with and strong understanding of the Gameplay Ability System (GAS) in Unreal Engine.
  • Passion for ecological design, systemic worldbuilding, or player-driven emergent gameplay.
  • Love for and understanding of the animal kingdom, creature biology, and natural ecologies.
  • Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States or Canada.

Benefits

  • Competitive Salaries and Pay Transparency
  • Stock Options
  • Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage (100% for Individuals and 90% for Dependents)
  • Life Insurance, Short Term & Long Term Disability, and numerous other benefits
  • 401k contributions (USA) / RRSP plan + DPSP contributions (Canada)
  • Paid Parental Leave
  • Biannual Company Retreats
  • Continued Education Allowance
  • A fully-distributed studio across North American Timezones (US & Canada)

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