Lead Game Designer

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Established in 2002, CI Games has carved its niche in the global gaming scene as an independent video game developer and publisher. Over two decades, the company has built a reputation for acclaimed titles like the Lords of the Fallen and Sniper Ghost Warrior franchises. Its third-party publishing arm, United Label, champions ambitious, meticulously crafted games such as Röki, Eldest Souls, and the Tales of Iron franchise. Embracing the future of work, CI Games has operated with fully remote teams since 2020, with most employees based throughout Europe.

Join CI Games and be part of shaping the future of gaming. As we embark on an ambitious strategic roadmap with major releases planned for 2025-2028, we\’re seeking a talented and dedicated Lead Game Designer to help us create ground-breaking experiences that captivate players worldwide.

A career at CI Games is about being part of a team working on some of the most creatively rewarding and ambitious projects to be found in any entertainment medium. You would be welcomed to a dedicated and inclusive environment where you can learn and collaborate with some of the most talented people in the industry.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the design team to develop and refine our approach to core gameplay, focusing on combat and RPG systems.
• Champion the overall player experience, ensuring it is cohesive, innovative, and meets a state-of-the-art level of polish.
• Guide and mentor a talented team of designers, providing constructive feedback and solving high-level problems.

Design & Technical Oversight:

• Oversee the implementation of character combat behaviours within Unreal Engine.
• Ensure the team creates clear, visually oriented design materials and provides comprehensive technical requirements to our gameplay programmers.
• Guide the design process for a wide variety of gameplay features, from enemy archetypes to boss encounters.
• Partner with key stakeholders across departments to align design goals with broader project objectives and ensure a unified design vision.
• Coordinate with Direction, Leads and Production to ensure development stays on track and within available resource and project timeframe allocations.

Let\’s be honest!

On occasions, this role may be challenging.

• The gaming industry is extremely fast-paced – project priorities can change quickly and deadlines can be tight.
• You will need to guide your team through these shifting goals, ensuring they can adapt their focus and continue to solve complex problems under pressure.
• Your role will be fully remote which may be sometimes challenging.

Key Requirements:

• 7+ years of game design experience, with a proven track record in a lead role.
• Shipped at least 2 AAA titles in a design capacity.
• Extensive experience designing for combat-driven games, ideally action ARPGs.
• A deep understanding of the Souls-like genre and its design principles.
• A core design philosophy that puts the player experience first, and the ability to champion that perspective throughout the development process.
• Exceptional knowledge of gameplay mechanics and what makes modern games work.
• Deep familiarity with Unreal Engine; you must understand the technology and its pipelines to lead the team effectively.
• Outstanding communication, interpersonal, and organisational skills are essential for this leadership role.
• An open and creative mind, with the ability to inspire and mentor others.

What we offer:

• Attractive remuneration and annual discretionary bonus.
• Opportunities for professional development within a supportive and collaborative team.
• Remote work with flexible schedules (core working hours 10am-4pm CET), allowing you to work alongside talented individuals from around the world.
• An opportunity to work with cutting-edge technologies and stay at the forefront of the gaming industry.
• A diverse and inclusive workplace that celebrates all backgrounds, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or social status.
• Company events and wrap-up parties, access to all games released by CI Games and company merchandise.
• A chance to be part of something ground-breaking as we shape the future of gaming.

Recruitment Process:

• Once our Talent Acquisition team receives your application, together with the hiring team, we will review your CV, portfolio and the answers you provided in the application form and if all the boxes are ticked, we\’re moving to the next stage.
• Initial call with Talent Acquisition Specialist – During this call you\’ll learn about the company and we learn about you. We\’ll talk about your experience & expectations with working in a fully remote environment and we\’ll talk about your expertise. We\’ll finish this call with some admin questions. There will be an opportunity for you to ask any questions as well.
• After the initial call, usually 1 or 2 interviews with the hiring team follows. These interviews will be a bit more technical and will go deeper into your experience, skills & knowledge. As you would have signed an NDA by now, you\’ll also learn a bit more about the project you would work on. During these interviews we\’ll also focus on finding out whether you\’re a good fit for our company culture and that we share the same values.
• We may or may not ask you to do the test – this is decided on an individual basis and you will receive instructions with the test.
• If everything goes well, the last step in the recruitment process is the offer presentation call with the Talent Acquisition Specialist and your future line manager to discuss the offer and next steps to get you successfully on board.

We are an equal opportunities employer, hiring and developing our best talent based on merit. Accessibility is at the heart of our games, and we are committed to not discriminating against people based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or social status. Should you require adjustments or flexible arrangements to interview, or take up a role with us, please let us know in your application and we will accommodate to the best of our ability.

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