Game Developer - Unreal (Contract) PRELOADED in London

Contract: (Hybrid)

We're seeking a seasoned Game developer with an excellent track record in Unreal and an instinctive understanding of what makes a great game experience. You will be part of the gameplay prototyping team and work closely with game design and creative to create and explore new and exciting social game experiences. Specifically, you will be experimenting with multiplayer mechanics and interaction paradigms for next generation audiences, including experiences that extend beyond the traditional screen. This role requires a minimum of 2 days per week on-site at our London studio.

Key Responsibilities

• Work closely with the Game Design team to rapidly prototype new and interesting game experiences, from purely digital builds to experiences that blend software with the physical world.
• Collaborate with the wider creative tech team to design and develop game and multiplayer systems, including novel input and output methods where appropriate.
• Delivering engaging player experiences through technical innovation, creative thinking and efficient working practices.
• Proactive problem-solving skills accompanied by excellent communications skills to express ideas and reasoning to key stakeholders and the team.
• Work closely with the production team to inform the project timelines.
• Documenting learnings and insights and providing key technical limitations and concerns to the wider team.

What We’re Looking For

• Proven experience with Unreal across both C++ and blueprints, including proficiency in advanced physics systems and network replication.
• Strong understanding of computer science fundamentals (data structures, algorithms, networking) and a proven ability to apply them in creating high-quality player experiences.
• Self-motivated and hands-on, with proven experience in gameplay prototyping and a passion for exploring emerging technologies, immersive tech, spatial/physical computing, and unconventional interaction models.
• Curiosity or hands-on experience with alternative input sources (e.g. tracking, depth, environmental or motion data) and integrating them into real-time engines.
• Game development experience in a Gameplay/Prototyping technical role or similar, with a proven ability to work with loose specifications, including briefs where the hardware or interface is still being defined.
• Excellent communicator, collaborator, and problem solver.

Nice to Have

• Experience prototyping complex multiplayer game mechanics.
• Any background in interactive experiences that sit outside traditional platforms, shared spaces, event-based, or bespoke setups is a plus.

ABOUT PRELOADED

We are a BAFTA-winning games studio inventing new ways to play for everyone. We harness the power of play to create the experiences of tomorrow. Founded in 2000, PRELOADED believes that play, in all contexts and for all audiences, has the potential to impact our world positively. As a cross-disciplinary team of artists, designers, play specialists, and creative technologists, we are united by this shared mission - what we call Play with Purpose®. Together, we craft a diverse range of playful experiences. We help organisations, brands, and institutions engage next-generation audiences and collaborate with technology platforms to imagine the future of play.