Experienced Game / Combat Designer in Sheffield

About Steel City Interactive

SCI was born out of passion for video games and boxing, with the ambition to create an authentic and exciting boxing game that does justice to the sport we love. What started as a fun prototype has grown into ‘Undisputed’, the first major boxing video game in over a decade. SCI is a welcoming place for expression and open communication, where everyone has a voice. We’re a diverse bunch, consisting of people with decades of games industry experience, graduates and talented individuals who come from other industries. We all bring knowledge and learn from each other. Together we are driven by ambition to bring the world of boxing into a video game like never before.

The Role

The Experienced Games Designer would be a capable individual contributor responsible for delivering defined gameplay systems, mechanics, and features. The role would contribute to team delivery by producing quality design work, supporting implementation, and collaborating effectively across disciplines. It represents a step beyond entry-level roles, with increased ownership and independence, while still operating within defined scope and guidance.

• Ownership of well-defined gameplay features, components, or content
• Contribution to system design, implementation, and iteration
• Responsibility for delivering work to quality and timeline expectations
• Collaboration with cross-disciplinary teams to support feature delivery

Responsibilities

• Design and develop gameplay mechanics, features, and components aligned with the game vision
• Contribute to systems such as progression, combat, or player experience features
• Ensure designs support accessibility, onboarding, and player engagement goals
• Create and maintain clear design documentation (feature briefs, flows, and rulesets)
• Translate design direction into structured, implementable requirements
• Ensure documentation communicates intent clearly to engineering, art, and production
• Produce wireframes and simple player flow diagrams where needed
• Support prototyping of gameplay mechanics using available tools or engines
• Participate in playtesting and gather feedback from QA, team members, and players
• Iterate on features to improve clarity, usability, and engagement
• Identify and raise design issues, contributing to solution
• Work with engineering, art, and QA to implement gameplay features
• Support tuning of gameplay parameters such as difficulty, balance, and progression
• Ensure features meet expected quality standards and function as intended
• Contribute to testing and resolving issues during development
• Collaborate with cross-disciplinary team members to deliver assigned work
• Communicate design goals and requirements clearly and concisely
• Manage own workload across tasks, meeting sprint goals and deadlines
• Escalate risks or blockers where appropriate
• Design and support implementation of gameplay content, scenarios, or small features
• Assist with scripting, localisation, and integration of content
• Ensure content aligns with gameplay systems and player progression
• Identify opportunities to improve own work and team outputs
• Contribute to improving documentation and workflows where appropriate
• Stay informed on relevant design practices, tools, and trends
• Apply feedback to improve quality and consistency of work

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Typical 2–4+ years of experience in game design or a related field
• Understanding of gameplay systems, mechanics, and player experience principles
• Experience contributing to feature or system delivery in a team environment
• Ability to work with some independence within defined scope
• Clear communication and collaboration skills
• Works with general guidance, managing own tasks within defined scope
• Makes decisions on assigned work, escalating more complex or ambiguous issues
• Contributes to planning and delivery within sprint or milestone structures
• Works closely with engineering, art, UX, production, and QA
• Participates in team discussions, playtests, and feedback sessions
• Builds effective working relationships within and across teams

Any Additional Information

• Unreal Engine 5 knowledge and experience.

What we offer

• Healthy work-life balance: 23 days annual leave (plus bank holidays), that increases 1 day per year of service, up to a maximum of 30 days.
• Christmas shut down
• Holiday exchange programme
• Flexible working hours & pattern (Certain Hybrid models available)
• Support for family life: Enhanced Maternity and Paternity pay (subject to eligibility requirements)
• Private Healthcare which includes Optical & Dental
• Great office environment: Friendly studios based in Sheffield and Leamington, with free snacks, fruit and drinks!
• Free parking - At our Sheffield site
• Health & wellbeing support: Company sick pay
• 2 days Wellbeing Days leave per year
• Access to 24/7 doctors
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Learning support: Learning days
• Additional financial support: Technology scheme (salary sacrifice up to £750)
• Relocation benefits (subject to eligibility requirements)
• Electric Car Vehicle Scheme (subject to eligibility requirements)
• Discretionary Bonus
• Connection and perks: Wrap parties & company paid outings
• Individual entertainment budget to cover team events

Steel City Interactive is an equal opportunity employer. We’re committed to building a diverse team and welcome all applications, considering them without regard to race, religion, belief, age, gender, gender expression, gender identity, gender reassignment, disability, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, sex or sexual orientation.