Principal Game Designer in Horsham

Join Creative Assembly and craft deep and detailed games that last, entertaining millions of players across the globe for decades. The role of Principal Game Designer is in the Total War franchise at the headquarters studio in Horsham, UK. You will become part of a world‑class development team working on a title in the award‑winning Total War series and will offer insights that drive the way our projects are shaped and directly influence our players’ gaming experience.

What you’ll be doing:

• Take full ownership and responsibility for multiple features, ensuring they are delivered to the highest quality. This includes researching, documenting, creating, implementing, balancing and more.
• Design systems and content that provide immersive, engaging and valuable experiences that uphold the game’s pillars, themes and vision.
• Collaborate with the design team to create detailed feature designs and work closely with developers from other disciplines to maintain the highest standard from concept to release.
• Deliver an exceptional player experience and inspire and bond the development team.
• Develop standards and best practices, set the bar for quality and seek continuous improvement across the whole design pipeline.
• Spot problems and potential hurdles in advance and seek ways to avoid them.
• Provide support to teammates and uphold the direction of leads and directors.
• Maintain an excellent understanding of project development status in your area, adjacent areas and overall.
• Communicate clearly and effectively within and across teams and disciplines.
• Work independently, deliver tasks reliably, and drive new and experimental initiatives that break new ground within the area of design.
• Ensure fun and balanced features, communicate regular updates to relevant discipline teams and proactively solve problems.

Knowledge, Skill and Experience:

Essential:

• Significant Games industry knowledge and experience – understanding the process of developing and delivering a game; having shipped games and seen development from start to finish.
• Continuous improvement mindset and demonstrable ability to analyse gameplay features, identify strengths and weaknesses, and recommend improvements.
• Champion of player value.
• Experience using Excel and ability to balance large sets of numbers for unit balance and progression systems.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Wide‑ranging experience playing a variety of video games, interested in why things work.
• Ability to listen, be open to feedback and integrate it into work.
• Ability to coach and mentor less experienced members of own discipline.

Desirable:

• Shipped at least one title in a Senior or Principal Designer position.
• Any shipped titles or personal projects, board game designs etc.
• Deep understanding of Total War games.
• Deep understanding of games in the Strategy genres (Grand, RTS, 4X etc.).
• Modding experience.
• Experience in gameplay scripting in LUA, C# or other language.
• Knowledge of and interest in history.
• Experience in using metrics to improve design.
• Great attention for detail and strong visual sense.
• Experience in other game‑design areas such as AI or narrative design.

Benefits:

• Work from Anywhere for a temporary period each year (restrictions apply such as VISAs).
• Enhanced holiday allowance, maternity and paternity breaks, flexibility with core hours and no‑notice holidays.
• Bespoke relocation package for you and your dependents.
• Private medical and dental insurance, life insurance, permanent health insurance, critical illness cover and free health care screening.
• Additional benefits ranging from free games and work parties to discount on technology.
• Well‑being support and virtual confidential counselling.
• Life assurance, income protection, private healthcare & dental insurance schemes and an enhanced contributory pension scheme.

We are an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion or belief. Our studio sites have disabled access.