Who we are

Spooky Doorway is a multi-award-winning narrative-focused studio from Ireland. Our fully-remote team is best known for The Darkside Detective series of games. As a studio, we aim for transparency, honesty, and integrity. We try to keep the workplace fun, kind, and low-stress. We’re inclusive, anti-bigotry and pro-diversity.

The studio works a 40-hour week but we offer flexitime outside of a few core midday hours, Irish time. You can be anywhere in the world, as long as you can work the core hours. This gives us the flexibility to work however best suits our lifestyles and creative processes.

MID-LEVEL GAME DESIGNER

Role overview

We’re hiring a full-time, fully remote game designer on a short (6-9 month) contract to help us bring our current project, Eldritch House, over the line!

Your job would be to review the game builds and refine the gameplay to a polished state, while working inside of the constraints in place at this stage of development.

As we’re a small studio, you will be working hands-on with all departments to bring the designs from conception to realisation in the game. You’ll also work with QA to refine the experience both internally and with external playtesters.

Responsibilities

• Review the game builds against the vision and pillars
• Suggest improvements to both moment-to-moment flow and larger blocks of play
• Ensure narrative and gameplay are tightly integrated
• Champion the player’s experience
• Create variations inside our core puzzle system that are both varied and appropriately challenging
• Review and maintain GDD and supporting documentation

Requirements

• Must have shipped one or more games as a designer as part of a professional team
  • At this time we’re not accepting game jam games, solo projects, or college projects as applicable
• Experience with 3D game development, core systems design, and level design; preferably with Unity
• Experience with game design documentation and communication
• Excellent communication skills in general
• Must have computer capable of running a modern 3D development environment
• An understanding of investigation/detective games & stories and what makes them work

Nice to have

• Remote work experience
• Resident in the EUA

How to apply

If you interested and meet the requirements, send us a message at jobs {at} spookydoorway {dot} {com} with GAME DESIGN APPLICATION as the subject line. Please include a CV, links to released titles you worked on as a designer, and a short summary of who you are and why you’re applying.

Spooky Doorway is an equal opportunity employer and we highly encourage members of marginalised and underrepresented groups to apply for this role. You’re welcome here.