Your role:
As a Lead Game Designer, you will spearhead the creative vision and design execution for our projects. You will manage a team of designers, define workflows, and ensure alignment with project goals, contributing directly to the success of our games.
The kind of stuff you`ll be doing:
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Collaborate closely with the Design Director and the Project Owner (or Creative Producer) to define and uphold the creative vision of the game.
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Take ownership of the design pipeline, ensuring quality, consistency, and timely delivery of design deliverables.
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Lead, mentor, and inspire a team of game and level designers to achieve their best work.
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Define and document core game systems, mechanics, and features, ensuring they align with gameplay goals.
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Oversee and iterate on game systems through player feedback, playtesting, and internal reviews.
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Work closely with cross-disciplinary teams, including artists, writers, and engineers, to bring the game to life.
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Review and provide constructive feedback on design documents, prototypes, and ingame implementations.
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Conduct competitor analysis and stay updated on industry trends to ensure innovation and relevance.
Who are we looking for:
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8+ years of experience in Game Design, including 3+ years in a leadership role.
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Proven track record of working on at least 2 shipped titles, ideally including AA or AAA console or PC games.
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Expertise in gameplay, systems, and mechanics design, with experience leading teams on projects with complex requirements.
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Hands-on experience with Unreal Engine and familiarity with tools like Photoshop or other 2D/3D design software.
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A deep passion for gaming and an analytical mindset to learn from and improve upon industry best practices.
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Strong understanding of UX/UI principles and how they impact player experience.
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Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
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Stays composed and productive under shifting priorities, tight deadlines, and creative setbacks. Is able to translate ambiguity into clear next steps for the team rather than passing pressure downward.
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Delivers consistent design output across long production cycles, balancing iteration and polish with the discipline to ship on time and within scope.
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Leads designers through difficult phases (crunch risks, scope cuts, direction changes, playtest feedback) while protecting team morale, focus, and creative confidence.
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Gives and receives feedback with directness and care. Holds the quality bar without bruising relationships across different departments like design, art, programming, and production.
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Communicates progress proactively, and surfaces problems early with proposed solutions, and if needed through escalations.
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Builds credibility with peers and leadership by making reasoning transparent, explains design decisions in terms of player value, project goals, and trade-offs others can engage with.
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Maintains perspective during conflict or criticism, separating the work from the person, and keeps the conversation focused on what's best for the game.
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A motivational leadership style, fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Additional responsibilities:
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Collaborate on high-level pitches and presentations to secure buy-in from stakeholders.
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Work with narrative teams to ensure missions and scenarios align with the overarching narrative and world-building.
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Create and implement strategies for team development, including growth plans for junior and mid-level designers.
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Ensure that team workflows and pipelines are efficient, scalable, and welldocumented.
The ideal candidate also has one more of the following:
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Experience designing open-world systems or working on fighting/combat gameplay.
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A strong eye for cinematic direction and narrative design, including story arcs and dialogue writing.
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Ability to conceptualize and implement world-building, lore, and immersive game elements.
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Prior experience in roles requiring collaboration with technical departments on tools and pipeline improvements.
You are:
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A natural leader who can motivate and inspire a team through passion, communication, and mentorship.
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Highly organized and able to juggle multiple priorities and projects effectively.
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Open to critique and adept at giving constructive feedback.
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Adaptable and eager to learn new tools and approaches.
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Driven to create exceptional player experiences through innovation and collaboration.
What we offer:
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A welcoming and creative workplace
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A 38-hour workweek, ensuring a healthy work-life balance.
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Flexible remote work options tailored to individual needs.
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Perks like free drinks, a weekly organic fruit basket.
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Monthly credit card top-up of €50 and a lunch subsidy (available for employees based in Germany, after the probation period).
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Public transport ticket coverage (only for employees working in Munich).