Ghost Story Games · 2 days ago
Design Manager
Massachusetts, United States
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level
$130K/yr - $170K/yr
5+ years expGhost Story Games is a self-publishing game development studio founded by Ken Levine and former Irrational Games developers. They are seeking a talented Design Manager to contribute to the gameplay of Judas, ensuring a seamless and rewarding player experience through the integration of dynamic narrative and game systems.
Information TechnologyPC Games
Responsibilities
Manage Design Team personnel
Collaborate with technical and systems design leads on tasking for those groups
Create and maintain clear, concise design documentation that articulates system functionality
Work hands-on in Unreal Engine 4 (UE4) to prototype, build, and iterate on systems using Blueprint scripting
Collaborate closely with Engineering, Art, Narrative, and QA to ensure the cohesive and successful implementation of gameplay features
Champion the player experience, ensuring your designs are intuitive, engaging, and support a wide variety of playstyles
Actively participate in playtests, gathering feedback and iterating on designs to achieve the highest possible quality
Proactively identify design challenges and propose effective, innovative solutions that push creative boundaries
Act as a strong advocate for the player experience, ensuring your designs are intuitive, engaging, and align with the overall vision of Judas
Contribute significantly to design discussions and the evolution of design practices, fostering a studio culture of knowledge-sharing
Qualification
Required
5+ years of professional systems design experience on AAA titles
Shipped at least one AAA game in a systems design capacity
Proven expertise in designing and implementing core gameplay loops, progression systems, and player-facing mechanics
Strong proficiency with Unreal Engine (UE4/UE5), particularly in-engine implementation and Blueprint scripting
A proactive, self-motivated work ethic, with a strong sense of ownership and the ability to operate with autonomy
Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to articulate complex design concepts clearly
A deep passion for creating emergent, systems-driven gameplay and narrative-rich experiences
Understanding of telemetry and its uses within game development to validate implementations
As a senior team member, you lead by example and demonstrate a willingness to mentor others
Preferred
Passion for narrative-driven First-Person Shooters
Scripting proficiency within Unreal Engine (e.g., advanced Blueprint usage) is a plus. Experience with C++ is a bonus
Direct experience with roguelike/roguelite or immersive sim genres
Experience designing systems that enhance replayability and emergent outcomes
Familiarity with content tracking tools (e.g., JIRA, Confluence, Hansoft) or version control systems (e.g., Perforce)
Benefits
Medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance coverage
14 paid holidays per calendar year
Paid vacation time per calendar year (ranging from 15 to 25 days) or eligibility to participate in the Company’s discretionary time off program
Up to 10 paid sick days per calendar year
Paid parental and compassionate leave
Wellbeing programs for mental health and other wellness support
Family planning support through Maven
Commuter benefits
Reimbursements for fitness-related expenses
Company
Ghost Story Games
Ghost Story Games is a game development studio focused on introducing RPG and strategy games to the PC and next-generation console markets.
11-50 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageRecent News
Company data provided by crunchbase