Backend Programmer

Marmalade Game Studio; Leeds; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A game development company in the UK is looking for a Backend Programmer to develop backend services for their digital board games. Candidates must have strong experience with ASP.NET and C#, proficiency with cloud services like Azure or AWS, and knowledge of client/server architecture. The role supports scalability and player engagement through backend systems. Benefits include competitive salary, holidays, and opportunities for professional development.

Benefits

22 days holiday

3 bonus days over Christmas

40 hours for professional development

Flexible working culture

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain backend services for live games.
• Build features for player communication and community engagement.
• Provide cloud infrastructure support for in-game systems.
• Design secure authentication services.
• Collaborate with teams for backend integration.

Skills

ASP.NET

C#

Cloud services (Azure, AWS)

Database architecture

Security best practices

Unity integration

Client/server architecture

Chat systems implementation

GDPR compliance

Job description

Join Marmalade Game Studio – Creators of Top-Selling Digital Board Games

At Marmalade Game Studio, we bring the world’s best-loved board games to life on mobile, PC, and console. From Monopoly to Ticket to Ride, we’re passionate about crafting rich, high-quality gaming experiences that players of all ages can enjoy.

We’re currently looking for a Backend Programmer to join our talented team. If you enjoy building scalable backend systems, supporting game features used by millions, and solving complex technical challenges, we’d love to hear from you.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Develop and maintain backend services that power our live games and connect our global player base.
• Build features that support player-to-player communication and community engagement.
• Provide cloud infrastructure and backend support for a wide range of in-game systems.
• Design secure authentication and login services.
• Work independently and in small teams on complex backend tasks, from planning through implementation.
• Write clear technical documentation and contribute to estimates and scheduling.
• Collaborate closely with cross-disciplinary teams to ensure smooth integration of backend features.
• Support the stability, performance, and scalability of our backend infrastructure.

What We’re Looking For

• Strong experience with ASP.NET and C# for backend development.
• Proficiency with cloud services such as Azure or AWS.
• Understanding of client / server architecture for games and online features.
• Experience designing scalable backend systems and services.
• Knowledge of database architecture, ideally including technologies like CosmosDB.
• Familiarity with security best practices for protecting player data and backend services.
• Experience implementing chat systems or similar communication features.
• Experience working with Unity, especially integrating backend features.
• Understanding of GDPR compliance in the context of game development.

Bonus Skills (Not Required, but Great to Have)

• Familiarity with Photon Realtime Networking.
• Experience with Firebase, or other Backend-as-a-Service platforms.
• Understanding of video chat systems.
• DevOps experience to support build, deployment, or CI / CD pipelines.
• Web frontend development skills for in-house tools and dashboards.
• Familiarity with console SDKs or Unity’s UI Toolkit.

What We Offer

• Work on world-renowned IPs with millions of fans.
• Join a collaborative, small-team environment where your ideas matter.
• Enjoy a supportive and flexible working culture.
• Be part of a studio that values quality, creativity, and ownership.
• Salary based on experience and skills.
• 22 days holiday + 3 bonus days over Christmas + extra days for long service.
• 40 hours per year dedicated to professional development.
• Other benefits based on where you live.

Ready to roll the dice on a new challenge?

To apply, send your CV and portfolio to [e-mail] and help us bring more iconic games to life.