Junior Game Scout

Secret Mode; Royal Leamington Spa; Hybrid; GBP 21,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working hours

Remote/hybrid work options

Mentorship & career progression

Discretionary bonuses

Job summary

Secret Mode is seeking a Junior Game Scout to join the Publishing team. The role targets fresh graduates or school leavers who live and breathe emerging games culture, hunting disruptive titles and engaging with independent developers.

You will monitor platforms like itch.io, Roblox, UEFN, Steam, and social channels to identify hidden gems and share insights with the team. Join a dynamic, culture-forward publisher with flexible hours.

Qualifications

• Recent school leaver, college attendee, or university graduate (open to all degree backgrounds—passion and platform literacy matter far more than specific qualifications!).
• Strong familiarity with PC/console gaming ecosystems and creator platforms (itch.io, Roblox, UEFN, Steam).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Responsibilities

• Monitor platforms where grassroots game development thrives to identify hidden gems and viral candidates.
• Track emerging trends and platform movements across social channels to spot audience habits early.
• Lead generation: reach out to solo developers, modders and indie studios with professional outreach.
• Play, test, and provide concise feedback on early-stage builds, prototypes, demos and pitches.

Skills

English communication

Platform literacy

Curiosity

Self-motivated

Organizational skills

Education

Open to all degree backgrounds

Tools

itch.io

Roblox

UEFN

Steam

Job description

About the Role

Are you obsessed with discovering the next big thing in gaming before anyone else? Do you spend hours down indie rabbit holes, exploring niche subreddits, itch.io game jams, Fortnite creative maps, or custom Roblox experiences?

We are looking for a Junior Game Scout with cultural awareness, and an unquenchable curiosity to join our Publishing team. This is an entry-level role perfect for a recent graduate or school leaver who lives and breathes emerging games culture. Your core mission will be to hunt down creative, disruptive, and high-potential titles, helping us connect with the next generation of talented developers.

Key Responsibilities

• Digital Prospecting & Scouting: Actively monitor platforms where grass-roots game development thrives—including itch.io, Roblox, UEFN (Unreal Editor for Fortnite), Steam (New Releases/Trending), Twitter/X, TikTok, and game jams—to identify hidden gems and viral candidates.
• Trend & Platform Watching: Track emerging gameplay loops, social trends, viral clips, and new tech movements across TikTok, YouTube, and Discord to spot emerging audience habits early.
• Lead Generation & First Contact: Maintain an organized pipeline of promising candidates and reach out directly to solo developers, modders, and indie studios with professional, welcoming initial comms.
• Initial Evaluation: Play, test, and provide concise, insightful feedback on early-stage builds, prototypes, demos and pitches.
• Database & CRM Management: Keep internal tracking systems up to date with new leads, developer details, playtest notes, and outreach statuses.
• Team Collaboration: Share your favourite weekly finds in creative sourcing reviews with the wider publishing and business development teams.

Who You Are

• Passionate & Plugged-In: You know where new game culture actually lives today and also has an appreciation for the wider landscape of videogames. You understand what makes a prototype go viral on social media or capture a community's imagination on Roblox/UEFN.
• Genuinely Curious: You love playing raw, unpolished, weird, or novel prototypes just as much as polished indie hits.
• Self-Motivated & Driven: You are a natural detective who loves digging past page 10 of platform search results to find unpolished diamond leads.
• Great Communicator: You are comfortable reaching out to creators respectfully and clearly communicating why their work caught your attention.
• Analytical Mindset (Entry Level): You can articulate why a game feels fun, distinct, or marketable beyond just saying "it's cool".

Qualifications & Requirements

• Recent school leaver, college attendee, or university graduate (open to all degree backgrounds—passion and platform literacy matter far more than specific qualifications!).
• Strong familiarity with PC/console gaming ecosystems and creator platforms (itch.io, Roblox, UEFN, Steam).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Bonus: Active participation in game jams, modding communities, or game dev student groups.

What We Offer

• Direct Impact: The games you find could become our next flagship published titles.
• Mentorship & Career Progression: Learn the ins and outs of video game publishing, production, commercial evaluation, and developer relations from industry veterans.
• Flexible Working: Flexible hours and remote/hybrid work options.
• Games Culture Environment: Play sessions, industry events, and early access to exciting projects.

Company Benefits

• Flexible working (35 hours p/w)
• Discretionary company bonuses and awards
• Complimentary snacks and drinks in the office
• Regular company events, functions and conferences
• 27 days holiday (plus paid UK Bank Holidays)
• Additional annual holiday on completion of service
• Contributory pension scheme
• Generous company benefits allowance (Medicash, Aviva etc)
• Discounts across retail, leisure, food and gyms and games
• Wellbeing support including EAP and 24/7 GP service