Principal / Lead Designer

Mythwright; Greater London; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A game development studio in Greater London is seeking a Principal / Lead Designer to lead prototyping, gameplay, and design for simulation games. This hands-on role involves shaping compelling gameplay while managing a small design team to ensure cohesiveness and player engagement. Ideal candidates should have experience with design in simulation games and be able to translate high-level concepts into practical and enjoyable gameplay experiences. Competitive benefits include a summer and winter break to recharge.

Benefits

2-week summer break

2-week winter break

Qualifications

• Experience leading design on simulation, sandbox, or systems-driven games.
• Ability to translate high-level ideas into practical gameplay work.
• Excellent communication skills that help make designs clear and inspiring.

Responsibilities

• Drive prototyping and shape project direction using hands-on gameplay tests.
• Design compelling gameplay, features, and content based on a high-level vision.
• Recruit and manage a small design team while fostering collaboration.

Skills

Experience leading design on simulation games

Communication skills

Ability to balance authenticity and gamified fun

Comfortable in agile environments

Love for simulation games

Job description

Role Overview

We’re looking for a Principal / Lead Designer to work on a Simulation Game. This is a highly hands‑on role, with more than ninety percent of your time spent directly in the build, leading prototyping, gameplay, and practical design work. You’ll contribute to and strengthen the ambition of our internally developed simulation games, focusing on systems that turn everyday work into rich, shareable play and eventually leading a small team of designers. You’ll work closely with a small, multidisciplinary team to build imaginative and replayable simulation games that connect with players, always balancing believability with fun.

Key Responsibilities

1 - Lead Prototyping

You are responsible for driving prototyping in the studio, shaping how we explore ideas and discover what makes our sims fun. You’ll work with a build‑first mentality, using quick, hands‑on gameplay tests to steer the project’s direction and highlight what deserves to move forward. Strong gameplay instincts and a practical, solutions‑first mindset are essential.

Success looks like :

• Prototypes that deliver clear, accessible, and engaging mechanics and systems.
• Fast, focused iteration with daily builds, feedback, and rapid adjustments.
• Quickly validating or discarding ideas.
• Spotting promising new directions for mechanics and systems to investigate.
• Using tools to aid discovery, from rough hacks to new technologies.

2 - Lead Design

You are responsible for the design of our games, taking a high‑level vision and our studio pillars and turning them into compelling gameplay, features, and content that feel intuitive and satisfying. You’ll work closely with the team to shape strong core loops, clear player experiences, and progression that supports “instant joy, lasting engagement.” This is a versatile, hands‑on role, moving between systems design, UX and rapid gameplay iteration.

Success looks like :

• Clear design pillars that guide each game in development.
• Systems and loops that are fun, approachable, and support replayability.
• Design decisions grounded in rapid prototyping and real player feedback.
• Content produced efficiently without compromising player value.
• Games that create joy and land at eighty‑five percent or higher on Steam.

3 - Recruiting & Managing Design Team

As the game grows, you’ll be responsible for recruiting and managing a small but world‑class design team. We anticipate this being 3‑4 hires over the coming couple of years, supported by a network of contractors who increase our leverage. You’ll also help foster healthy collaboration across Tech, Art, and Production so ideas move smoothly from concept to in‑build work, and the team can deliver cohesive, player‑focused experiences.

Success looks like :

• A design team, supported through onboarding, mentoring, and daily leadership.
• Designers who feel aligned, empowered, and able to do their best work.
• Seamless collaboration between design, technical, and art teams.
• A reliable network of contractors who can provide targeted support, such as level design.
• A studio culture shaped by curiosity, iteration, and shared ownership.

Requirements

• Experience leading design on simulation, sandbox, or systems‑driven games.
• Ability to translate high‑level ideas into practical, in‑build gameplay work.
• Ability to balance real‑world authenticity with gamified fun.
• Excellent communication skills that help make designs clear, concise, and inspiring.
• Comfortable operating in lean, agile environments.
• Comfortable with creative acceleration tools and staying hands‑on.
• A genuine love for sims and for turning everyday life into extraordinary play.
• Located within a UK / EU timezone.

Benefits

Our benefits include a 2‑week company summer break and a 2‑week winter break to rest and recharge, in addition to your normal holiday allowance.