Associate Game Designer - D&D

Socket.dev; Renton (WA); Hybrid; USD 45,000 - 69,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & Wellness

Time Off to Recharge

Financial Well-being

Life & Family Support

Volunteer and Community Initiatives

Learning & Development

Exclusive Perks

Job summary

Hasbro's Wizards of the Coast is seeking an Associate Game Designer in Renton, WA, with hybrid work arrangement (in-office Tue–Thu). You will contribute to D&D product design, emphasizing monsters, magic items, and spells, under senior designers.

Candidates should have at least 1 year in tabletop game design, strong writing, and deep knowledge of D&D 5e rules, plus collaboration and balance expertise for narrative experiences.

Qualifications

• 1+ year in tabletop game design (narrative and rules)
• Ability to translate designs into final implementations
• Comfort with Confluence and version-controlled design environments
• Strong writing, storytelling, and technical design skills
• Familiarity with D&D and 5e rules
• Strong collaboration and communication skills
• Deep understanding of D&D mechanics, balance, and modular design
• Attention to detail and editorial accuracy
• Strong time/project management and multitasking abilities
• Curiosity and genuine love of games with a desire to learn

Responsibilities

• Conceptualize, design, and develop portions of D&D products—monsters, magic items, spells—with guidance from leads
• Analyze and incorporate player feedback to craft outstanding content
• Assist in preparing products for publication
• Contribute to design documentation and research
• Review material for balance, clarity, consistency, and enjoyment
• Brainstorm themes, stories, encounters, and design elements to drive narrative gameplay
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams in brainstorms, playtests, and meetings

Skills

Creative writing

D&D 5e rules

Narrative design

Monster design

Collaboration

Documentation

Time management

Design balance

Tools

Confluence

Job description

We take play seriously. We’re looking for curious adventurers ready to find their party, fueled by imagination and drive to build what’s never been built before. At Hasbro and Wizards of the Coast, you’ll collaborate with passionate teams to reimagine our iconic brands and create experiences that spark joy, connection, and community through the magic of play. This is your chance to shape legendary play that lasts a lifetime.

The Dungeons & Dragons Game Design team is a collaborative and versatile group dedicated to making D&D as fun as it can be. Our team is responsible for D&D game content from beginning to end, working with cross-functional teams to ensure the experiences we make resonate with players and fans. This includes mechanical and narrative design, play innovations, playtests, product exploration, and other design-related tasks.

This Associate Game Designer role draws on your D&D knowledge, your curiosity and enthusiastic proclivity for learning, and an understanding of game design theory and philosophy. You'll write compelling, fun game content under the leadership of senior designers.

Location & Work Arrangement

This role is based in Renton, WA and follows a hybrid schedule, with in-office collaboration Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday each week.

What You’ll Do:

• Conceptualize, design, and develop portions of D&D products— especially discrete game elements such as monsters, magic items, and spells—with guidance from project leads.
• Analyze and incorporate player feedback to craft outstanding game content
• Assist in preparing products for publication
• Contribute to design documentation and research
• Help review material for game balance, clarity, consistency, and player enjoyment
• Brainstorm themes, stories, encounters, and discrete game design elements to drive narrative-based gameplay experiences
• Participate as an active, creative member of a cross-functional team, contributing ideas in brainstorms, playtests, and meetings alongside artists, designers, editors, and producers

What You’ll Bring:

• At least 1 year of experience in tabletop game design, including both narrative and rules design
• Ability to consistently translate designs from ideas to final implementation
• Comfort working in shared documentation systems (e.g., Confluence) and version-controlled design environments
• Strong creative writing, storytelling, and technical design skills
• Strong familiarity with Dungeons & Dragons and proficiency in the fifth edition rules
• Strong collaboration and communication skills
• A deep understanding of Dungeons & Dragons game mechanics, balance considerations, and modular design structures
• Solid technical writing and editorial skills, including attention to detail and dedication to accuracy
• Strong time/project management skills with ability to multitask and prioritize
• Curiosity, enthusiasm, and genuine love of games, with a motivation to learn more

Nice to Have:

• Experience crafting for or contributing to Unearthed Arcana or other public-facing playtest programs
• Experience generating player-facing rules content and refining it through testing and review
• Familiarity with D&D Beyond, VTTs, or digital-first content pipelines

The pay transparency range for this role is listed below. The hiring range will vary based on factors such as experience, skills, location and market conditions. Additionally, employees may be eligible for annual and long-term incentives as part of their overall compensation package.

Pay Range

$33.30 — $50 USD

Employees may be eligible for annual and long-term incentives as part of their overall compensation package, depending on role, location, and eligibility. Benefits and programs may include:

• Health & Wellness
• Time Off to Recharge
• Financial Well-being
• Life & Family Support
• Volunteer and Community Initiatives
• Learning & Development
• Exclusive Perks

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