Associate Game Designer, Technical

Naughty Dog; Santa Monica (CA); Hybrid; USD 51,000 - 69,000; Full time

Job summary

Naughty Dog is seeking a talented gameplay designer to prototype and implement engaging gameplay scenarios, narrative sequences, and AI behaviors. You will collaborate with design, animation, programming, and art teams to deliver polished assets and systems for production.

This role emphasizes rapid iteration, self-motivation, and creative problem-solving in a hybrid/onsite environment. You will work across departments to bring prototypes into production, balancing gameplay mechanics and

Qualifications

• Significant programming ability.
• Knowledge of 3D math.
• Experience with C++, C#, Lua or other scripting language.
• Broad understanding of gaming landscape.
• Self-starter with excellent communication and teamwork skills.
• Willingness to take design direction, brainstorm, iterate and create fun, creative solutions.

Responsibilities

• Prototyping, implementing, and owning gameplay scenarios, narrative sequences, interactive objects, and AI behaviors.
• Collaborating with the Design team to conceptualize, prototype, implement, tune, and balance gameplay mechanics and systems.
• Communicating with animation, programming, and art departments to produce assets and code support for your areas.
• Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed.

Skills

Programming

3D math

Scripting languages (C++, C#, Lua)

Gaming landscape

Communication

Design direction adaptation

Job description

This is a hybrid / onsite position.

For nearly 40 years, Naughty Dog has been crafting best-selling, critically acclaimed games that constantly push the boundaries of narrative, gameplay, and technology. Naughty Dog recently released The Last of Us Part II Remastered as well as a current generation remake of The Last of Us Part I for the PS5. We're also proud to say that The Last of Us Part I is now available for the first time on PC.

Naughty Dog games have long been lauded for their evocative, character-driven stories and attention to detail. We are committed to innovation within our games and as such have curated some of the top creative and technically innovative minds in the industry. We welcome diverse candidates and believe that a broad range of cultural and life experiences contribute to the overall well-being and success of the studio and the titles we craft together.

In this role you'll be responsible for prototyping gameplay using our in-house tools and scripting language, which could range from combat encounters to narrative sequences to player mechanics and enemy behaviors. Then working across departments to bring your prototypes into production and polish your work to the high level of quality Naughty Dog is known for. We'll looking for self-motivated, proactive designers who enjoy creating unique experiences and can combine their technical and creative skills while iterating rapidly.

What you will do

• Prototyping, implementing, and owning gameplay scenarios, narrative sequences, interactive objects, and AI behaviors
• Collaborating with the Design team to conceptualize, prototype, implement, tune, and balance gameplay mechanics and systems
• Communicating with animation, programming, and art departments to effectively produce the assets and code support required for the areas you're owning
• Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed

What skills will you use

• Significant programming ability (Computer Science undergraduate degree preferred)
• Knowledge of 3D math
• Experience with C++, C#, Lua, or other scripting language
• Broad understanding of gaming landscape
• Self-starter with excellent communication and teamwork skills
• Willingness to take design direction when offered, brainstorm, iterate and come up with fun and creative solutions
• Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed

Bonus Skills

• Experience developing third-person action games
• Experience with 3D level editors
• Understanding of narrative principles, and conveying emotion through gameplay
• Experience with the following areas of design
  • Behavior Trees
  • Melee
  • Combat Systems
  • Character animation
  • Enemy & boss design

As part of the Naughty Dog application process, candidates should expect to be given a technical interview

At SIE, working with our partners, we consider several factors when setting each role's base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location.

Please note that the individual base pay range may vary based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location.

In addition, this role is eligible for benefit offerings that include medical, dental, and vision. Click here to learn more.

The estimated base pay range for this role is listed below, this is an hourly rate.

$37 - $50 USD

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