Lead Gameplay Designer

BulletFarm; United States; Remote; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental & Vision insurance

401(k)

Flexible paid time off

Remote work

Job summary

BulletFarm is seeking an experienced gameplay designer to own and prototype core systems for an FPS-focused experience. You’ll prototype with engineers, draft detailed design docs, and present concepts to leadership, shaping the studio’s design discipline as it grows.

You will work remotely from within the US or Canada, collaborating with senior leaders to define engaging player experiences, progression, and cooperative mechanics in a startup environment.

Qualifications

• 6+ years in game design with at least one shipped AAA title.
• Deep expertise in gameplay systems design and progression.
• Strong understanding of player psychology and feedback systems.
• Experience prototyping with engineering teams.
• Experience with Unreal Engine 5 and scripting workflows.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to document design clearly.
• Experience in prototype and early pre-production phases.
• Familiar with AI tools in design and data-driven playtesting.
• Thrives in a startup environment building processes from the ground up.

Responsibilities

• Design, prototype, and iterate core gameplay systems.
• Own development of player-facing mechanics, progression, combat, and game loops.
• Collaborate with Creative and Technical Directors to translate vision into gameplay.
• Work with Engineering to prototype, implement, and refine features.
• Create and maintain design documentation, diagrams, and presentations.
• Tune gameplay systems using data, playtesting feedback, and team input.
• Establish best practices for gameplay design processes and documentation.
• Drive feature reviews and present design concepts to leadership and cross-disciplinary stakeholders.
• Identify gameplay risks early and balance creative goals, tech constraints, and production realities.
• Mentor and guide future design team members.

Skills

Gameplay design

Player engagement

Progression systems

Documentation

Prototype collaboration

AI tools in design

Startup mindset

Tools

Unreal Engine 5

Job description

When you join BulletFarm, you will be the only gameplay designer at the studio. Your first months will be spent prototyping the core combat loop directly in Blueprints alongside the Creative Director and Technical Director - no design team beneath you, no established documentation template, and no process to inherit. You will be in the tools daily, building things that will be played, broken, and rebuilt.

The Lead title reflects seniority and the expectation that you will grow the design discipline over time. But for the foreseeable future, the most important thing about this role is that you are a maker first. You have deep FPS combat experience, you prototype fast, and you have a track record of shipping gameplay systems that feel good - not just designing them.

The ideal candidate is passionate about creating engaging FPS combat and puzzle-adjacent gameplay. You are an efficient, hands-on, and execution-oriented designer.

You also understand how individual mechanics connect into larger player experiences and can design systems that create meaningful choices, long-term engagement, and memorable gameplay moments.

You are equally comfortable with whiteboarding a new feature, prototyping with engineers, writing detailed design documentation, or presenting gameplay concepts to studio leadership. You have a specific point of view about first-person co-op action games - what makes them cohesive, what makes cooperative mechanics feel meaningful, and how systems design, player progression, and encounter design work together to create an experience worth coming back to.

What You'll Do

• Design, prototype, and iterate on core gameplay systems that define the player experience.
• Own the development of player-facing mechanics, progression systems, combat systems, game loops, and long-term engagement structures.
• Partner closely with the Creative and Technical Directors to translate creative vision into actionable gameplay experiences.
• Collaborate with Engineering to prototype, implement, and refine gameplay features.
• Work with Design, Art, and Audio teams to create cohesive and immersive player experiences.
• Create and maintain detailed design documentation, specifications, diagrams, and presentation materials.
• Develop and tune gameplay systems using data, playtesting feedback, and team input.
• Establish best practices for gameplay design processes and documentation.
• Drive feature reviews and present design concepts to leadership and cross-disciplinary stakeholders.
• Identify gameplay risks early and develop solutions that balance creative goals, technical constraints, and production realities.
• Mentor and provide guidance to future design team members as the discipline grows.

Qualifications

Required

• 6+ years of experience in game design, with at least one shipped AAA title in a Senior Designer, Lead Designer, Systems Designer, or equivalent role.
• Deep expertise in gameplay systems design, player engagement loops, progression systems, and game mechanics.
• Strong understanding of player psychology, feedback systems, and emergent gameplay design.
• Experience collaborating closely with Engineering teams to prototype and implement gameplay features.
• Experience with Unreal Engine 5 and modern gameplay scripting workflows.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proven ability to create clear and actionable design documentation.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a highly iterative design mindset.
• Experience working through prototype and early pre-production phases of game development.
• Active engagement with AI tools relevant to game design: including AI-assisted content generation, playtesting analysis, or systemic design tooling. Comfort with AI as a creative and analytical tool is a studio-wide requirement.
• Ability to thrive in a startup environment where processes, systems, and solutions are being built from the ground up.

Preferred

• First-person action or FPS development experience.
• Experience helping define gameplay pillars and product vision during early development.
• Previous experience with original IP or new franchise development.

Why Join Us

BulletFarm is an independent, AAA studio. We are a creative partnership backed by GreaterThan Group, a strategic co-owner with deep gaming industry experience and a long‑term ownership model aligned with the studio's success.

We are remote first: work alongside a small, senior team from anywhere in the US or Canada on a project with a clear 2029 launch target on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Join early enough that your decisions matter: the studio is at a stage where the people building it have direct influence over how it operates, what it values, and how it makes games.

Competitive base salary, health, dental, and vision benefits.

BulletFarm offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k), and flexible paid time off.

Equal Opportunity Employer

BulletFarm is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic. We are committed to building a team that reflects a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences.

Pay Transparency

In compliance with applicable state and local pay transparency laws: including those in Colorado, California, New York, Washington, and Illinois, the salary range for this position is disclosed in the compensation section above.

Accommodations

Applicants who require reasonable accommodations during the application or interview process are encouraged to contact us at [e-mail].