Level Designer

Smile Break; United States; Remote; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Unlimited PTO

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

401(k) with company match

Fully remote work

Job summary

Smile Break is seeking a creative Level Designer to help shape a top-tier third-person action RPG based on a licensed IP. This full-time remote role invites you to join the Quest Design team, crafting quests from concept to implementation with cross-disciplinary collaboration.

You will design quest structures, pacing, balance combat encounters, and iterate using Unity or Unreal, while maintaining readability and replayability.

Qualifications

• 2+ years in Quest Design, Mission Design, Level Design, or Gameplay Design roles in the game industry.
• Proficiency designing and implementing gameplay content from concept through implementation.
• Experience implementing gameplay using Unity or Unreal, including scripting and data-driven systems.
• Strong understanding of player guidance, pacing, readability, and quest flow.
• Experience balancing combat encounters using playtest feedback.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement engaging Quests from concept through implementation, creating memorable gameplay experiences.
• Author paper designs, gameplay flows, and Quest layouts, iterating through stakeholder feedback.
• Create reusable gameplay scenarios with varying objectives for cross-Quest use.
• Design and balance Quest structure, pacing, encounter sequencing, and combat challenge.
• Implement Quests in Unity using scripting and data-driven tools.
• Collaborate with Narrative, Game Design, Art, Engineering, Audio, and Production.
• Maintain design documentation and implementation specifications.
• Playtest Quests and systems, incorporating feedback to meet design intent.

Skills

Quest Design

Level Design

Unity

Unreal Engine

Gameplay scripting

Documentation

Collaboration

Communication

Tools

Unity

Unreal Engine

Jira

Confluence

Miro

Git

Perforce

Job description

Job Summary

We are seeking a creative and experienced Level Designer to join our team and help shape a top-tier third-person action RPG experience featuring a high-profile licensed IP. This full-time, remote position offers an opportunity to join the Quest Design team, creating memorable gameplay experiences that blend combat and narrative into engaging, highly polished Quests.

You will design and implement Quests from concept through implementation, collaborating closely with Narrative, Game Design, Engineering, Art, Animation, Audio, and Production to deliver compelling gameplay experiences that capture the fantasy of the IP while maintaining strong pacing, readability, and replayability.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement engaging Quests from concept through implementation, creating memorable gameplay experiences that blend combat, narrative, and objectives.
• Author paper designs, gameplay flows, and Quest layouts, iterating through stakeholder feedback before implementation and blockout.
• Create and implement reusable gameplay scenarios with varying objectives types that can be leveraged across multiple Quests.
• Design and balance Quest structure, including gameplay pacing, encounter sequencing, objective flow, and combat challenge.
• Implement and iterate on Quests in Unity using gameplay scripting and data-driven tools, ensuring implementation aligns with design intent.
• Collaborate closely with Narrative, Game Design, Art, Engineering, Audio, and Production through regular reviews and cross-discipline handoffs.
• Create and maintain clear design documentation and implementation specifications to support efficient development across the team.
• Playtest Quests, gameplay systems, and new mechanics, incorporating feedback and verifying that content meets design intent and quality standards.

Requirements

• 2+ years of experience in Quest Design, Mission Design, Level Design, or Gameplay Design roles in the game industry.
• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing gameplay content from concept through implementation.
• Proficiency implementing gameplay using Unity or comparable game engines (Unreal), including gameplay scripting and data-driven systems.
• Strong understanding of player guidance, gameplay readability, pacing, encounter sequencing, scene composition, layout flow, and overall player experience.
• Experience designing and balancing combat encounters, including encounter composition, pacing, enemy placement, challenge, and gameplay flow using playtest feedback and iteration.
• Strong written communication and design documentation skills.
• Strong problem-solving skills with a deep understanding of player experience, gameplay pacing, readability, and Quest flow.
• Strong collaboration skills with the ability to work effectively across other design disciplines.
• Ability to work independently while incorporating feedback and collaborating effectively across disciplines.

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• Experience designing Quests or Missions for third-person action games, action RPGs, or narrative-driven gameplay experiences.
• Experience creating reusable gameplay scenarios, encounter templates, or modular Quest content that can be leveraged across multiple gameplay experiences.
• Strong understanding of data-driven gameplay systems and configuration tools used to drive Quest logic, combat encounters, objectives, and gameplay behaviors.
• Experience evaluating new gameplay mechanics and integrating them into existing Quest frameworks while maintaining consistency with overall game design.
• Experience collaborating with licensors or working on established IPs.
• Familiarity with industry-standard development tools such as Unity, Jira, Confluence, Miro, Git, and Perforce.

Compensation and Benefits:

Salary range: $85,000 - $120,000 USD

• Unlimited PTO (used responsibly and subject to business needs)
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) with company match
• Fully remote work

Smile Break is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, or any other legally protected characteristic.

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the country in which they reside. Visa sponsorship is not currently available for this position.