Senior Creative Gameplay Engineer, Apple Arcade

Apple; Culver City (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Apple Arcade is redefining the future of games, and this Senior Creative Gameplay Engineer role places you beside the original Sneaky Sasquatch creators to shape new experiences for millions of players. You will design, prototype, and ship innovative core mechanics in Unity, owning major features from concept to polished implementation.

You'll work in a small, focused internal team at Apple, emphasizing creative and technical excellence, game feel, and player experience, with collaboration

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in game development with Unity and C#, building complex gameplay systems from the ground up.
• Portfolio showing ownership on multiple shipped titles and demonstrated creative/technical ownership.
• Experience shipping on Apple platforms (iOS, tvOS, macOS, visionOS) is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Drive the creative vision for new gameplay by designing, prototyping, and shipping innovative core mechanics and systems.
• Own major gameplay features from concept and paper design through rapid iteration and final polished implementation in Unity.
• Champion ideas for player activities, character abilities, and emergent systems to deepen humor, charm, and heart of the Sneaky Sasquatch universe.
• Architect robust, scalable, designer-friendly gameplay frameworks enabling the team to create new content efficiently.
• Help define and maintain high creative/technical standards for Apple's internal game development and player experience.
• Communicate clearly across teams to ensure alignment and momentum.
• Work with Sneaky Sasquatch creators to define what Apple means by making games, delivering playful, emotionally resonant experiences.

Skills

Unity

C#

Gameplay systems design

Rapid prototyping

Job description

Summary

Apple Arcade is redefining the future of games by offering players of all ages a growing collection of award-winning titles with no ads, no in-app purchases, and a commitment to quality, creativity, and fun. At the heart of this vision is Sneaky Sasquatch, one of Arcade’s most beloved originals. To help define the future for this celebrated game, Apple is building a team to expand the creative boundaries of Sneaky Sasquatch, to imagine and build entirely new adventures, while introducing the magic of shared, connected gameplay. This is an opportunity to join a focused, creatively-driven team to develop new content and features that will deliver magical experiences to millions of players. You will work directly alongside the original creators, shaping the future of a renowned IP and helping to establish a culture of creative and technical excellence from the ground up.

Description

As a Senior Creative Gameplay Engineer, you will contribute creative vision and technical expertise to the Sneaky Sasquatch team, creating innovative new gameplay experiences for millions of players around the world.

Responsibilities

• Drive the creative vision for new gameplay by designing, prototyping, and shipping innovative and expressive core mechanics and systems.
• Own major gameplay features from initial concept and paper design, through rapid iteration and playtesting, to final polished implementation in Unity.
• Champion new ideas for player activities, character abilities, and emergent systems that deepen the humor, charm, and heart of the Sneaky Sasquatch universe.
• Architect robust, scalable, and designer-friendly gameplay frameworks that empower the team to build new content and experiences efficiently.
• Help define and maintain the high creative and technical bar for Apple's internal game development, acting as a key stakeholder in game feel and player experience.
• Communicate clearly and effectively across teams to ensure alignment and momentum.
• Be a part of a uniquely small and focused internal team at Apple, where general programming skills are deeply valued with a focus on creative gameplay implementation.
• Work alongside the creators of Sneaky Sasquatch to define what it means for Apple to make games. This role offers the chance to create playful, emotionally resonant, and connected experiences for millions of players around the world.

Minimum Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in game development, with a portfolio demonstrating exceptional creative and technical ownership on multiple shipped titles. This includes deep expertise in Unity and C#, with proven mastery of building complex gameplay systems from the ground up.

Preferred Qualifications

• A proven ability to "find the fun" through rapid prototyping and iteration. Your portfolio should show us how you've turned a rough idea into a polished, delightful experience.
• A deep understanding of gameplay systems design. You think in terms of scalable frameworks, not just one-off features.
• A highly self-directed and resourceful attitude, comfortable navigating the ambiguity of the creative process.
• Excellent communication skills and a passion for collaborative, team-oriented problem-solving.
• Experience in a "technical design" or similar hybrid role where you were responsible for both the design and implementation of core gameplay.
• Experience shipping on Apple platforms (iOS, tvOS, macOS, visionOS).
• Deep familiarity with a wide range of game genres, with strong, well-reasoned opinions on game feel, pacing, and player motivation.
• A genuine love for Sneaky Sasquatch and a passion for creating heartfelt, player-centered experiences.