Senior Roguelike Systems Designer

AstroNomad Studios; United States; Remote; USD 110,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

AstroNomad Studios is seeking a Senior Systems Game Designer to architect, prototype, tune, and connect gameplay systems at the heart of our roguelike project.

You will model interconnected systems: combat, traversal, upgrades, progression, and run structure, with a focus on replayability and player discovery. Collaboration with a small distributed team is essential.

Proficiency in Unreal Engine and strong writing/communication will help translate creative direction into practical, testable specs.

Qualifications

• Experience designing gameplay systems for roguelike/roguelite games.
• Strong systems-design instincts: rules, numbers, probabilities, player verbs, feedback loops.
• Experience designing or tuning build variety, upgrade synergies, reward structures, difficulty curves, progression systems.
• Ability to break down complex gameplay ideas into simple, testable components and tune through iteration.
• Comfort with formulas, spreadsheets, probability, scaling math, or lightweight simulations.

Responsibilities

• Architect, model, and balance interconnected gameplay systems.
• Design systems that support roguelike/roguelite replayability.
• Translate creative direction into systemic rules, player verbs, constraints, feedback loops, tuning targets, data structures, specs.
• Collaborate with leadership, engineering, level design, animation, art, and production.
• Create precise design documentation, tuning tables, state-machine breakdowns, economy models, and balance notes.
• Prototype, test, tune, and refine mechanics based on feel, readability, pacing, replayability, systemic depth.
• Partner with engineers and technical designers to implement and iterate systems in-engine, especially Unreal Engine.
• Identify design risks early and propose focused solutions that preserve depth with simplicity.
• Support the creation of a game that rewards curiosity, mastery, movement, exploration, experimentation, and discovery.

Skills

Roguelike design

Systems design

Unreal Engine

Blueprint/C++

Prototyping & tuning

Technical communication

Tools

Unreal Engine

Unity

Godot

Job description

AstroNomad Studios is seeking a Senior Systems Game Designer to architect, prototype, tune, and connect gameplay systems at the heart of our roguelike project.

You will model interconnected systems: combat, traversal, upgrades, progression, and run structure, with a focus on replayability and player discovery. Collaboration with a small distributed team is essential.

Proficiency in Unreal Engine and strong writing/communication will help translate creative direction into practical, testable specs.