Heart Machine is a deeply motivated and close-knit team located in Los Angeles. Our focus is gameplay that’s engaging, fluid and fun, while also building worlds through vibrant art, great stories and incredible sound design. We’re immensely excited to be creating things we love every day.

Although we are all passionate and work incredibly hard, our studio is not a crunch-factory - we like to live our lives, have holidays, and remain healthy throughout a project.

We’re supportive of a diverse working environment - different life perspectives offer a lot to building a better game, studio and understanding of one another.

We’re looking for talented, motivated, smart, highly communicative, diverse and just plain good people to become part of our crew, to collaborate, shape and build something ambitious and unique. 

If you’re deeply invested in design at all levels, can discuss mechanics for days and love organization, then perhaps you’re right for this role! Our Lead Designer will own specific design features, facilitate and manage team members and their output and advocate for game system improvements consistently.

You will be working with Directors, Leads and every other discipline on the team to help communicate and bridge gaps on process during development.

Responsibilities

• First Priority: Become an expert of the game project through play, reading and discussion
• Current Progress: Work within existing systems and expand on them, including integrating feedback from team members and players
• Features: Prototype, iterate and own gameplay and progression systems and features throughout the project (before and after release), including understanding the technical implications of the designs
• Documentation: Help bolster (write) and maintain our single source of truth in our Wiki and other (technical) documentation methods for key design functions, systems and tracking of player feedback
• Schedule: Work with your designers, Leads and other invested parties collaboratively and constructively to deliver well-thought estimates on features and systems to maintain our roadmap and tasking
• Playtests: Take part in and be able to run playtests, communicate with testers and capture robust feedback
• Change: Advocate and guide change through research, playtests and data

• Well-versed in games of all types and genres
• 4+ years experience in a game design role (preferably as leadership) with experience working on action games
• Ability to communicate your designs to colleagues in a diverse and collaborative environment
• At least 1 shipped title
• Excellent documentation skills
• Excellent systems and balance tuning skills
• Have a deep understanding of and passion for game design theory and penchant for holistic design approaches
• Bonus: Experience working within Unreal Engine
• Bonus: Proficiency with with wiki-style software (Confluence, Notion, etc)
• Bonus: Experience with scripting and programming languages

Heart Machine Offers*

• Competitive pay through bonus structures

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage

• 401k

• Paid vacation, holiday and sick time with flexibility in timing

• Paid parental leave

• Flexibility in work location(s)

We are supportive of a diverse workforce and strive for inclusiveness. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, race, religion, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.

*Benefits and perks listed may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Heart Machine and state or country in which you work.