Are you on a mission to create games that bond players together into deeply invested communities? Do you spend your time thinking about how to build combat puzzles for players that have potential to create memorable teamplay moments? Are you excited to make gameplay that strongly cares about player intention, action game feel, and readability?
We are seeking a highly technical, creative, and team-oriented Senior Sandbox Designer to contribute to a new multiplayer action game on teamLFG. You will work closely with the entire Design Team designing, crafting, and implementing a robust suite of AI characters for use in an objective-based team game. You will collaborate with team members from other disciplines to drive cohesive gameplay vision. You will establish good design processes and evangelize them throughout the design team. Most importantly, you will work with a fun, dedicated, and cross discipline team devoted to turning a creative dream into a new franchise at PlayStation.
RESPONSIBILITIES
• An active member of a cross-discipline small team building new AI enemies, player objectives, and the core systems that enable the creation of future AI, such as navigation, perception, behavior, and combat prioritization
• Create and balance a suite of active and passive player items that can extend and amplify player base kits and act as meaningful inter-match upgrades
• Review content created by multiple disciplines, giving feedback to ensure competitive readability, best in class game feel, and compelling fantasies
• Create and maintain endearing characters that uphold IP quality, consistency, along with sandbox design principles
• Work with audio, effects, 3D and animation to make in-game gameplay affordances clear to players
REQUIRED SKILLS
• Intuitive understanding of how second-to-second action games work and why people play them
• Fluency for collaboration with designers, artists, programmers, audio professionals, quality assurance and producers to achieve a common goal, with adaptability for how to work in a flexible work environment
• Broad T-shaped rapid prototyping skills, with strong technical scripting ability and enough multi-disciplinary knowledge to quickly stub out gameplay ideas to evaluate their potential
• Strong understanding of combat animation; is experienced in discussing anticipation, follow through, character and timing, and their impact on game readability and balance
• Proven ability to build alignment and productively own feature direction without sacrificing empathy and collaboration with team contributors
• Ability to operate autonomously and handle ambiguity, including giving and receiving feedback despite that ambiguity
• Understanding of PvP game design and balance, getting the challenge level right for a wide variety of situations
• Understanding of how systemically consistent, combinatoric game design can create player surprise and laughter
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills
PREFERRED EXPERIENCE
• Experience as a Sandbox/Gameplay Designer on a multiplayer action game, designing, documenting, and building combat/character systems
• Experience delegating work or ownership of an area to multi-disciplinary peers
• Knowledge and perspective from playing competitive team games
At SIE, we consider several factors when setting each role’s base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location.
Please note that the base pay range may vary in line with our hybrid working policy and individual base pay will be determined based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location.
In addition, this role is eligible for SIE’s top-tier benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, matching 401(k), paid time off, wellness program and coveted employee discounts for Sony products. This role also may be eligible for a bonus package. Click here to learn more.
Please note, Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees (which may include criminal background checks for some roles) and will need to process personal information to support these checks.
Please refer to our Candidate Privacy Notice for more information about what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your data protection rights.
Skills Required
- Intuitive understanding of second-to-second action games and player motivations
- Strong collaboration with designers, artists, programmers, audio, QA and producers
- Broad T-shaped rapid prototyping skills with strong technical scripting ability
- Strong understanding of combat animation, anticipation, follow-through, timing and readability
- Proven ability to build alignment and own feature direction while collaborating empathetically
- Ability to operate autonomously and handle ambiguity, including giving and receiving feedback
- Understanding of PvP game design and balance across varied situations
- Understanding of systemic, combinatoric game design to create surprising player interactions
- Outstanding oral and written communication skills
- Experience as a Sandbox/Gameplay Designer on a multiplayer action game (designing, documenting, building combat/character systems)
- Experience delegating work or ownership to multi-disciplinary peers
- Knowledge and perspective from playing competitive team games
What We Do
teamLFG is a Bellevue, WA-based game development studio and a member of PlayStation Studios. Driven by a mission to create games where players can find friendship, community, and belonging, the studio is currently developing an ambitious, team-based action game set in a lighthearted, science-fantasy universe. The team consists of industry veterans and newcomers working together to deliver highly polished, social multiplayer experiences.
