Gameplay Engineer at thatgamecompany (United States)
thatgamecompany· United States· $105k–$133k·
Role details
Paid Time Off · Holidays · Two Weeks Winter Break · Medical, Dental, And Vision Coverage · Pet Insurance · Compassionate Leave · Pre-Tax Wellness Stipend · Pre-Tax Work From Home Stipend
Summary
The Gameplay Engineer designs, writes, and debugs networked gameplay systems and features for a live social game. Responsibilities include creating quests and daily activities to drive user retention, collaborating with designers on real-time features, and providing technical insight into game design.
Job description
GAMEPLAY ENGINEER
Remote US & Canada
We’re looking for an exceptional Gameplay Engineer to join our live team to help craft the most advanced social game on earth. Elements that can help us meet the demands of this complex product, while presenting an interface to the user which exemplifies the elegance that TGC is known for.
WHAT YOU’LL DO HERE
- Limited time events (seasons) with unique and fun gameplay
- Quests and other daily activities that drive user retention
- Social experiences that make every moment better with others
- Design, write, debug and refine networked gameplay systems and features
- Iterate quickly in response to testing feedback and iterations
- Provide technical insight and ideas regarding game design
- Work closely with designers and back-end engineers on both real-time and asynchronous features
MUST HAVES
- 3-5+ years of relevant programming experience in the game industry
- Excellent 3D Vector Math Skills
- Knowledge and usage of a 3D art tool such as Maya
- Experience building gameplay systems/building blocks for designers to author content
- Careful attention to detail
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to understand and solve problems presented by the team
- Responds well to feedback, criticism and iterative design and/or continual improvement of our technology and games
- Be fluent in C, C++ or C# and object-oriented programming
- Have experience with scripting languages and multiple data formats (LUA, JSON etc)
- Have MMO experience
Nice to Haves:
- Python programming
- Backend languages such as Go, Erlang and/or PL/SQL
- Systems managing persistent account data
- Synchronous multiplayer features
- Live service multiplayer online games
- Mobile games
We look forward to meeting you!
Perks:
- Paid Time Off, Holidays, and Two Weeks Winter Break
- Employees and their dependents get medical, dental, and vision coverage, regardless of their level, tenure, or position within the company. Moreover, these benefits start on the first day of the job—there’s no waiting period before they kick in.
- Pet Insurance for those who need it too.
- Compassionate leave for employees who needs to take care of their family members
- Pre-tax wellness stipend
- Pre-tax work from home stipend
- Access our savings plan (401K program) with company match
- Mental health resources including Headspace membership and Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Discount portal for everyday goods and services
- Employee inclusive and diversity initiatives such as Grow Together
- Support for personal professional development
Please note: Include your portfolio link, if any. If not, please state what features you've worked on in that particular project. We also do require to take a gameplay test. Thank you!
Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. or Canada. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.
The salary range for this position is $105,000 USD to $133,000 USD annually, with the opportunity to earn an annual discretionary bonus. This salary range is an estimate, and the actual salary may vary based on the Company’s compensation practices. Employees in this position are eligible to participate in the Company’s standard employee benefit programs, which currently include the following: medical, dental, vision, 401k, and paid time off.
Our base pay is benchmarked against regional market and industry data and is adjusted to reflect the cost of living in your specific geographic area
#LI-Remote
Why work at thatgamecompany
- Culture: The studio describes itself as “compassionate, creative” and values “integrity and personal growth within an environment of intense collaboration and experimentation.” Employee rating on LinkedIn: 4.2/5.0 (11 reviews), with Culture score 4.3, Work-Life 4.2, Compensation 4.2, Career 4.1.
- Remote/Hybrid/Office Policy: Not explicitly stated in provided sources, but headquarters in Santa Monica, California is a physical studio. The company previously planned a second studio in SF Bay Area (cancelled due to COVID) and now operates distributed across 15 countries, suggesting flexible/remote options are possible.
- Notable Perks & Engineering Culture: Emphasis on “making magic” and pushing artistic boundaries; tech stack includes Kubernetes, Docker, Prometheus, Protobuf, Tableau, microservices, and GitHub. Employees come from top entertainment/tech companies (Pixar, Blizzard, Riot Games, Amazon, Unity, etc.), indicating a high-caliber peer group.
- Growth Opportunity: With 24 active job postings (including Engineering, AI, Art, Marketing, Data) and a yearly hiring trend +4.3%, the studio is expanding. Roles such as Senior Data Analyst, Senior Machine Learning Engineer, and 3D Environment Artist signal opportunities to work on flagship products.
- Mission-driven work: Opportunity to contribute to games that aim to make a positive impact on players’ lives and expand the emotional range of the medium.