Senior Game Designer

Position Summary:

Riyo Games is currently looking for a Senior Game Designer who is passionate about JRPGs to join our team. You will leverage strong creative, analytical, and communication skills to create and iterate the systems that power our JRPG, Threads of Time. Combat and progression are critical systems for our game, and you will play a pivotal role in shaping the player experience with those systems.

About Us:

Our mission is to craft retro-infused JRPGs that awaken cherished childhood memories. We’re growing the studio by assembling a dream team of talent from across the globe. Join us on this epic quest to make fun, narrative-rich games in an inclusive, supportive, and fun studio environment!

You’ll be working on Threads of Time, a 2.5D JRPG inspired by Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy where you get to travel from the pre-historic era to the end of time!

• Become part of a veteran team that includes legendary developers who led iconic titles such as Xenoblade Chronicles, Legend of Mana, and more
• Competitive salary
• 4 weeks paid vacation (1 week of which is taken in late December)
• Benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance, and an Employee & Family Assistance program
• Collaborative environment with opportunities to contribute to the game’s creative design and take ownership of features
• Opportunities to help you strengthen your skills or learn something new
• A workplace that appreciates and values diversity and inclusivity

Responsibilities:

• Own your designs through every phase of development from concept to finish, using feedback and testing to refine them
• Work in engine to iterate, debug, and polish enemies and boss fights
• Hold and communicate the vision for your work to collaborators in other departments
• Collaborate with art, code, audio, animation, and visual effects to deliver memorable combat encounters
• Research retro and modern JRPG design conventions to ensure authenticity of the experience
• Work with the GAS in Unreal Engine 5 to implement and tune combat abilities
• Standardize, document, and communicate designs to the team, recognizing the audience for documentation.

Requirements:

• At least 5+ years' experience in the games industry working as a combat/systems designer, shipping at least one title
• A passion for JRPGs is a must
• Proactive and able to own designs from initial creation through to implementation
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Familiarity and proficiency with scripting
• Experience using Unreal Editor, with experience using Unreal GAS is a plus
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Organized and able to write concise documentation
• Self-motivated, with the ability to prioritize and deliver quality work within deadlines
• Ability to recognize player fantasy and turn that into compelling gameplay mechanics

Pluses:

• Resident of Ontario or Quebec, Canada

Salary: $90,000 - $110,000 CAD

Please note that although this is a full-time remote position, applicants must reside in either Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, or British Columbia, or be willing to relocate.

Maybe you think that your experience is not where it should be? Or you don’t meet every requirement listed in this job description? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply to jobs if they don’t think they meet every qualification. But we feel that creating meaningful work means embracing different perspectives, which is why at Riyo Games we are focused on building an equitable, diverse and inclusive studio. If your experience is not perfectly aligned with every requirement in this job description, but you’re interested in this position, we encourage you to apply anyway. We simply want to know what makes you special!

Riyo Games welcomes and encourages applications from candidates with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in the selection process. If you require disability-related accommodation during the recruitment process, please email contact@riyogames.com. We will consult with all applicants who request disability-related accommodation during the recruitment process to ensure that the accommodation provided takes into account the applicant's individual accessibility needs.

Riyo Games uses tools to sort applications based on geographical criteria only. We do not use AI to screen, assess, or select applicants.

Thank you, we look forward to hearing from you!