Gameplay Engineer

Lightforge Games is a new studio bringing the roleplaying back into RPGs.

We're looking for people of all levels, backgrounds, voices, identities, and perspectives to join us on our journey. We strongly believe the key to making a better game, better company, and better industry begins with a diverse set of voices.

We value transparency, empathy, and personal growth, and we believe that making games is both an art and a science.

As a fully remote company, we're open to teammates living nearly anywhere. We practice nonlinear workdays, allowing everyone to determine how and when they work best. We also follow an open salary policy where all pay details are shared with everyone. This holds us accountable to fair pay.

Lightforge Games is very much a work-in-progress, and you can help shape who we are. Come join us to build something special!

The overall gist of what the role is about and what makes a good fit

Implement and maintain gameplay features and systems using C++ in Unreal Engine

The C++ IDE (we use Rider) will be your home base and where you do most of your work. You’ll write features to support gameplay goals - sometimes that means you’ll make a feature for players, other times it’s a system for designers (who use it to make things for players). You won’t spend much time in the editor or Blueprint creating content - you operate one layer deeper, using C++ to accelerate and support gameplay iteration.

Collaborate deeply with designers

Continual and outstanding cross-discipline collaboration with designers is a major differentiator of gameplay engineering. You proactively seek to understand the underlying problems and/or desires behind feature requests, so that you can better explore implementation options, explain technical limitations, and propose alternative solutions. This isn’t designers asking you for permission or you bending over backwards to please - it's cross-discipline collaboration.

Seek out problems, then solve them

We’re a relatively small and all-remote team working on a very ambitious project. You’ll be responsible for owning a variety of features where you’re the expert, and you’ll have a lot of freedom to decide how best to implement them. With that freedom comes the responsibility to proactively gather requirements, clarify designs, research solutions to similar problems, and collaborate with your fellow engineers.

Write clear, intuitive, and just overall terrific code

You’re an engineer first. You have great aesthetic and design sensibilities as well, but in the multidisciplinary features you work on, you are a steward of the code. You’ll write quick prototypes and riff on designs, but you’ll also turn successful prototypes into intuitive, well-engineered systems. You’ll solicit and offer candid feedback from fellow engineers, continually developing your craft and satiating your curiosity.

Engage intentionally with an all-remote team

Thanks to covid, we all have a pretty good sense of what remote work is like now. You know it takes intentional effort to develop relationships with others and really feel part of the team, and you’re up for it. You’ll embrace async communication, write a lot of stuff down, and proactively take actions to involve yourself with the team.

Fundamental requirements that are needed to be considered

Is comfortable and knowledgeable in C++

You don’t need to be a C++ guru, and it’s ok if you’ve been primarily writing something else for a while, but to be impactful on our project, you need to work deeply in C++. There’s more to it than just writing code. Unreal is a huge codebase with a ton of functionality, and you’ll be crawling through that code a whole lot as you debug, investigate, and explore.

Has demonstrated engagement in game development

Game programming on a cross-discipline team comes with a unique set of joys and frustrations, and it’s important that you’ve experienced that. Ideally you’ve worked on professional projects and shipped games, but side or school projects on cross-discipline teams can count too.

Communicates exceptionally well

Particularly on an all-remote team, clear communication (especially written) is crucial. You’ll be writing technical documentation, how-to guides, submission descriptions, Slack messages, meeting notes, and of course, code. You’ll also be giving feedback to teammates on their work, expressing design ideas, and explaining complex technical scenarios to nontechnical teammates.

Vibes with our core values

We take them pretty seriously and refer to them regularly as we make decisions and do our work.

It's totally possible to be hired without any of these, but we sure would be excited about someone that has several.

• A passion for tabletop RPGs
• Developed/shipped/maintained a live-service game
• Developed/shipped a UE4 project
• Developed/shipped a cross-platform game
• Worked on large multi-discipline teams with large codebases
• Wildcard: There are lots of areas of knowledge and experience that could make for an outstanding candidate. If you have any other qualifications that you believe apply well to the role and the functions you'll be performing, tell us!

LFG is committed to an annual review of compensation ranges to account for inflation. As of March 6, 2023 - we've increased our existing salary ranges by roughly 3%. The updated base salary range is broken down below, depending on levels of skills and experience:

• Mid-Level: $144,200 - $159,200
• Senior-Level: $175,100 - $180,100

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy:

Lightforge Games is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment. We value diversity and inclusivity and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

All employment decisions at Lightforge Games are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to any protected characteristic. Our commitment to equal employment opportunity extends to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, compensation, benefits, promotions, training, disciplinary actions, and termination.

We strive to foster a workplace that is diverse, respectful, and inclusive, where every employee feels valued and empowered. We believe that a diverse workforce brings different perspectives and ideas, leading to innovation and success.

If you need assistance or accommodation during the application process due to a disability, please contact us at [email protected]