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Assistant Game Designer Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

AEG

Game Day Operations Intern

Norfolk, VA · On-site

$14.75 - $19.25/hr

Be available for all 36 scheduled Admirals home games * Assist Admirals staff in preparing the ... Complete projects created/designed by the Internship Supervisor to encourage creative thinking and ...

Hksinc

Designer - Architectural Visualization

Richmond, VA · On-site

$74K - $100K/yr

... using game technologies * Understands and defines requirements for real time visualization per ... Collaborates on the development of design throughout appropriate phases of the project * Assist in ...

AEG

Assistant Equipment Intern

Wytheville, VA · On-site

$14.50 - $19.50/hr

This position is designed specifically for someone who wants to break into professional hockey ... Fill, sanitize, and maintain water bottles and hydration stations for all practices and games. • ...

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How much do assistant game designer jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 8, 2026, the average hourly pay for assistant game designer in Virginia is $24.41, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $19.09 and $28.37 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does an assistant game designer do?

An Assistant Game Designer helps create and develop video game concepts, mechanics, and features under the guidance of senior designers. They often assist in writing design documentation, prototyping gameplay ideas, and collaborating with other departments such as art, programming, and QA. Their role can also include playtesting, balancing game elements, and providing feedback to improve the overall player experience. This position is a great entry point for those looking to start a career in game design and learn from experienced professionals.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an assistant game designer, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Assistant Game Designer, you need a solid understanding of game mechanics, creative problem-solving abilities, and at least a foundational knowledge of game design principles, often supported by a degree in game design or a related field. Familiarity with game engines like Unity or Unreal Engine, basic scripting skills, and experience with collaborative tools such as Jira or Trello are typically expected. Strong communication, teamwork, and adaptability help you effectively contribute ideas and incorporate feedback in a dynamic development environment. These skills ensure you can collaborate efficiently, translate creative concepts into playable features, and support the overall success of game development projects.

What are some common challenges an assistant game designer faces when translating creative ideas into practical game features?

Assistant Game Designers often encounter the challenge of balancing creative vision with technical constraints, such as limited resources or platform requirements. You may need to adapt or refine ideas to fit within the project's scope, ensuring that features are both engaging and feasible for the development team to implement. Working closely with programmers, artists, and senior designers, clear communication and flexibility are key to finding solutions that preserve the game's fun while staying on schedule. This role is a great opportunity to learn the collaborative process behind turning concepts into playable experiences.

Is it hard to find a job in game design?

Finding a job as an assistant game designer can be competitive, as the industry often requires a strong portfolio, relevant skills in game development tools, and sometimes a degree in game design or related fields. Entry-level positions may be available, but gaining experience through internships or personal projects can improve job prospects.

What are the most commonly searched types of Game Designer jobs in Virginia?

The most popular types of Game Designer jobs in Virginia are:

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For Assistant Game Designer jobs in Virginia, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Assistant Game Designer jobs in Virginia look for?

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Cities in Virginia with the most Assistant Game Designer job openings:

Assistant Game Designer jobs near you

War Game Designer-Regional Threats, Senior

Charlottesville, VA • On-site

The Bison Group
See more jobs at The Bison Groupexternal

$140K - $170K/yr

Full-time

Posted 12 days ago

Key responsibilities

  • Design, develop, and refine red-on-green operational and tactical wargames for U.S. Army sponsors.

  • Create game systems that represent land, air, maritime, space, cyber, and information domain interactions.

  • Facilitate workshops, design sessions, tabletop exercises, and operational wargames with military leaders and subject matter experts.

Job description

We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Wargame Designer to lead the design, development, and execution of advanced red-on-green military wargames supporting U.S. Army training, experimentation, capability development, and operational analysis. The ideal candidate will combine expertise in military doctrine, operational art, adversary tactics, game theory, simulation design, and decision science to create realistic and analytically rigorous wargaming environments.
This role will work closely with Army stakeholders, military subject matter experts, data scientists, modelers, and software development teams to develop wargames that accurately represent friendly and adversary decision-making, force employment, operational constraints, and battlefield dynamics across multi-domain operations.
The successful candidate will be capable of translating military doctrine and operational concepts into engaging and defensible game mechanics that support learning, experimentation, and decision advantage.
Key areas include:
Wargame Design & Development
  • Design, develop, and refine red-on-green operational and tactical wargames for U.S. Army sponsors.
  • Create game systems that faithfully represent land, air, maritime, space, cyber, and information domain interactions.
  • Develop behaviors, decision models, and courses of action based on current threat doctrine, force structure, and capabilities.
  • Incorporate Army doctrine, concepts, planning methodologies, and mission command principles into game mechanics.
  • Design adjudication methods, combat resolution systems, and campaign-level decision frameworks.

Game Theory & Analytical Rigor
  • Apply game theory, decision science, and strategic competition models to represent complex military interactions.
  • Develop opponent decision models using concepts such as:
    • Nash equilibrium
    • Sequential games
    • Signaling and deception
    • Risk-based decision making
    • Utility analysis
    • Multi-agent competition frameworks
  • Evaluate player decisions and game outcomes to generate actionable insights for Army leadership.

Military & Operational Analysis
  • Develop scenarios reflecting near-peer competition, large-scale combat operations, irregular warfare, and multi-domain operations.
  • Translate operational plans, concepts of operation (CONOPS), and military scenarios into playable game structures.
  • Support Army experimentation and concept development through objective analysis and recommendations.

Stakeholder Engagement
  • Facilitate workshops, design sessions, tabletop exercises, and operational wargames with military leaders and subject matter experts.
  • Present game concepts, design rationale, and analytical findings to senior government stakeholders.
  • Collaborate with Army centers of excellence, program offices, operational units, and training organizations.

Digital & Simulation Integration
  • Support integration of wargames with modeling and simulation environments.
  • Collaborate with software and AI teams to develop digital implementations of game mechanics.
  • Assist in development of AI-enabled Red Force decision agents and adversary behavior models.

Requirements
  • 8+ years of professional experience in one or more of the following:
  • Professional military wargaming
  • Defense analysis
  • Operations research
  • Military simulation development
  • Strategic planning
  • Commercial strategy gaming
  • Demonstrated experience designing adjudicated, seminar, matrix, tabletop, computer-assisted, or simulation-based wargames.
  • Experience supporting U.S. Army, Joint, DoD, or NATO organizations.
  • Deep understanding of:
  • U.S. Army doctrine
  • Multi-Domain Operations (MDO)
  • Mission command
  • Operational art and campaign design
  • Threat doctrine and adversary force employment
  • Strong knowledge of military planning processes, including:
  • MDMP
  • Joint Planning Process (JPP)
  • Course of Action analysis
  • Expertise in applying game theory principles to competitive decision environments.
  • Experience designing complex game mechanics and adjudication systems.
  • Familiarity with military modeling and simulation tools.
  • Knowledge of probability, statistics, and operational analysis techniques.
  • Ability to document game rules, mechanics, scenarios, and analytical outcomes.

Clearance Required:
  • TS/SCI

Minimum Education:
  • High School Education

Minimum Years of Experience:
  • 12 yrs relevant experience, 8 yrs w/ Bachelor's Degree

Preferred Qualifications:
  • Former military officer, warrant officer, or senior non-commissioned officer with operational planning experience.
  • Advanced degree in Operations Research, Strategic Studies, International Relations, Applied Mathematics, or related field.
  • Experience supporting Army Futures Command, TRADOC, Centers of Excellence, ARCIC, Joint Staff, or combatant commands.
  • Experience designing AI-enabled adversary behaviors.
  • Familiarity with:
  • JCATS
  • AFSIM
  • OneSAF
  • JTLS
  • VBS
  • Other defense simulation environments
  • Publications or recognized contributions in military gaming, decision science, or strategic analysis.

Salary Description
$140,000-$170,000

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