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Entry Level Indie Game Developer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

SpiderWare

Video Game QA Tester

... engineers, designers, whoever it takes, until it's actually solved. You'll be the person who ... This is an entry-level role, so we don't specify a degree, your age, or your background. We care ...

Epic Games

Game Design Intern

Cary, NC · On-site

... and engineers * Attend playtests, provide feedback, and help identify practical solutions to problems What we're looking for * Finished student projects or indie games with experience through the ...

etc. interactive

$85K - $115K/yr

... game programming (can include academic projects, modding, or indie development) * Solid understanding of object-oriented programming principles * Hands-on experience with Unreal Engine (UE4 or UE5 ...

Onward Search

Creative / Game Recruiter

Fairfield, CT · Remote

$50K - $65K/yr

... Indie studios, game genres (Action, RPG, Shooter, Mobile, Live Service), and common game development terminology such as Gameplay Programming, Game Design, Unreal Engine, Unity, Production, QA, and ...

Onward Search

Creative / Game Recruiter

Fairfield, CT · On-site

$50K - $65K/yr

... Indie studios, game genres (Action, RPG, Shooter, Mobile, Live Service), and common game development terminology such as Gameplay Programming, Game Design, Unreal Engine, Unity, Production, QA, and ...

Onward Search

Creative / Game Recruiter

Fairfield, CT · Remote

$50K - $65K/yr

... Indie studios, game genres (Action, RPG, Shooter, Mobile, Live Service), and common game development terminology such as Gameplay Programming, Game Design, Unreal Engine, Unity, Production, QA, and ...

TapBlaze

Game Designer, Casual F2P

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$167K/yr

Play and deeply analyze casual games across genres, Match-3, Time Management, Simulation, Indie ... Collaborate with cross-functional teams (engineering, art, QA, marketing) to ensure designs are ...

TapBlaze

Game Designer, Casual F2P

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$167K/yr

Play and deeply analyze casual games across genres, Match-3, Time Management, Simulation, Indie ... Collaborate with cross-functional teams (engineering, art, QA, marketing) to ensure designs are ...

DePaul

Adjunct Faculty in Game Design

Chicago, IL · On-site

Throughout the program, students collaborate on interdisciplinary teams with programmers, artists ... indie games, to art games, and games for change on established and experimental platforms. In ...

Elsewhere

Engineering Lead

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$120K - $159K/yr

Job Summary : Elsewhere is hiring an Engineering Lead to write code, build infrastructure, and ... games, even as indie or side projects. • Eagerness to share rough prototypes and in-progress ...

Mxdwn

Games Writer Intern (Unpaid)

Los Angeles, CA

... A developers like Activision and Electronic Arts to the Kickstarter-fueled Indie scene. If you're looking to jumpstart a career in game journalism, mxdwn Games is a great place to begin. If ...

mxdwn

Games Writer Intern (Unpaid)

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

... A developers like Activision and Electronic Arts to the Kickstarter-fueled Indie scene. If you're looking to jumpstart a career in game journalism, mxdwn Games is a great place to begin. If ...

Xsolla

AI-First Engineering Intern

Raleigh, NC

$20 - $25/hr

... game industry. From indie to AAA, companies partner with Xsolla to help them fund, distribute ... We're offering AI Engineer Internships in regions across the globe to help drive that shift ...

Xsolla

AI-First Engineering Intern

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$20 - $25/hr

... game industry. From indie to AAA, companies partner with Xsolla to help them fund, distribute ... We're offering AI Engineer Internships in regions across the globe to help drive that shift ...

Xsolla

AI-First Engineering Intern

Los Angeles, CA

$20 - $25/hr

... game industry. From indie to AAA, companies partner with Xsolla to help them fund, distribute ... We're offering AI Engineer Internships in regions across the globe to help drive that shift ...

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Entry Level Indie Game Developer information

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$108.5K

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How much do entry level indie game developer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 14, 2026, the average yearly pay for entry level indie game developer in the United States is $108,471.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $81,500.00 and $124,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is an entry level indie game developer?

Entry level indie game developers are individuals who are new to game development and work within small, independent teams or as solo creators to produce video games. They typically handle a range of tasks, such as programming, designing, art creation, and testing, often learning on the job and wearing multiple hats. Their focus is usually on creative projects with limited budgets, aiming to break into the gaming industry or build a portfolio. Entry level indie developers may release their games on platforms like Steam, itch.io, or mobile app stores. The role is well-suited for those passionate about games, creativity, and self-driven learning.

What are some common challenges faced by entry level indie game developers, and how can they be overcome?

Entry level indie game developers often face challenges such as limited resources, tight budgets, and wearing multiple hats within small teams. Balancing creative ambitions with practical constraints can be difficult, especially when managing time between programming, art, sound, and marketing tasks. Effective communication and collaboration with team members, utilizing accessible development tools, and participating in online communities can help overcome these hurdles. Learning to scope projects realistically and seeking feedback early in the process are also essential strategies for success.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an entry level indie game developer, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Entry Level Indie Game Developer, you need a solid grasp of programming fundamentals (often in languages like C# or C++), basic game design principles, and a relevant degree or portfolio showcasing your work. Familiarity with game engines such as Unity or Unreal Engine and version control systems like Git is typically expected. Creativity, problem-solving ability, and strong teamwork skills help you contribute to small, collaborative teams and adapt to evolving project requirements. These competencies ensure you can effectively build, iterate, and launch engaging indie games in a competitive industry.

What is the difference between Entry Level Indie Game Developer vs Junior Game Programmer?

AspectEntry Level Indie Game DeveloperJunior Game Programmer
Required SkillsBasic programming, game design, creativityProgramming languages, debugging, software tools
Work EnvironmentIndependent projects, small teams, startupsGame studios, development teams, collaborative settings
Industry UsageIndie game development, small studiosGame development companies, larger studios

Both roles often require foundational programming skills and a passion for gaming. An Entry Level Indie Game Developer typically works on personal or small team projects, focusing on creativity and design, while a Junior Game Programmer is more involved in coding, debugging, and technical implementation within a professional studio environment. The roles overlap in skills but differ mainly in scope and work setting.

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Cities with the most Entry Level Indie Game Developer job openings:

What are the most commonly searched types of Indie Game Developer jobs?

The most popular types of Indie Game Developer jobs are:

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States with the most job openings for Entry Level Indie Game Developer jobs include:

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For Entry Level Indie Game Developer jobs, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Entry Level Indie Game Developer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Entry Level Indie Game Developer job openings in the United States as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 67% Full Time, and 33% Contract. Highlights an 33% In-person, and 67% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $108,471 per year, or $52.1 per hour.

Video Game QA Tester

Remote

SpiderWare
See more jobs at SpiderWareexternal

Full-time

Re-posted 29 days ago

Job description

Soulbound (https://soulbound.game/) is a top-down pixel-art MMO launching on Steam. Over 1 million players played the browser version; we've rebuilt the entire game for PC - new engine, new progression, new narrative framework. We're a remote team of ~20, we hire from anywhere in the world, and we care about one thing above all: passion.
Forget everything you think QA is. This is not a role where you log bugs and toss them over a wall. At Spiderware, QA means finding, understanding, and solving. When something breaks, you're the detective: you work out exactly how it broke, chase down why, and then help drive the fix by pulling in engineers, designers, whoever it takes, until it's actually solved. You'll be the person who protects what a million players see, on a game that ships changes in real time. It's the most hands-on QA role you will find anywhere. This is an entry-level role, so we don't specify a degree, your age, or your background. We care about three things:
1. You solve problems, not just spot them. When a quest snags or a number looks wrong, you can't let it go, and you can't stop at "it's broken." You want to know why. You form a theory, test it, narrow it down, and hand the team a solved case.
2. You're a gamer. You play RPGs, MMORPGs and indie games, and you understand how they're meant to feel. You know the difference between "annoying" and "broken," and you can say why. If you don't play games in this genre, this isn't the role for you.
3. You learn fast and take feedback. You write clearly, follow a repro step-by-step, and turn "it's weird" into something an engineer can act on in minutes. When someone shows you a better way, you use it the same day.
What You'll Actually Do
  • Playtest new quests, systems and builds before players ever see them
  • Break the game on purpose then investigate why it broke, isolate the cause, and propose the fix
  • Work directly with engineers and designers to get problems actually solved, not just filed
  • Verify fixes and run regression passes on a live, fast-moving game
  • Stress-test around the big moments like launches, events, updates
  • Feed patterns back to the whole team: you're the player's early-warning system
  • Feedback what feels fun, and what doesn't, working with designers to improve the experience.
  • Have a space to propose your ideas and improvement designs to the design team.

What This Is (And What It Isn't)
This is your foot in the door in the games industry with real QA experience on a shipping MMO with a proven player base, direct access to the people building it, and a genuine path to ongoing roles.
Where This Leads
Almost everyone who joins Spiderware at junior level starts in QA or Support, by design. It's the fastest way to learn the game inside out: you play it, you test it, you see exactly where players get stuck. It's also how you learn the studio, how we operate, who does what, how it all fits together. From there the path is wide open: QA and Support people here have become quest designers, narrative writers, game designers, and heads of department, some within six months. If you're passionate and dedicated, the opportunity is enormous.
Requirements
  • A genuine passion for gaming especially RPGs, MMORPGs, indie and top-down/pixel-art games
  • Sharp attention to detail
  • Clear written communication, you can describe a problem so someone else can reproduce it
  • You must be self-motivated and proactive, working remote, you don't wait to be told what to test, you think ahead and work without being directed.
  • Thick skin, you can take direct, sometimes brutal feedback and use it to improve.
  • Available to commit meaningful hours, night shifts or weekends. this isn't a "check in once a week" role.
  • English speaking at native level, reading and writing.
  • A steam profile with a strong playtime record.

Nice to Have
  • Experience filing bugs (any tracker)
  • Modding or running game servers
  • A basic feel for how games are built
  • Familiarity with test cases or checklists

Benefits
  • You'll learn faster here than at any studio you could join, because we ship to a live game in real time and you see the results the same day
  • Real QA experience on a live game with 1M+ players
  • Direct access to the studio founder, design and engineering, with no layers between you and the people who fix things
  • Learn professional QA end to end: repro, triage, root-cause investigation, regression, release testing
  • Flexible hours that fit around your studies or other commitments
  • Work remotely from anywhere in the world
  • Genuine path to ongoing roles for standout performers
  • Small, fast-moving indie studio where your work protects what millions of players see

Apply