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Game System Designer Jobs in New York (NOW HIRING)

Spin Master

Game Developer

New York, NY · On-site

$38 - $40/hr

As the Game Developer for Hellbreak TCG, you will analyze card designs and manage our external ... Profound structural understanding of physical trading card game systems and the competitive ...

General Intuition

Product Designer

New York, NY · On-site

$180K - $220K/yr

... gaming clips, where millions of gamers capture, share, and discover new games every year. We ... Design systems expertise: hands-on experience building, scaling, and maintaining systems from the ...

Namely

UX Designer

Manhattan, NY · On-site

$95 - $120/hr

... game play. We're looking for a talented UX Designer who thrives in solving complex design ... If you have a strong foundation in UX problem-solving, systems thinking, and creative ...

NBCUniversal

Senior Game Specialist (Houdini)

Manhattan, NY · On-site +1

$130K - $155K/yr

Instead of random designs, your software will use real-world data, such as maps or object details ... Enthusiasm for automated development processes and systems. Fully Remote: This position has been ...

Two Sigma Investments, LP

Designer

New York, NY · On-site

$125K - $175K/yr

Support the development, maintenance, and evolution of comprehensive design systems, including ... Perks: Onsite gyms with laundry service, wellness activities, casual dress, snacks, game rooms

Conduct AI Ltd

Product Designer

New York, NY · On-site

Major enterprises already trust us with their most critical systems, we've closed game-changing SI ... Strong experience designing complex digital products end-to-end , ideally in enterprise software ...

Intangible AI

Product UX Designer

New York, NY · On-site

You'll shape core workflows, interaction patterns, and system behavior, translating complex ... Experience with game engines, 3D tools, or spatial interfaces * Experience with multimodal or AI ...

Swishbreaks

Graphic Designer (Freelance)

New York, NY · On-site

You'll translate Swish's culture into cutting-edge graphics, motion, and design systems for our ... Passion for expressive environments (streetwear, sports, gaming, media) * Love of creators, fans ...

Paramount

Lead, Product Designer

Manhattan, NY

$125K - $170K/yr

You have a refined eye for type hierarchy, layouts, and intuitive UI/UX. You deliver high-impact, immersive designs for complex app systems that capture the intensity of game day and live sports.

Paramount

Lead, Product Designer

Manhattan, NY · On-site

$125K - $170K/yr

You have a refined eye for type hierarchy, layouts, and intuitive UI/UX. You deliver high-impact, immersive designs for complex app systems that capture the intensity of game day and live sports.

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Game System Designer information

What is a game system designer?

Game System Designers are professionals who create, balance, and refine the underlying rules and mechanics that govern how a video game operates. They focus on designing systems such as combat, progression, economy, and rewards to ensure an engaging and balanced player experience. By collaborating with other developers, they translate creative ideas into mathematical models and gameplay loops that keep players challenged and entertained. Their work is crucial to the overall feel and longevity of a game.

What skills and qualifications are needed to thrive as a game system designer?

To thrive as a Game System Designer, you need strong analytical thinking, creativity, and a solid understanding of game mechanics, often supported by a background in game design, computer science, or a related field. Familiarity with game engines (such as Unity or Unreal), prototyping tools, and scripting languages like C# or Lua is highly beneficial. Excellent communication, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities help you collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams and iterate on complex systems. These skills ensure engaging, balanced, and technically feasible gameplay experiences that drive a game's success.

How does a game system designer typically collaborate with other departments during the game development process?

Game System Designers work closely with various teams such as artists, programmers, producers, and narrative designers to ensure that gameplay mechanics align with the overall vision of the game. They often participate in cross-functional meetings, provide detailed system documentation, and gather feedback from playtest sessions to refine systems. Effective communication and adaptability are essential, as system designers must balance creative ideas with technical constraints and player experience. This role is highly collaborative, requiring frequent coordination to integrate new features, resolve design challenges, and maintain a cohesive game experience.

What is the difference between Game System Designer vs Game Level Designer?

AspectGame System DesignerGame Level Designer
Primary FocusDesigns core game mechanics, systems, and rulesCreates and designs individual game levels and environments
Required SkillsSystems thinking, programming knowledge, gameplay designLevel layout, environment art, storytelling through level design
Work EnvironmentCollaborates with programmers, designers, and artists on overall game systemsWorks closely with artists and narrative teams to craft engaging levels
Industry UsageCommon in game development studios focusing on gameplay mechanicsCommon in studios emphasizing level and environment design

While both roles are essential in game development, the Game System Designer focuses on creating the underlying mechanics that define gameplay, whereas the Game Level Designer concentrates on crafting the individual levels players explore. Understanding these differences helps clarify career paths and collaboration points within game development teams.

How do you become a game system designer?

To become a game system designer, typically a candidate needs a background in game design, computer science, or related fields, along with strong skills in programming, mathematics, and understanding of game mechanics. Gaining experience through internships, personal projects, or portfolio work is important, and proficiency with design tools like Unity or Unreal Engine can be beneficial.

Is game system designer a good career?

A game system designer develops the rules, mechanics, and systems for video games, often requiring skills in programming, mathematics, and game theory. The field offers opportunities in the gaming industry, but job availability can be competitive and typically requires a strong portfolio and relevant experience.

What are popular job titles related to Game System Designer jobs in New York?

For Game System Designer jobs in New York, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Game System Designer jobs in New York look for?

The top searched job categories for Game System Designer jobs in New York are:

What cities in New York are hiring for Game System Designer jobs?

Cities in New York with the most Game System Designer job openings:

Game System Designer jobs near you

Game Designer - Cofounder

The General Intelligence Company of New York

New York, NY • On-site

$180K - $200K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 5 days ago

Job description

About the role
At General Intelligence, we're building highly-capable autonomous agents for startups. Our goal is to enable the one-person, one-billion-dollar company.
Our product, Cofounder, enables entrepreneurs to start and run companies. Using it should feel more like a company-building game where users coordinate agents, unlock roadmap nodes, run missions, build artifacts, grow departments, and make revenue go up.
We're looking for a game designer to make Cofounder more fun, intuitive, and strategically deep.
This is a game designer role for someone with real strategy game taste. You should be familiar with the grand strategy genre as well as gameplay loops involving the genre. You understand why games like Civilization, Stellaris, Factorio, StarCraft, RimWorld, XCOM, or EVE become addictive: macro loops, micro loops, compounding strategy, progression, complexity, constraints, feedback, and reward.
Your job is to translate those instincts into product.
What you'll do
  • Design gameplay loops for Cofounder: missions, goals, departments, progression, maps, unlocks, rewards, and recurring user actions. Translate these gameplay loops into actual direct product surface for our users.
  • Turn "run your company" into clear, intuitive game mechanics users understand.
  • Build compounding strategy into the product: decisions should matter, systems should interact, and progress should create new options.
  • Make agent workflows feel fun, fast, and rewarding instead of abstract or confusing.
  • Work with design and engineering to spec, ship, measure, and improve gameplay-driven product experiences.
  • Study user behavior to optimize and identify loops.
  • Push Cofounder toward the feeling of a great strategy game while keeping it useful for real companies.
Who you are
  • You have 5+ years of experience in game design, game systems design, or gameplay design.
  • You have worked in the gaming industry, ideally on strategy games, simulation games, live-service games, management games, MMOs, RPGs, or other systems-heavy products.
  • You have shipped player-facing gameplay systems, not just managed tasks or roadmaps.
  • You deeply understand strategy games: macro loops, micro loops, progression, pacing, compounding systems, tutorials, rewards, and retention.
  • You know how to balance fun, clarity, pacing, and utility.
  • You care about product quality and craft.
  • You are high agency.
  • You have aura. If you don't know what this means, it's not a fit.
How we work
In-person only in New York. You'll be in the room with founders daily. Relocation assistance is available.
High agency. We hire smart people and get out of their way.
Outcomes over inputs. You're measured on what ships and what gets better.
Direct feedback. You'll hear what's working and what's not; same applies in reverse.
Ship fast, iterate daily. Taste matters, but perfection is the enemy of progress.
What's different about General Intelligence?
Real leverage. You will have a legitimately unlimited token budget for AI tools.
No bureaucracy. You'll be frustrated by red tape everywhere else after working here.
Small, elite team. You work directly with founders and engineers building agents.
Craft matters. Speed is key, but sloppiness isn't tolerated.

Apply