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Game System Designer Jobs in Renton, WA (NOW HIRING)

Are you an experienced tabletop RPG designer with the demonstrated ability to lead major RPG ... Serve as a deep subject matter expert in D&D's rules systems, design conventions, and mechanical ...

... game systems. As part of a highly collaborative development team, you will demonstrate the ability to partner closely with designers, artists, and other engineers to bring ideas from concept through ...

Senior Gaming Platform Engineer

Seattle, WA · On-site

$142K - $263K/yr

... game engines and development environments. You'll be responsible for designing and implementing cross-platform bridging solutions, automated C#/Swift interoperability systems that eliminate manual ...

Senior Gaming Platform Engineer

Seattle, WA · On-site

$139.50 - $258.10/hr

... game engines and development environments. You'll be responsible for designing and implementing cross-platform bridging solutions, automated C#/Swift interoperability systems that eliminate manual ...

Senior Game Networking Engineer

Bellevue, WA · Remote

$107K - $146K/yr

You will work closely with gameplay engineers and designers to align networking systems with gameplay mechanics and deliver a smooth, high-quality online experience. As a senior member of the team ...

Narrative Designer

Seattle, WA · On-site

$85 - $105/hr

... game as a unified system that evolves from past releases through current sets and far into the ... Designer or equivalent,in games is required with proven success in narrative design and writing ...

New

Sr. Product Designer

Seattle, WA · On-site

$90K - $125K/yr

On Sleeper, fans can check scores, play games, chat, share memes, and more. We have over 10 million ... Create design solutions that utilize scalable systems, and contribute to the development of our ...

Product Designer (Mid-Level)

Seattle, WA · On-site

$90K - $125K/yr

On Sleeper, fans can check scores, play games, chat, share memes, and more. We have over 10 million ... Create design solutions that utilize scalable systems, and contribute to the development of our ...

Mobile Game Build Engineer Location: Seattle, WA Openings: 1 Type: Full-time Hire CLIENT is an ... Experience designing and building test automation tools/systems using open source test automation ...

Showing results 21-40

Game System Designer information

See Renton, WA salary details

$52.9K

$175.5K

How much do game system designer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 4, 2026, the average yearly pay for game system designer in Renton, WA is $167,731.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $174,300.00 and $174,300.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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 job categories do people searching Game System Designer jobs in Renton, WA look for?

The top searched job categories for Game System Designer jobs in Renton, WA are:

What cities near Renton, WA are hiring for Game System Designer jobs?

Cities near Renton, WA with the most Game System Designer job openings:

Infographic showing various Game System Designer job openings in Renton, WA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 59% In-person, and 41% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $167,731 per year, or $80.6 per hour.

Principal Game Engine Team Lead, Platform

Worldscape Technology Inc.

Redmond, WA

$160K - $200K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement

Re-posted 26 days ago


Job description

Worldscape is a cutting-edge platform designed to unify distributed data, sensors, and intelligent agents across cloud, on-prem, and edge environments. By combining geospatial intelligence, physics-based 3D simulation, and reward-driven AI, Worldscape enables organizations to build immersive digital twins for predictive modeling, scenario planning, and adaptive decision-making. With a zero-trust security framework, seamless integration with legacy systems, and robust developer tools, Worldscape empowers rapid deployment of agentic applications that drive resilience and efficiency in sectors like logistics, telecom, defense, and infrastructure. 
Key Attributes:
  • Innovation Mindset: Passion for pushing the boundaries of real-time physics in interactive simulation. 
  • Leadership & Mentorship: Ability to guide developers, set technical direction for an area, and enforce best practices.
  • Problem-Solving: Creative and analytical approach to complex simulation challenges.
  • Communication: Clear articulation of technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders. 
Responsibilities:
  • Run a team that owns the physics architecture: Define data models, simulation loops, solver strategies, and integration points across engine and simulation systems.
  • Deliver core physics features: Collision detection (broad‑phase/narrow‑phase), entity controllers, vehicle dynamics with an emphasis on orbital mechanics, particles/fluid mechanics (with an emphasis on atmospheric dynamics).
  • Integrate with simulation logic (gameplay) & animation: Build physics‑driven interactions, authoring tools, and runtime hooks (e.g., inverse kinematics, state machines, event systems).
  • Performance ownership: Profile, optimize, and budget frame time and memory across platforms; lead multi-threading/Job System/SIMD efforts; evaluate GPU compute opportunities.
  • Stability & robustness: Establish test suites, golden scenarios, and verification and validation practices; reduce edge‑case instability (stacking, tunneling, jitter, constraint drift).
  • Tooling & workflow: Build/debug tools, visualizers, probes, and authoring pipelines that accelerate designer iteration and QA efficiency.
  • Cross‑functional leadership: Partner with back-end, AI, data pipeline, and platform teams; communicate constraints/trade‑offs; align milestones with production.
  • Mentorship & standards: Guide engineers via code reviews, design docs, and coding standards; cultivate a high bar for craft, documentation, and reproducibility.
  • Quality & live support: Own crash triage and regression control for physics; support content changes post‑launch without destabilizing the simulation.
  • Design, implement, and optimize real-time rendering pipelines (e.g., forward, deferred, ray tracing).
  • Develop and maintain shaders using HLSL, GLSL, ShaderLab, or Shader Graph.
  • Responsible for graphics API Integration work with low-level APIs like DirectX 11/12, Vulkan, Metal, or OpenGL ES.
  • Guide junior and mid-level engineers, conduct code reviews, and enforce best practices across studio teams.
  • Take responsibility for major subsystems (e.g., lighting, post-processing, material systems).
  • Work closely with artists, designers, and other engineers to align visual goals with technical feasibility.
  • Help technical artists create efficient content workflows and troubleshoot visual issues.
  • Translate deep technical topics into actionable insights for studio and platform teams and leadership. 
Professional Qualifications:
  • Education: BS/MS in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Physics, Mathematics (or equivalent practical experience).
  • Experience:10+ years in real‑time/game physics engineering; 2+ shipped titles with substantial physics ownership (AA/AAA preferred).
  • Programming: Expert C++ (modern standards), data‑oriented design, memory management, profiling/debugging (VTune, PIX, Nsight, RenderDoc, etc.).
  • Rigid‑body dynamics,collision detection (GJK, SAT, continuous collision detection/time of impact), integration schemes (semi‑implicit Euler, RK, constraint solvers).
  • Numerical stability, error control, and performance trade‑offs under real‑time constraints.
  • Engine Integration: Experience integrating physics with animation (animation blending, IK), gameplay systems, and rendering pipelines.
  • Performance: Multi-threading/job systems, SIMD/vectorization, cache‑friendly data structures, frame/memory budgeting across platforms.
  • Collaboration: Proven ability to lead cross‑disciplinary efforts and communicate complex technical topics clearly. 
Preferred Qualifications:
  • 15+ years’ experience in Modern Game Engines & Middleware: Unreal Engine (Chaos), Unity (DOTS/Physics), Havok, Bullet, PhysX; custom engine experience strongly preferred.
  • 10+ years’ experience in Advanced Simulation: Fracture systems, granular materials, vehicle tire models, buoyancy/aero effects; GPU compute (CUDA, compute shaders).
  • Experience with existing physics models and systems integration.
  • Networking: Deterministic simulation strategies, rollback/prediction, server authority models, cross‑platform latency mitigation.
  • Console/Platform: Shipping experience on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC; familiarity with platform TRCs/TCRs and performance certification.
  • Tooling & Scripting: Python/C#/Lua for tools and editor extensions; in‑engine visualization/debugging overlays.
  • Optimization Expertise: Broad‑phase structures (sweep-and-prune, BVH), island building, sleeping strategies, CCD tunneling avoidance; job scheduling and affinity tuning.
  • Content Pipelines: Collaboration with design/tech art to create authoring guidelines for physics assets; LOD strategies for physics complexity. 
Final compensation will be determined based on factors such as experience, skills, and qualifications. In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible for performance-based bonuses and equity awards. 
Why Worldscape? 
There is nothing more important to Worldscape than our culture. It is the fundamental means by which we will succeed as an organization. Talent, ability, drive, experience, knowledge cannot be maximized without first embracing the culture we espouse and will live every single day.  Worldscape offers great benefits, opportunities for continued growth, and the ability to directly affect change in our organization and be part of a high-growth startup at a pivotal stage. 

What we offer: 
- Competitive salary and meaningful equity 
- Attractive benefits package  
- Flexible time off policy 
- Medical, Dental and Vision insurance 
- HSA health insurance options 
- 401k plan 
- Basic and Voluntary Life Insurance
- Fast paced environment with flexibility and ownership
 
Worldscape is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, race, religion, pregnancy, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.

Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.