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Game System Designer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Valicy

Game Developer

Greenville, NC

... systems. Game Developers at Valicy are builders who think holistically about game feel, technical architecture, tooling, and long‑term maintainability. You will work closely with designers, artists ...

Valicy

Game Developer

Wilmington, NC

... systems. Game Developers at Valicy are builders who think holistically about game feel, technical architecture, tooling, and long‑term maintainability. You will work closely with designers, artists ...

Embedding VC

Founding Game Designer

San Francisco, CA · On-site +1

$182K/yr

The game designer's job isn't to build levels, it's to design the systems and constraints that make a generative world feel coherent and worth coming back to. Founders Guillaume (CPTO): First product ...

Epic Games

Game Designer, Activities

Cary, NC · On-site

$143K/yr

From character and level design to competitive gameplay and system design, help shape the future of interactive entertainment at Epic. What You'll Do Epic Games is seeking a Senior Game Designer ...

ProbablyMonsters

Technical Designer

Dallas, TX

$77K - $108K/yr

You have experience shipping games as a tech, systems, or gameplay designer. You have opinions on what works and what does not based on your experiences and have drawn positive conclusions from ...

Templar Media

Lead Game Designer

Alpharetta, GA · On-site

The Lead Designer should have excellent game design ability in both single and multiplayer and be a ... Ability to clearly articulate complicated systems to other team members and senior management

ProbablyMonsters

Technical Designer

Bellevue, WA · On-site

$77K - $108K/yr

You have experience shipping games as a tech, systems, or gameplay designer. You have opinions on what works and what does not based on your experiences and have drawn positive conclusions from ...

Epic Games

Senior Gameplay Designer

Cary, NC · On-site

$94K - $101K/yr

... game development. DESIGN What We Do Put your design skills to work at a cutting-edge company that challenges the norm. From character and level design to competitive gameplay and system design, help ...

teamLFG

OR · On-site

As a Senior Game Engineer - Graphics on teamLFG, you will work closely with artists, designers and ... RESPONSIBILITIES Build and maintain production-quality gameplay systems, workflows, and tools in C ...

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Game System Designer information

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$47K

$156K

How much do game system designer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 10, 2026, the average yearly pay for game system designer in the United States is $149,118.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $155,000.00 and $155,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Game System Designer, and why are they important?

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.

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 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 are Game System Designers?

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.
More about Game System Designer jobs
What cities are hiring for Game System Designer jobs? Cities with the most Game System Designer job openings:
What states have the most Game System Designer jobs? States with the most job openings for Game System Designer jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Game System Designer jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Game System Designer jobs are:
Game System Designer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Game System Designer job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 88% Full Time, 7% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 89% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $149,118 per year, or $71.7 per hour.

Game Developer

Valicy

Greenville, NC

Full-time

Re-posted 5 days ago

Job description

Job Title: Game Developer
Locations: Wilmington, NC or Greenville, NC
Department: NC Game Development
Reports To: Game Development Manager
Status: Exempt

WHO WE ARE:
We are Valicy.
We make games. We also make the machines they run on.

What we're building matters. How we treat people matters more.
OUR MISSION: We exist to create excellent gaming experiences, treat our customers the way we want to be treated, and positively impact people's lives through a culture of care.
Seven values guide how we work. We call it our FIGHTER mindset:
Fun: Enjoy the journey together
Innovative: Consistently pushing new boundaries through creativity
Growth: Committed to growing personally and professionally
Humble amp; Passionate: It’s important to be both
Teamwork: Built on trust, healthy conflict, commitment, accountability, and results
Excellence: Pursuing high standards in everything we do
Relational: Building trust and relationships with customers and teammates


If this is the kind of place you've been looking for, let's talk.

SUMMARY The Game Developer is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining high‑quality games built on the Unity framework across multiple regulated gaming platforms. This role is hands‑on and impact‑driven, focused on translating game design and creative direction into performant, reliable, and engaging gameplay systems.
Game Developers at Valicy are builders who think holistically about game feel, technical architecture, tooling, and long‑term maintainability. You will work closely with designers, artists, QA, and leadership to ship games that scale across studios and platforms.
This role is based in either Wilmington or Greenville and collaborates daily across both locations.
QUALIFICATIONS
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
-Act as an ambassador of Valicy’s Mission, Vision, and Values through daily work and team interactions.
-Design, develop, and implement gameplay systems using Unity for multiple target platforms.
-Translate game design documents, concepts, and creative direction into clean, functional, and engaging gameplay.
-Actively participate in the full game development lifecycle, from concept through release and post‑launch support.
-Collaborate closely with designers, artists, audio, QA, and production to resolve issues and improve game quality.
-Build internal tools, tech‑art utilities, and workflows that accelerate development and reduce friction across teams.
-Empower content creators by creating flexible, data‑driven systems that minimize ongoing engineering intervention.
-Maintain and improve existing games through debugging, optimization, and feature enhancements
-Identify technical risks early and propose practical solutions that balance speed, quality, and scalability.
-Provide clear recommendations and technical insights to leadership to support strategic and operational goals.
REQUIREMENTS:
-3–5 years of professional experience or demonstratable equivalent personal experience developing interactive applications or games using Unity
-Strong C# programming skills with an emphasis on clean, maintainable, and performant code
-Solid understanding of game architecture, gameplay systems, and real‑time performance considerations
-Experience debugging complex systems and maintaining live or legacy products
-Ability to work collaboratively in a cross‑disciplinary team environment
-Strong ownership mentality and willingness to take responsibility for shipped features
Preferred Requirements:
-Experience building tools or frameworks to support designers and artists.
-Familiarity with data‑driven or configuration‑based game systems.
-Experience working on regulated, distributed, or hardware‑integrated gaming platforms.
-Exposure to optimization, profiling, and performance tuning in Unity.
-Interest or expertise in AI‑assisted workflows, automation, or tooling to improve developer productivity.
WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment is typical of a traditional office environment.

This Job Description is to be used as a guide for accomplishing Company objectives. The description incorporates the most typical duties performed and covers only the primary functions and responsibilities of the position. It is recognized that other related duties not specifically mentioned may also be performed.

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