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Gameplay Designer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Combat Designer (Gameplay)

Los Angeles, CA ยท On-site

$167K/yr

As a Combat Designer at Cloud Chamber, you will join our talented development team to help shape the combat gameplay and immersive sandbox world of BioShock. In this role, you'll collaborate with a ...

Combat Designer (Gameplay)

Los Angeles, CA ยท On-site

$167K/yr

As a Combat Designer at Cloud Chamber, you will join our talented development team to help shape the combat gameplay and immersive sandbox world of BioShock. In this role, you'll collaborate with a ...

Game Designer

San Francisco, CA ยท On-site

$182K/yr

Game Designer (Experience & Systems) About the Role We're looking for an exceptional Game Designer ... Strong systems thinking and the ability to balance interconnected gameplay mechanics. * Comfortable ...

Contract Game Designer

Los Angeles, CA ยท On-site

$30 - $38/hr

The Game Designer plays a key role in the game and product development process from start to finish ... Design and develop several projects, responding to feedback from key stakeholders to craft gameplay ...

The Game Designer plays a key role in the game and product development process from start to finish ... Design and develop several projects, responding to feedback from key stakeholders to craft gameplay ...

Contract Game Designer

Los Angeles, CA ยท On-site

$30 - $38/hr

The Game Designer plays a key role in the game and product development process from start to finish ... Design and develop several projects, responding to feedback from key stakeholders to craft gameplay ...

Game Designer, Amazon Game Studios

Culver City, CA ยท On-site

$169K/yr

With the power of Luna at your fingertips, you will have the chance to innovate in gameplay ... PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS - Experience designing player-facing AI features such as adaptive ...

Gameplay Programmer

San Diego, CA

$136K - $151K/yr

Work with game designers, artists, and other engineers to create compelling experiences * Break-down design goals into smaller technical tasks * Provide feedback on gameplay and offer suggestions for ...

Gameplay Programmer

San Diego, CA ยท On-site

$136K - $151K/yr

Work with game designers, artists, and other engineers to create compelling experiences * Break-down design goals into smaller technical tasks * Provide feedback on gameplay and offer suggestions for ...

Game Designer, Temporary

Novato, CA ยท On-site

$38 - $53/hr

Our WWE 2K is team looking for a talented Game Designer who is excited to work on the WWE franchise. WWE 2K is an exciting and challenging game with a diverse set of features and requirements. You ...

Game Designer, Temporary

Novato, CA ยท On-site

$38 - $53/hr

Our WWE 2K is team looking for a talented Game Designer who is excited to work on the WWE franchise. WWE 2K is an exciting and challenging game with a diverse set of features and requirements. You ...

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Gameplay Designer information

See California salary details

$79.9K

$143.5K

$202.3K

How much do gameplay designer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 8, 2026, the average yearly pay for gameplay designer in California is $143,455.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $114,500.00 and $170,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a typical day look like for a gameplay designer?

A typical day for a Gameplay Designer often involves collaborating with programmers, artists, and other designers to brainstorm new features, refine mechanics, and address feedback from playtests. You can expect to design and document gameplay systems, tweak parameters for balance, and prototype new ideas to see how they work in practice. Communication with cross-functional teams is frequent to ensure all aspects of the gameplay are cohesive and fun for players. Additionally, regular participation in team meetings and reviews helps keep everyone aligned on project vision and priorities.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a gameplay designer?

To thrive as a Gameplay Designer, you need strong game design fundamentals, creative problem-solving abilities, and a solid understanding of player experience and engagement. Experience with industry-standard tools such as Unity, Unreal Engine, scripting languages (like C# or Blueprint), and familiarity with version control systems is highly valued. Excellent teamwork, communication skills, and a collaborative mindset are essential for effectively working with development teams and stakeholders. These skills help ensure the creation of compelling and balanced gameplay experiences that resonate with players and meet project goals.

What does a gameplay designer do?

A Gameplay Designer is responsible for creating and refining the interactive systems that define the player's experience in a game. They design mechanics, gameplay loops, and balance difficulty to ensure an engaging and fun experience. This role involves collaborating with programmers, artists, and other designers to implement and iterate on gameplay elements. Gameplay Designers also analyze player feedback and data to fine-tune mechanics and improve overall game feel.

What job categories do people searching Gameplay Designer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Gameplay Designer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Gameplay Designer jobs? Cities in California with the most Gameplay Designer job openings:
Infographic showing various Gameplay Designer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 77% Full Time, 16% Part Time, 3% Temporary, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $143,455 per year, or $69 per hour.

Combat Designer (Gameplay)

2K

Los Angeles, CA โ€ข On-site

$167K/yr

Full-time

This job post hasย expired today.ย Applications are no longer accepted.


Job description

As a Combat Designer at Cloud Chamber, you will join our talented development team to help shape the combat gameplay and immersive sandbox world of BioShock. In this role, you'll collaborate with a passionate group of game developers to craft experimental gameplay experiences that support player expression and ingenuityโ€”bringing the richly imagined world of BioShock to life. What You'll Do: Partner with and support a team of designers to implement combat gameplay content in an immersive sandbox world. Maintain best practices and support the workflows conducive to consistency and deliverability of game content within the team. Participate in the cross-pollination of ideas and sharing of knowledge amongst content creators. Help build and refine the combat systems development and the gameplay framework for encounters. Collaborate with other developers to help build an FPS combat paradigm that is accessible, satisfying, and allows for a high degree of player expression and experimentation within a highly reactive world. Be curious and get creative: look beyond direct conflict, accommodate various playstyles and design encounters that can be resolved through player ingenuity. What We'll Do Together: At Cloud Chamber, we are champions of high standards, pushing for progress and embracing change. We will work closely and constructively across design, art, engineering, animation, and audio teams to realize our creative ambitions. Together, we will stay current on technological advancements and identify solutions to overcome developmental obstacles. We strive to make BioShock games that move people: evocative, immersive, and meaningful experiences that stay with you long after the credits roll. Skills & Experiences: Knowledge of current game trends in technology. Experience working with a variety of established game toolsets. Understanding of game mechanics, combat systems, and AI NPC design. Familiarity with game development tools, and experience with pipelines, standards, and workflows. Experience working in a collaborative environment with cross-disciplinary groups. Solid presentation skills. Current knowledge of gaming industry development landscape, technology and tools. Understanding of how AI, tactical space, and player verbs combine to create magic in both scripted and unscripted settings. Knowledge of behavior trees in Unreal Engine 5. Knowledge of industry standard AI, progression systems, and player mechanics features. Who You Are: A reliable, positive force multiplier, actively seeking opportunities to integrate work across disciplines and contribute to a healthy, supportive team environment. A solid communicator with excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex ideas clearly, package information for diverse audiences, and deliver difficult feedback with empathy and professionalism. A persistent and self-motivated person with a proactive mindset. Able to maintain effectiveness and quality under pressure, ambiguity, and fast-changing priorities. An active listener able to build and maintain trust-based relationships across all levels of the organization, understand differing perspectives, and navigate organizational complexity with tact and emotional intelligence. Highly open to feedback and direction, possessing a desire to learn new skills, and capable of producing quick, quality revisions based on new insights or constraints. A strong owner of your tasks, who strives to drive their work forward autonomously while maintaining a critical eye for detail and organization, ensuring high standards of quality. Dedicated to upholding Cloud Chamber's core values, contributing to a positive and respectful company culture while striving for excellence in all endeavors. Who We Are: At Cloud Chamber we strive to make BioShock games that move people: evocative, immersive, and meaningful experiences that stay with you long after you've rolled credits. Great games are born from great collaborations, supported by a culture that brings out the best in our teams. We work openly, learn through play, take ownership, push ourselves to be better, and deliver for our players. For candidates located in Quebec: This position requires professional proficiency in both French and English. Proficiency in English is required to collaborate with our U.S. teams and international partners, as well as to handle specialized technical documentation (reading, writing, and communication). As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, perform their essential job functions, and receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us if you need reasonable accommodation. Please note that 2K Games and its studios never use instant messaging apps or personal email accounts to contact prospective employees or conduct interviews. When emailing prospective employees, we only use 2K.com accounts. #J-18808-Ljbffr