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Principal Gameplay Programmer Jobs in California

Tolan

Principal Gameplay Engineer - Unity

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$200K - $300K/yr

The Role We're hiring a Principal Gameplay Engineer to define and own the core interactions of the Tolan world and the moment-to-moment "juice" that makes the app feel alive. You'll obsess over the ...

Absurd Ventures

Principal Gameplay Animator

Santa Monica, CA · On-site

$150K - $175K/yr

Summary We are looking for a Principal Gameplay Animator to help define and deliver the animation ... Partner with Design and Engineering teams to implement animation systems that enhance gameplay feel ...

Absurd Ventures

Principal Gameplay Animator

Santa Monica, CA · On-site +1

$150K - $175K/yr

Summary We are looking for a Principal Gameplay Animator to help define and deliver the animation ... Partner with Design and Engineering teams to implement animation systems that enhance gameplay feel ...

Amazon

Principal Game Designer, RBKS AI

Hawthorne, CA · On-site

As a Principal Game Designer at RBKS AI (Ring, Blink, Key, Sidewalk), you will own the design ... Working alongside a focused team of product managers, engineers, and scientists, you will conceive ...

Amazon

Principal Game Designer, RBKS AI

Hawthorne, CA · On-site

As a Principal Game Designer at RBKS AI (Ring, Blink, Key, Sidewalk), you will own the design ... Working alongside a focused team of product managers, engineers, and scientists, you will conceive ...

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Infographic showing various Principal Gameplay Programmer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 80% Full Time, and 20% Part Time. Highlights an 86% In-person, and 14% Remote job distribution.

Principal Gameplay Engineer - Unity

Tolan

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$200K - $300K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 11 days ago

Job description

Tolan is building personal AI that helps people think, reflect, and take action in their real lives.
Over the last year, we've grown to more than 130,000 paying users, with industry-leading metrics across engagement, retention, and customer NPS. We've raised from some of the world's leading AI investors, including Khosla Ventures, Lachy Groom, Homebrew, Mike Krieger, and others.
The Role
We're hiring a Principal Gameplay Engineer to define and own the core interactions of the Tolan world and the moment-to-moment "juice" that makes the app feel alive. You'll obsess over the stuff users notice instantly (even if they can't name it): snappy easing, micro-animations, secondary motion, haptics, camera shake, VFX, anticipation/overshoot, responsive UI motion - think "game feel" in the Super Meat Boy/Balatro/Hades sense: tight, expressive, and beautiful. You'll work shoulder-to-shoulder with Product and Creative, turning rough ideas into playable prototypes and putting them in front of people constantly.
What You'll Do
  • Rapidly develop prototypes of new features, iterate quickly, and ship to users.
  • Own "feel" across everything 3D - including character interactions, navigation, and world moments.
  • Add impact and delight with tiny details that make everything feel reactive and alive.
  • Collaborate tightly with Product, Design, and Creative to translate "vibes" into concrete behaviors and tuning knobs.
  • Create juicy systems that can be quickly and easily deployed across multiple areas of the app.
Who We're Looking For
  • Indie feel. You've shipped experiences where the magic comes from timing, simplicity, and cohesion.
  • Unity or Unreal fluency. You're comfortable working in either engine at a high level.
  • Hands-on systems thinker. You prefer being a hands-on developer who can think systemically while nailing the details.
  • Polish obsessed. You love spending time on timing curves, easing, responsiveness, visual feedback, and tactile feel.
  • Prototype pusher. You can take a rough prototype and push it to "wow" through iteration and tasteful restraint.
  • Tight feedback loops. You're energized by showing prototypes early and often.
Bonus points if you:
  • Have experience with procedural animation and physics-based motion.
  • Have a strong eye for VFX/UI motion and can make things feel premium without being noisy.
  • Enjoy working in stylized worlds where personality beats realism.
  • Have built or tuned character controllers, interaction systems, or expressive character behaviors.

Compensation: $200,000-300,000 base salary + equity + benefits

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