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Puzzle Game Designer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Limit Break

$162K/yr

Game Designer (Puzzle) About us: Deep expertise. Personal and Industry evolution. Impeccable craft. These are Limit Break's founding principles. Limit Break is founded by global industry leaders in ...

Itcharm

PA · On-site

$155K/yr

... Designer to help turn new ideas into playable prototypes. This is a hands-on role at the ... Develop and prototype game mechanics, primarily for word and puzzle games : word splitting, letter ...

SupportFinityâ„¢

Lead Designer

California, MO · On-site

$121K - $150K/yr

Architect and balance core game loops, innovative puzzle mechanics, and long-term progression systems designed to engage a massive F2P audience for years. * Collaborate with the technical team to ...

Relevate Health

$100K - $125K/yr

Join a team of top artists, engineers, designers, and others who've joined us from prominent gaming ... puzzle games, strategy games, or massively-multiplayer party games--all brought to life with ...

Jam City Inc

Provide cohesive UI design spanning the full player experience - from narrative gameplay and puzzle ... experience designing UI/UX for mobile games * Solid understanding of user-centered design ...

Jam City

Senior UI/UX Designer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

... UI/UX Designer to bring their expert game UI/UX skills to help build a new game within our ... Provide cohesive UI design spanning the full player experience - from narrative gameplay and puzzle ...

Jam City Inc

Senior UI/UX Designer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

Provide cohesive UI design spanning the full player experience - from narrative gameplay and puzzle ... experience designing UI/UX for mobile games * Solid understanding of user-centered design ...

Jam City

Senior UI/UX Designer

San Francisco, CA

... UI/UX Designer to bring their expert game UI/UX skills to help build a new game within our ... Provide cohesive UI design spanning the full player experience - from narrative gameplay and puzzle ...

Jam City

Senior UI/UX Designer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

... UI/UX Designer to bring their expert game UI/UX skills to help build a new game within our ... Provide cohesive UI design spanning the full player experience - from narrative gameplay and puzzle ...

The New York Times

Games Fact Checker

New York, NY · Hybrid

$18.75 - $23.50/hr

The fact checker will work on games cross-functionally with puzzle editors, writers, product designers, engineers, marketers and social media experts. Responsibilities: * Check factual assertions in ...

Relevate Health

$120K - $150K/yr

In this role, you'll work on games across an array of casual and multiplayer genres (puzzle games, strategy games, party games, and beyond). You'll empower artists and designers to iterate quickly on ...

The New York Times

Games Fact Checker

New York, NY · On-site

$97K - $98K/yr

The fact checker will work on games cross-functionally with puzzle editors, writers, product designers, engineers, marketers and social media experts. Responsibilities: * Check factual assertions in ...

Brilliant

$110K - $180K/yr

The Role CS Learning Designers at Brilliant design interactive learning games to teach programming ... Design new learning games - visual, puzzle-driven experiences that teach foundational principles in ...

Jam City Inc

UI/UX Designer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$75K - $110K/yr

Present designs and key milestone deliverables to peers and stakeholders while clearly ... puzzle and story-driven mobile games. As the creative force behind fan-favorite, award-winning ...

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Puzzle Game Designer information

See salary details

$47K

$156K

How much do puzzle game designer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 11, 2026, the average yearly pay for puzzle game 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 does a puzzle game designer do?

A Puzzle Game Designer is responsible for creating engaging and challenging puzzles within video games or mobile apps. They design the game mechanics, levels, and rules to ensure a fun and rewarding experience for players. Their job often involves balancing difficulty, testing gameplay, and collaborating with other developers and artists to integrate puzzles seamlessly into the overall game. Ultimately, their goal is to keep players entertained and motivated to progress through the game.

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

To thrive as a Puzzle Game Designer, you should have strong creative thinking, game design fundamentals, and experience with logic and problem-solving, often supported by a degree in game design or a related field. Familiarity with game engines (such as Unity or Unreal), prototyping tools, and basic programming or scripting is typically required. Exceptional communication, collaboration, and user empathy help designers create engaging and intuitive experiences for diverse audiences. These skills enable the development of compelling, balanced puzzles that captivate players and contribute to a successful game.

What are the main challenges puzzle game designers face when balancing difficulty and player engagement?

Puzzle Game Designers often encounter the challenge of creating puzzles that are neither too easy nor too difficult for players. Striking this balance requires iterative testing, analyzing player feedback, and adjusting mechanics to ensure a rewarding experience that encourages progression rather than frustration. Designers must also consider diverse player skill levels and provide tools such as hints or adaptive difficulty. Regular collaboration with playtesters and other design team members is essential to refine puzzles and maintain engagement throughout the game.

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

AspectPuzzle Game DesignerLevel Designer
CredentialsTypically requires a degree in game design, computer science, or related fieldsSimilar educational background, often with a focus on level design or game development
Work EnvironmentWorks in game studios, focusing on designing puzzle mechanics and gameplayWorks in game studios, creating and arranging levels for various game types
Industry UsageCommonly used in puzzle and casual game developmentUsed across multiple genres, including action, adventure, and puzzle games
Search & ComparisonOften compared due to overlapping skills in game mechanics and designRelated but more focused on level layout and environment design

While both roles involve game design skills, Puzzle Game Designers focus on creating engaging puzzle mechanics and gameplay, whereas Level Designers concentrate on designing the layout and environment of game levels. Both roles require a strong understanding of game development and often collaborate closely in the game creation process.

What are popular job titles related to Puzzle Game Designer jobs?

For Puzzle Game Designer jobs, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Infographic showing various Puzzle Game Designer job openings in the United States as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 57% Full Time, and 43% Part Time. Highlights an 72% In-person, 14% Hybrid, and 14% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $149,118 per year, or $71.7 per hour.

Game Designer (Puzzle) (Japan)

On-site

Limit Break
PC Games • 11 - 50 employees
Learn more about Limit Breakexternal

$162K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 25 days ago

Key responsibilities

  • Design and balance gameplay mechanics and progression systems to enhance player flow, engagement, and retention

  • Analyze player data and metrics to optimize difficulty curves, in-game economy, and balance through live tuning and experimentation

  • Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams to ensure puzzles communicate goals effectively and support strong feedback loops

Job description
 
 
Limit Break
 
Limit BreakBuckley VenturesParadigm Ventures
 
Limit Break
 

  • Expected Value
  • NormalHardBossEvent

  • UXArtEngineering
  • A/B
  • ARPDAUExpected ValueRetention
  • AI
  • KPI
  • A/B
  • Data ScienceProductLiveOps
Game Designer (Puzzle) 
 
About us:
 
Deep expertise. Personal and Industry evolution. Impeccable craft. These are Limit Break's founding principles.
Limit Break is founded by global industry leaders in mobile gaming. We are unlocking its potential beyond games to transform digital markets into real-world economies and digital worlds into vibrant communities who will take gaming economies for both players and traders to new limits. We combine the power of technology, and creative vision to create experiences that connect people from all corners of the globe.
 
Limit Break is backed by leading investors that include Buckley Ventures & Paradigm Ventures. The adoption rate and a number of public and private partnerships is proving it to be the next wave of technology of the future and Gaming is leading the way.
 
About the Role:
 
As a Game Designer focused on Mechanics and Live Balance, you will be responsible for designing and tuning core gameplay systems that drive player flow, engagement, and long-term retention.
 
You will operate at the intersection of game design, player psychology, and data analytics - continuously optimizing difficulty curves, progression systems, and in-game economy through live data and structured experimentation.
 
 
You will have the opportunity to:
 
  • Design and balance gameplay mechanics and progression systems that reinforce player flow, engagement, and retention
  • Lead continuous post-launch tuning efforts
    Analyze player data, win rates, and retention metrics to optimize gameplay curves and in-game economy balance
  • Define and refine difficulty curves, reward structures, and Expected Value models across player segments
  • Collaborate with Live Operations to maintain healthy source/sink systems and ensure sustainable in-game economic flow
  • Work closely with data analysts to evaluate completion rates, retry rates, booster usage, and monetization correlations
  • Build and maintain structured difficulty tiers (e.g., Normal / Hard / Boss / Event)
  • Lead live tuning cycles, including hypothesis design, parameter adjustments, and performance measurement
  • Partner with UX, Art, and Engineering to ensure puzzles clearly communicate goals and deliver strong feedback loops
  • Design and run A/B tests on gameplay parameters, rewards, and difficulty configurations
  • Document tuning frameworks, economic structures, and balancing methodologies to ensure cross-team alignment
Qualifications:
  • Strong interest in game design, level design, player psychology, and data science
  • Clear understanding of how difficulty design, gameplay flow, and economic systems influence retention and monetization
  • Ability to analyze quantitative metrics (e.g., win/loss rates, ARPDAU, Expected Value, retention deltas) and translate insights into actionable design decisions
  • Experience with capacity planning for level production in casual genres, including the use of automation and AI tools
  • Comfortable iterating quickly based on live KPIs and player feedback
  • Ability to thrive in Agile development environments
  • Strong communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate design intent and logic across disciplines
Nice to Have: 
  • Experience designing within hybrid-casual genres
  • Familiarity with A/B testing frameworks and live balancing tools
  • Background in economy simulation, retention modeling, or monetization design
  • Hands-on experience with source/sink modeling and reward pacing systems
  • Experience with expected value modeling, difficulty curve design, and win-rate-based balancing
Apply now:
If you are confident, driven and are looking for an exciting role, this job could be a great opportunity for you.
Apply to [email protected] to explore this new opportunity.
 
This is an international blockchain gaming company that operates regionally, and is opening offices in multiple locations around the globe.
 
We value diversity at our company. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or any other applicable legally protected characteristics in the location in which the candidate is applying. 
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