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Senior Video Game Designer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Lightspeed Studios

Senior Mission Designer

Irvine, CA · On-site

$93.10 - $216.70/hr

As a Senior Mission Designer, you will be responsible for designing and creating missions, quests ... A strong passion for video games and knowledge of the gaming industry. * Proven experience in ...

Hasbro

Sr Game Designer - D&D

Renton, WA · On-site

$112K - $168K/yr

We are seeking a Senior Game Designer to work with our design team to conceptualize and build Dungeons & Dragons products. In this role, you'll help craft the future of D&D by designing and writing ...

Syracuse University

Senior Video Producer

Syracuse, NY · On-site

$72K - $80K/yr

Job Type Full-time Unionized Position Code Not Applicable The Senior Video Producer collaborates with faculty, instructional designers, and production teams to create premium, engaging educational ...

Varsity Tutors

Video Game Design Tutor

Des Plaines, IL · Remote

$18 - $40/hr

What We Look For In a Video Game Design Tutor * Advanced Subject Mastery: Deep knowledge of game ... Guides students through designing game mechanics documents, building levels in game engines ...

Varsity Tutors

Video Game Design Tutor

Alexandria, VA · Remote

$18 - $40/hr

What We Look For In a Video Game Design Tutor * Advanced Subject Mastery: Deep knowledge of game ... Guides students through designing game mechanics documents, building levels in game engines ...

Varsity Tutors

Video Game Design Tutor

Stillwater, OK · Remote

$18 - $40/hr

What We Look For In a Video Game Design Tutor * Advanced Subject Mastery: Deep knowledge of game ... Guides students through designing game mechanics documents, building levels in game engines ...

Varsity Tutors

Video Game Design Tutor

Provo, UT · Remote

$18 - $40/hr

What We Look For In a Video Game Design Tutor * Advanced Subject Mastery: Deep knowledge of game ... Guides students through designing game mechanics documents, building levels in game engines ...

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Senior Video Game Designer information

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$79.5K

$130.8K

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How much do senior video game designer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 23, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior video game designer in the United States is $130,762.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $107,000.00 and $150,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a senior video game designer do?

A Senior Video Game Designer is responsible for leading the creative and design aspects of video game development. They work closely with other designers, programmers, artists, and producers to conceptualize gameplay mechanics, develop storylines, and ensure the overall vision of the game is realized. Senior designers often mentor junior team members, oversee the design process, and help solve complex design challenges. Their experience allows them to make critical decisions that shape the user experience and contribute to the game's success.

What skills and qualifications are needed to thrive as a senior video game designer?

To thrive as a Senior Video Game Designer, you need advanced game design experience, a strong understanding of gameplay mechanics, and a portfolio demonstrating successful shipped titles, often supported by a degree in game design or a related field. Familiarity with industry-standard tools like Unity, Unreal Engine, scripting languages, and project management systems is essential. Creative problem-solving, leadership, and effective communication are crucial soft skills for collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and guiding junior designers. These skills ensure the creation of engaging game experiences, efficient development processes, and the ability to lead projects from concept to completion.

How does a senior video game designer typically collaborate with other departments during the development process?

As a Senior Video Game Designer, you’ll frequently work cross-functionally with artists, programmers, audio engineers, and producers to bring game concepts to life. You'll translate high-level ideas into actionable tasks, provide detailed design documentation, and participate in regular meetings to ensure alignment across departments. Effective communication and the ability to incorporate feedback from various teams are essential, as you’ll often need to balance creative vision with technical and production constraints.

What cities are hiring for Senior Video Game Designer jobs?

Cities with the most Senior Video Game Designer job openings:

What are the most commonly searched types of Video Game Designer jobs?

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Senior Video Game Designer jobs near you

Senior Game Designer (Combat)

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE)

Santa Monica, CA • On-site

$145K - $181K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 24 days ago

Job description

Ability to work onsite from our Santa Monica, CA based studio is required.

For nearly 40 years, Naughty Dog has been crafting best-selling, critically acclaimed games that constantly push the boundaries of narrative, gameplay, and technology. Naughty Dog recently released The Last of Us Part II Remastered as well as a current generation remake of The Last of Us Part I for the PS5. We're also proud to say that The Last of Us Part I is now available for the first time on PC.

Naughty Dog games have long been lauded for their evocative, character-driven stories and attention to detail. We are committed to innovation within our games and as such have curated some of the top creative and technically innovative minds in the industry. We welcome diverse candidates and believe that a broad range of cultural and life experiences contribute to the overall well-being and success of the studio and the titles we craft together.

What you will do:

  • Pitch, design, implement, and own enemy NPC archetypes
  • Work with AI programmers to develop foundational NPC technology and implementing and tuning enemy AI behaviors
  • Work with animators to develop enemy locomotion and traversal, melee moves, ambient behaviors, and other custom abilities. Make every enemy archetype feel unique and memorable
  • Collaborate with the Design team to conceptualize, prototype, implement, tune, and balance gameplay mechanics and systems
  • Communicate with animation, programming, and art departments to effectively produce the assets and code support required for the enemies you're owning
  • Write and maintain documentation that establishes the core vision of the enemy archetypes
  • Drive communication and collaboration for enemies you design and the levels they are in, ensuring communication across disciplines and meeting deadlines
  • Effective and respectful communicator and collaborator, both with other designers and members of other departments
  • Facilitate playtesting and feedback sessions to iterate on combat systems and fine-tune them based on player experiences
  • Mentor junior designers and contribute to the overall growth of the design team

What skills you will use:

  • 5+ years of industry experience in combat design and/or technical design for games, specifically focused on developing action-adventure or shooter games
  • At least one shipped title as a combat designer or similar role. Experience with behavior trees or similar NPC AI concepts preferred
  • Strong coding ability: Computer Science degree preferred though not required
  • Proficient in using game engines and tools (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity) for combat implementation and design scripting (C#, Lua, Visual Scripting)
  • Welcomes feedback on their work and embraces the "let's try it" mentality
  • Proficient and effective communication skills, including diagramming and sketching
  • Fluent in modern character action-adventure and shooter combat games. Maintains knowledge of the broader gaming landscape trends
  • Knowledge of narrative structure and how it intersects with gameplay and combat
  • A keen eye for detail in character action games, able to tune gameplay systems to make them feel smooth and impactful
  • Strong leadership and mentoring skills
The estimated USA base pay range for this zone (Los Angeles area) is listed below. This role may be eligible for additional compensation packages that includes annual bonus and other incentive plans.
$145,100-$181,400 USD

Please note, Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees (which may include criminal background checks for some roles) and will need to process personal information to support these checks.

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