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Weekend Game Developer Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

Lnw

Senior Advanced Software Engineer

Chicago, IL · Hybrid

$150K - $172K/yr

Gaming: Welcome to the world of land-based gaming. At Light & Wonder, it's all about the games, and ... Job Summary As a Senior Advanced Software Engineer at Light & Wonder, you will be a key contributor ...

Lnw

Senior Advanced Software Engineer - Rendering

Chicago, IL · Hybrid

$150K - $172K/yr

Gaming: Welcome to the world of land-based gaming. At Light & Wonder, it's all about the games, and ... Job Summary As a Senior Advanced Software Engineer at Light & Wonder, you will be a key contributor ...

New

Geneva Trading

Front-End Platform Developer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$120K - $180K/yr

Role Overview The Front-End Platform Developer designs, builds, and maintains internal trading ... Experience in trading, financial services, game development, or other high-reliability, time ...

Valparaiso University

Pep Band Director

Valparaiso, IN · On-site

... success programming, club sports administration, athletic facility operations, and/or game/event ... Ability to work extended days, weekends and holidays. Limited travel required. Additional Strategic ...

Sath

Software Developer

Schaumburg, IL · On-site

... Developers in our Client Services team in Schaumburg, IL. This role will work with team members ... Job Requirements: * On-call evenings and weekends twice a month. * Bachelor's degree in Computer ...

Bally's Corporation

Feature Editor

Chicago, IL

... games, original programming, and daily live studio programming. STADIUM hosts a 24/7 linear feed ... Must be willing to work weekends, nights and some holidays (schedule built around live sports ...

Simplex Trading

Infrastructure Engineer

Chicago, IL · On-site

$125K - $200K/yr

Infrequent evening/weekend work to allow for change execution outside of trading hours * Other ... In-person happy hours, celebrations throughout the year, game nights, video game fun, and so much ...

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All JobsGame Developer JobsWeekend Game Developer JobsWeekend Game Developer Jobs in Chicago, IL

Weekend Game Developer information

See Chicago, IL salary details

$33.5K

$111.7K

$185.4K

How much do weekend game developer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 17, 2026, the average yearly pay for weekend game developer in Chicago, IL is $111,741.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $84,000.00 and $127,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Weekend Game Developer vs Part-Time Game Developer?

AspectWeekend Game DeveloperPart-Time Game Developer
Work SchedulePrimarily works on weekends, limited hoursWorks fewer hours during weekdays or weekends, flexible schedule
CredentialsTypically requires game development skills, portfolio, possibly certificationsSimilar credentials, often with experience or certifications in game design
Work EnvironmentOften freelance or remote, project-basedRemote or part-time employment within a company or freelance
Industry UsageCommon in indie and freelance circlesUsed across studios and freelance roles

Both roles involve game development skills and flexible schedules, but Weekend Game Developers usually focus on weekend hours for personal projects or freelance work, while Part-Time Game Developers have a more flexible schedule with fewer hours during weekdays or weekends, often working within a company or as freelancers.

What are the most commonly searched types of Game Developer jobs in Chicago, IL?

The most popular types of Game Developer jobs in Chicago, IL are:

Weekend Game Developer jobs near you

Senior Advanced Software Engineer - Rendering

Light and Wonder, Inc.

Chicago, IL • On-site

$150K - $172K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 11 days ago

Light & Wonder rating

7.2

Company rating: 7.2 out of 10

Based on 16 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

10th of 15 rated gambling companies

Job description

Gaming:
Welcome to the world of land-based gaming. At Light & Wonder, it's all about the games, and our Gaming team builds cutting-edge technology, products, and content for the most iconic casinos and operators across the globe.
Position Summary
At Light & Wonder, it's all about the games, and our Gaming team builds cutting-edge technology, products, and content for the most iconic casinos and operators across the globe.
The Mission
Build and evolve the shared technology platform that powers Light & Wonder's next generation gaming experiences across multiple platforms and hardware requirements.
Job Summary
As a Senior Advanced Software Engineer at Light & Wonder, you will be a key contributor within a collaborative, global engineering team focused on delivering robust, innovative technology solutions.
Outcomes
  • Deliver core engine systems that are stable, performant, and portable across platforms.
  • Lead technical initiatives and actively mentor junior engineers.
  • Ensure compliance with platform standards.
  • Contribute to continuous improvement of development processes.

Essential Job Functions
  • Design, build, test and maintain core engine systems including rendering pipelines, cross-platform runtime abstraction, and memory/performance systems.
  • Build the engine-level abstractions and tooling that serve as the foundation for product development.
  • Diagnose and resolve complex low-level performance and stability issues.
  • Contribute to core engine architecture decisions and long-term technical roadmap.
  • Partner cross-functionally with platform, tools, and product teams;
  • Leverage AI-assisted tools to improve development efficiency, code quality, testing effectiveness, and team productivity.
  • Stay current with industry trends and technologies.

Qualifications
Training and/or Experience
  • 8+ years of professional software development experience.
  • Bachelor's degree in computer science or related field.
  • Direct experience working on Unity, Unreal or a comparable commercial game engine.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
  • Expert in C++ and/or C#.
  • Deep understanding of rendering pipelines, graphics APIs and GPU architecture.
  • Strong grasp of low-level performance optimization and memory management.
  • Comfortable using AI-assisted coding tools (e.g., Claude Code, Codex, Copilot) as part of the daily development workflow.
  • Experience building cross-platform solutions is highly preferred.
  • Excellent problem-solving and communication skills.
  • Ability to lead and mentor team members.

Additional Information
This is a hybrid role based eligible to work in our Chicago or Las Vegas studio. Team members are expected to be in the office 4 days a week to support collaboration and studio culture.
Physical Requirement
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, bend, use hands, operate a computer, and have specific vision abilities to include close and distance vision, and ability to adjust focus working with computer and business equipment.
Work Conditions
The work conditions are representative and typical of similar jobs in comparable organizations.
Light & Wonder and its affiliates (collectively, L&W) are engaged in highly regulated gaming businesses. As a result, certain L&W employees may, among other things, be required to obtain a gaming or other license(s), undergo background investigations or security checks, or meet certain standards dictated by law, regulation or contracts.
In order to ensure L&W complies with its regulatory and contractual commitments, as a condition to hiring and continuing to employ its employees, L&W requires all of its employees to meet those requirements that are necessary to fulfill their individual roles. As a prerequisite to employment with L&W (to the extent permitted by law), you shall be asked to consent to L&W conducting a due diligence/background investigation on you.
This job description should not be interpreted as all-inclusive; it is intended to identify major responsibilities and requirements of the job. The employee in this position may be requested to perform other job-related tasks and responsibilities than those stated above.
The targeted pay range for this role is $150,000- $172,000. The total compensation package for this position may also include applicable incentive compensation, such as an annual performance bonus. Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, depth of experience, specific work geography, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.
As a member of the L&W team, you will be eligible for company sponsored benefits that include healthcare, dental, vision, paid time off, a generous 401(k) plan, tuition assistance, and much more.
Light & Wonder is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against applicants due to race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class. If you'd like more information about your equal employment opportunity rights as an applicant under the law, please click here for EEOC Poster.

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