Mid/senior Level Designer - (coop Puzzle Game) - Never Alone Sequel

Level Designer (Co-Op Puzzles) Job Description

E-Line was founded in 2008 with the mission of developing games that fire the imagination, catalyze curiosity, explore meaningful themes, and provide gateways to new perspectives and interests. 

Want to work for a company that is actively trying to make a difference and change the world through video games and creative storytelling? We’d love to hear from you!

About the position: 

E-Line is seeking a talented and experienced level designer focused on building cooperative puzzle based gameplay for the development of Never Alone 2. This position will work directly with the lead designer on building, prototyping, and polishing co-op levels with a focus on traversal puzzles in a 3D platform/adventure game. Our ideal candidate has shipped a title in Unreal featuring co-op gameplay preferably in the platforming genre. 

Although E-Line’s headquarters are in Phoenix, we work with game development talent around the world. This is a remote position open to candidates worldwide. However, given the team members’ locations, candidates who can overlap with the North American working hours will be given preference.

As our Level Designer, you will …

• Blockout Levels using low poly modeling and base primitives to create compelling and visually dynamic levels or play spaces, integrating puzzles seamlessly into the game environment.
• Ensure a balance between platforming elements and puzzle challenges to maintain a dynamic and immersive player experience.
• Conceptualize innovative platforming problems that align with the overall theme and mechanics of the game, encouraging collaboration and communication between players.
• Work closely with fellow designers, artists, and programmers to implement puzzles within the game world. Collaborate with the narrative team to align levels with the game's storyline and Alaska Native culture.
• Iteratively design, prototype, and playtest co-op puzzles to gather feedback and refine designs. Analyze player behavior to ensure puzzles are challenging yet solvable, promoting a sense of achievement.

We’re looking for someone who has …

• 3-10 years experience working in games and specifically at least one co-op game.

• Proven experience in designing puzzles for games, particularly in the context of cooperative gameplay and a diverse player base. Understanding of player psychology and the ability to create puzzles that are intuitive yet thought-provoking.

• Strong level blockout skills, and ability to rapidly iterate designs in Unreal.

• Experience with Unreal Blueprint to do gameplay scripting and prototype new puzzle parts.

• Excellent communication and teamwork skills. Ability to collaborate effectively with fully remote multidisciplinary team to bring cohesive and engaging levels to life.

• A genuine passion for cooperative gameplay experiences. Understanding of the dynamics of cooperative play and the ability to design puzzles that foster teamwork.

• The ability to self-manage and can communicate efficiently about task progress, dependencies and priorities.

It’s a bonus if you have …

• Experience interacting with player communities to gather feedback on puzzle designs and iterating based on player input.

• Experience with other programming languages such as C# or C++

• Experience with any gameplay systems design, such as tuning player abilities or progression systems.

• Can bring a deep knowledge of competitive co-op titles, and similar puzzle mechanics.

• Writing or narrative design experience to blend the platforming puzzles into the cultural insights.

• A love for innovative video games.

Top Reasons to Work with Us

• Being part of an enthusiastic, diverse team who wants to make games with a positive impact.

• Co-create an authentic game experience in collaboration with our Alaska Native partners.

• A positive, healthy remote work environment with flexible hours. We promote a culture free from crunch.

• We provide competitive salaries with full medical benefits and matching 401k, as well as paid paternity/maternity leave, vacation, holidays, and sick/wellness days.

About E-Line Media: 

We’re E-Line Media, a video game developer and publisher passionate about harnessing the power of games to help players understand and shape the world.

E-Line was founded in 2008 with the mission of developing games that fire the imagination, catalyze curiosity, explore meaningful themes, and provide gateways to new perspectives and interests. The Company is a mission-driven, for-profit enterprise whose investors seek market-level financial returns and positive social impact. The company’s titles include the BAFTA award-winning Never Alone, Beyond Blue, Gamestar Mechanic, and The Endless Mission. We use what we call an “inclusive development process” to make games with the communities and cultures we explore. We’re hand-in-hand from the start of the process through to the end to bring as much authenticity to the medium as possible. 

About the project:

The first game, Never Alone, was developed by E-Line Media and the Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CITC), a pioneering Alaska Native organization, with the goal of sharing, celebrating, and extending Alaska Native culture with a global audience. The game explores a story passed down for thousands of years, is in the Inupiat language, and features 26 mini-documentary 'cultural insights' that get unlocked through gameplay. 

Never Alone has touched a nerve globally. It has been downloaded over 10 million times, featured in over 1000 articles, and won many awards, including a BAFTA and a PEABODY. The game is featured in museums around the world, including the Smithsonian and MoMa. CITC has converted their revenue in the game into equity in E-Line, and they're E-Line's largest shareholder, and their Chairman is the CEO of the Tribal Council. 

We believe players are more than ready for their next adventure with Nuna and Fox, and we are excited to work on the sequel. The second game, Never Alone 2, will build on what players liked about Never Alone 1 (authentic culture, beautiful, evocative world, co-op gameplay with Nuna and Fox, spirit helpers, unlockable ‘insights’), now enabling them to go much deeper in terms of innovative gameplay and cultural exploration. NA2 will take players on a moving, spiritual journey through fun gameplay, developed inclusively with the Alaska Native community.

Websites

• Never Alone website: http://neveralonegame.com

• Short New Yorker film about the 'inclusive development' process for Never Alone: https://www.newyorker.com/video/watch/the-new-yorker-presents-never-alone

• Powerful review of Never Alone 1 by a Native American game critic: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-11-20-never-alone

E-Line Media values diverse perspectives and voices on our teams. We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.