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The position is paid, remote full-time work in a highly collaborative (though virtual!) environment. Previous multiplayer level design work is required.
October 29, 2020
4 Min Read
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Level Designer, Question
Location: Remote
Every good level tells a story - a treasured dream that a player can share with their friends. Stories like "Sooo... I forgot that fire spreads in this game? All those bombs I stacked up went off in my face, and it left me at one health. I was *shaking*." To the player, that experience was one of a kind, and 100% theirs. But their silent partner – the person who put that chemistry set in place next to a big, tempting button saying DO NOT TOUCH ... that was you.
Other times, the story of a level is that all the NPCs spawned inside the geometry and stacked up on each other endlessly, unable to reach anything and begging for the sweet release of death. That was you, too. You push the boundaries of what the game's scripting can do to make the first kind of story possible - without leaving too many of the second kind hidden in the walls.
Question is seeking a level designer for work on its current and future games. The position is paid, remote full-time work in a highly collaborative (though virtual!) environment. Previous multiplayer level design work is required.
Responsibilities
Create gameplay spaces that are both aesthetically compelling and full of interesting tactical choices.
Research and develop level and spatial concepts, from pitches and concept-sourcing to demonstrable whiteboxes and treatments.
Iterate over existing spaces with art, design, and engineering in order to hit visual, experiential, and performance targets for the game.
Help define pipeline and process for assets with artists and engineers, speaking fluently about tool and process tradeoffs.
Play the game often with the team, proactively seek/solve issues, and offer game design feedback on the holistic product.
Build gyms and other standardized testing harnesses that serve as a metric unit for gameplay.
Requirements
Must live within U.S. time zones from Pacific to Eastern time - We want office hours to overlap.
Due to logistics issues, we can only offer benefits to U.S. residents.
True Collaboration – Applicants must be able to give constructive cross-disciplinary feedback without aggressiveness, and receive feedback without defensiveness. They must be able to build on concepts not their own but advocate for features they believe in.
Communication – Applicants must be able to speak eloquently about game design and get their ideas across both conversationally and visually. We don’t care if PowerPoint, Excel, or watercolors are your muse, so long as you can bend your chosen medium to the task of getting concepts in other people’s brains.
You will eventually have to write succinct documentation with a focus on clarity.
Multiplayer Experience – Shipped at least one multiplayer game as a level designer or have equivalent relevant experience.
Engine Experience – The studio runs on Unreal 4, so obviously experience with it is a plus, but not a requirement. Equivalent experience with other popular engines (e.g. Unity) and a demonstrated penchant for learning and flexibility work just as well. We would rather work with a fast learner than someone who has memorized the correct tool of the moment.
Proactive Generalist – Not in the “do many jobs for the price of one!” sense, but rather the ability to proactively take on temporary roles in a small company (and later relinquish them) rather than let details fall through the cracks.
Preferred Attributes
Familiarity with console development on any modern system (XB1, PS4, PC).
Familiarity with bug and issue tracking software (we use JIRA currently).
Familiarity with online wikis like Confluence.
Scripting experience, visual or otherwise.
Fine/visual art experience.
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Working at Question
Our goal, as a studio, is to be able to make games with people that like each other and will grow together as a team that gets stronger with each project.
Part of this is hiring the right people that can sustain a studio in this highly competitive market, and the other part is keeping these skilled employees happy with competitive salaries and benefits within an environment that nurtures autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
We are remotely distributed across North America, with our official headquarters in the San Francisco Bay area.
Interested? Apply now.
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