Level Designer (4-Month Contract)

Collaborate with systems design, narrative, art, engineering, audio, and production to support and implement the established creative vision, raising questions or inconsistencies as they arise during development

Work within production schedules and constraints, implementing level content in a timely and iterative manner while communicating risks or dependencies to appropriate team members 

Design and build levels end-to-end, including layout, exploration, encounters, traversal, pacing, player flow, and environmental storytelling 

Create immersive gameplay spaces that encourage exploration, teamwork, navigation, and player-driven discovery while delivering memorable horror moments 

Work closely with narrative designers to integrate story beats, objectives, environmental storytelling, and scripted moments into physical spaces 

Script and implement gameplay events, encounters, environmental interactions, puzzles, and progression systems that support both solo and co-operative play 

Test, debug, and iterate on levels regularly, identifying and resolving issues related to navigation, pacing, progression, readability, player guidance, and co-operative gameplay 

Respond constructively to feedback, refining layouts, encounters, exploration, and pacing to improve tension, immersion, and overall player experience

Maintain an understanding of core gameplay systems and how they interact with level design, ensuring spaces support exploration, teamwork, replayability, and multiple approaches to player problem solving

A minimum of 5 years of experience contributing to game development, with a strong focus on level design within exploration, action, horror, or cooperative games 

Experience shipping at least one title, ideally featuring exploration, environmental storytelling, or cooperative gameplay, with an understanding of the full content lifecycle from implementation through polish 

Comfort working independently on assigned content, with the ability to manage tasks, iterate on feedback, and solve implementation problems in a dynamic production environment 

Strong collaboration and communication skills, including the ability to work closely with designers, artists, engineers, audio partners, and narrative teams to deliver cohesive gameplay spaces 

Familiarity with level editing tools, scripting, and gameplay logic, with confidence building, debugging, and maintaining gameplay spaces directly in engine

Strong understanding of player guidance, pacing, environmental storytelling, and how level design influences tension, exploration, and emotional engagement

A passion for horror games, cooperative gameplay, and exploration-driven experiences

Experience designing atmospheric environments that build tension through pacing, lighting, sound, and environmental storytelling

Appreciation for emergent gameplay and how level design encourages communication, teamwork, and player-driven problem solving

Interest in cinematic presentation, scripted sequences, and environmental storytelling that enhance immersion without reducing player agency

Care about polish, clarity, and player comprehension, and enjoy iterating on spaces to improve navigation, pacing, and emotional impact

Curiosity about how level design, AI, audio, narrative, and gameplay systems work together to create memorable horror experiences