Lead Game Designer

We’re an independent AA studio founded by two brothers with a dream; inspired by games like Anarchy Online, Star Wars Galaxies, Neocron and WoW, we’re pushing the bounds of the genre with polished gameplay, vibrant visuals, and a dash of creative ideas never seen before.

With a passion for immersive world building, our fast-growing team of multi-national talent is using Unreal Engine 5 to build a revolutionary MMORPG that blends traditional philosophies with trailblazing innovation.

Our studio in Weesp is easily accessible by public transport (station Weesp) and car (A1), and offers an environment where positive work culture stands central to effective collaboration.

Working in-house at Grid Games means an opportunity to directly shape the evolution of our ambitious vision.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR

An experienced Lead Game Designer who is talented, driven, organized, and a strong leader to create, own, and drive design concepts for our game. This individual will lead a team of designers and work closely with the broader development team to ensure that our game is deep, engaging, fun, and meets (or exceeds) the expectations of our target audience.

In this role you will:

• Design and refine foundational systems that support the traditional MMO experience, while bringing new innovative ideas and solutions to emerging challenges.
• Work alongside the Creative Director to lead the design direction and be responsible for writing and maintaining high-quality documentation that aligns with internal standards and ensures clarity across multiple teams.
• Inspire, mentor, and motivate the design team to achieve high quality and efficiency within constraints.
• Collaborate closely with partners in tech and art teams.
• Absorb feedback and know how to effectively apply it to the next iteration.
• Be responsible for seeing designs through from concept to implementation until release (and beyond).
• Aid in the UI/UX design of the project and help guide its overall direction.

YOUR QUALIFICATIONS

• 7+ years of professional experience in Game Design, preferably in live service games.
• Proven experience leading or mentoring other designers (lead or senior-level leadership).
• Experience working with Unreal Engine.
• Experience with visual scripting (such as Blueprints).
• Experience with simulation tools.
• Deep knowledge of MMORPGs and RPGs in general.
• Strong experience working on designs from prototype through full implementation, balancing, and live operations.
• Strong analytical skills and excellent organization skills.
• An eye for detail and the ability to maintain a clear big-picture vision.

EXTRA POINTS

• Experience working on MMORPGs.
• Experience working on ARPGs.
• Experience in leadership and/or mentorship roles.
• A background in Systems and Economy Design.
• Experience working on projects that require delicate balancing of deep systems.
• Experience working on live service projects with ongoing balance needs.

Regardless of your qualifications, these are a few things we're always looking for:

• Passion. You love working on video games and are always looking to learn more.
• A sense of humility and an ability to thrive in a team environment. You ask for help when you need it and you want to help your teammates when they need it.
• A knack for time management. You know when to go deeper on a task, and you know when it's time to push through, finish a task and move onto the next thing. Quality is important, but time is finite.
• A drive to execute. Projects you've worked on in the past (professional or hobbyist) were completed, and got completed properly.

WHAT WE OFFER

Salary offered is based on numerous factors such as education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills and organizational needs:

• Initial contract duration of 1 year (32-40 hours per week)
• Yearly full-time gross salary of €65K - €76K (including 8% holiday bonus)
• Annuity/pension (10% of base gross salary, paid monthly)
• Working from home 1 day per week
• 25 vacation days per year + additional based on tenure
• Travel cost compensation (public transportation/car/bicycle journey, paid monthly)
• Annual budget for your professional development

PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENTS

You must provide a portfolio (or equivalent) that showcases your capabilities as a game designer.