About the role
Role Overview
- Position: Lead Game Designer
- Company: Hugecalf Studios
- Location: Remote (UK)
- Employment Type: Full-time contract
- Salary: £35-60k GBP
- Project Status: Active development for nearly two years; backed by a world-class strategy publisher and the UK Games Fund.
- Game Theme: Dwarven-themed colony sim (strategy, survival, base-building).
Responsibilities
- Lead all design aspects in collaboration with the Project Lead and team.
- Initially work closely with the Project Lead, transitioning toward greater autonomy.
- Own design decisions, communicate them clearly, and manage problem resolution.
- Design and iterate on features and systems.
- Use Unity to test and balance features and systems.
- Communicate designs to programmers, artists, and the Project Lead.
- Organise internal and external playtests; gather and process feedback.
Mandatory Requirements
- Experience: Deep understanding of colony sim games (e.g., RimWorld, Dwarf Fortress, Oxygen Not Included, Against the Storm, Frostpunk).
- Design Skills: Ability to balance complex, interconnecting game systems.
- Leadership: Experience or comfort leading a team of 5-10 people.
- Technical Skills: Fluency in Unity, or demonstrable ability to learn it quickly.
- Industry Knowledge: Interest in popular/fantasy/gaming culture and understanding of market trends.
- Career Goals: Desire and potential to move into Game Director/Project Lead roles on future projects.
- Portfolio: Must have shipped a product previously (either solo or as part of a team).
- Soft Skills: High standards for work quality; direct communication style; proactive in raising and resolving problems.
- Language: Fluent in written and spoken English (required for remote communication).
Nice to Haves
- Comfort handling day-to-day production activities.
Team & Working Environment
- Company Profile: Small, fully remote team operating across the UK and Europe.
- Track Record: 3 games released to date, with 2 in the pipeline.
- Work Culture:
- Daily standup catchup calls.
- Weekly social playtests of external games.
- Monthly external playtests of internal games.
- Yearly social meetup.
- Cameras are required to be on during calls.
- Normal UK working hours.
- Benefits: Generous holiday allowance.
Contract Details
- Start Date: ASAP.
- Structure:
- Initial 3-month full-time contract (serves as a probation period).
- Upon successful completion: Full-time fixed-term contract scoped to the project duration.
- Long-term goal: Intention to transition to PAYE employment if eligibility and mutual agreement are met.
Application Process
- Process: Continuous hiring process (no closing date).
- Requirements: Basic details and experience, followed by an in-depth section.
- Optional Submission: Screen recordings of design-related areas are encouraged; applications including these will be prioritized.
- Response Policy: The company is committed to responding to every application. Applications failing to meet basic requirements will be closed immediately.