Archetype Entertainment is a new game studio in Austin, Texas led by industry veterans from BioWare and other AAA studios. Archetype is a division of Wizards of the Coast (Hasbro). We are building a development team with world-class talent to create a new science fiction universe for our first multiplatform roleplaying video game.
Our goal is to create the greatest story-driven roleplaying games in the world.
At Archetype, we believe there will always be a place for story-driven roleplaying games that put the player at the center of an epic personal narrative with impactful choices. We are building games that represent the diversity of our audience. We also believe that game studios should empower top developers and challenge them with ambitious projects that are shaped by a strong, clearly communicated creative vision.
We chose Austin because it is a great place to live and work. Austin is the capital of Texas and is a fast-growing city with a vibrant music scene, cosmopolitan culture, a world-class university (the University of Texas at Austin -- “Hook ‘em Horns!”), and scenic rolling hills. It was recently voted the #1 place to live in America for the third year in a row — based on affordability, job prospects, and quality of life.
Archetype Entertainment seeks a passionate, experienced, and team-oriented Lead Level Designer to help us build an amazing game-of-the-year caliber RPG. In this role, you will be responsible for overseeing all of the game’s environments and content within, driving them from concept all the way to ship.
The ideal candidate will have proven experience leading teams and building awesome levels in other AAA titles that showcase immersive environments, compelling storytelling, and exciting encounters, and be excited about the opportunity to work on a new IP from the get-go.
What You'll Do
- Own and drive all of the games environments/levels from concept all the way to ship
- Help setup and script gameplay content in levels including events, encounters, and interactions
- Collaborate with other disciplines and departments, ensuring relevant stakeholders are involved and informed throughout development
- Act as strong quality advocate for team, creating content that is game-of-the-year caliber and helping others on the team achieve the same high quality
- Manage a small team of level/world designers, empowering and inspiring them to do great work
- Ensure all levels flow well and are well paced through proper mix of storytelling, exploration, and encounter design
- Work with gameplay team to establish and own world building metrics and ensure environments are built within these guidelines
- Create and maintain documentation for all owned environments
- Help evangelize the game’s vision to the rest of the team at large
- Regularly play the game, providing constructive feedback and suggestions to other members of the team
- Remain up to date on industry trends and competitor games
This job description outlines primary duties and requirements and is not intended to identify all tasks that may be performed; individuals occupying the position may be required to perform other duties. The company may modify job duties from time to time, either in practice or in writing.
What You Bring
- 5+ years of experience as a Lead Level Designer / Lead World Builder with at least 2 shipped AAA titles
- Deep understanding of how to design and build environments that support combat, traversal, and narrative
- Experience working in Unreal, other modern game engine, or Maya
- Experience scripting events, encounters, and interactions
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
- Self-sufficient and self-motivated, able to push features forward but also know when to ask for guidance or help
- Extra Credit:
- Experience with gameplay mechanics, progression, or AI
- Experience working on new IP from the start
We are an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer
The above is intended to describe the general content of and the requirements for satisfactory performance in this position. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of the duties, responsibilities, or requirements of the position.
