Senior Game Designer

Stardock is currently seeking a talented Senior Game Designer to join our team and play an important role in shaping and executing the vision for our upcoming unannounced game title. The ideal candidate has a deep passion for strategy and simulation games and is comfortable with all levels of ownership: from personally designing features to providing high-level feedback and mentorship to other members of the Design team. This is a salaried, full-time position at our Plymouth, Michigan office, with relocation assistance available.  

Primary Responsibilities Include: 

• Create and translate high-level product goals into engaging and innovative game mechanics and player stories in collaboration with the Production, Art, Engineering, and Design teams. 
• Collaborate closely with other Senior Game Designers and the Creative Director to ensure cohesive and innovative game design across all project elements. 
• Brainstorm, develop ideas, create worlds, and contribute to the design of a new AAA strategy/simulation game. 
• Author, maintain, and interpret comprehensive Game Design Documents. 
• Script complex events, AI behaviors, and intricate game mechanics utilizing in-house tools and editors and Unreal Engine. 
• Oversee and maintain gameplay balance, swiftly addressing and resolving gameplay bugs. 
• Leverage generative AI tools to enhance productivity and streamline design workflows, ensuring efficient development processes. 
• Mentor and guide Associate Designers, fostering their growth and development. 
• Advocate for the Design team, ensuring their needs and ideas are effectively communicated. 
• Engage with our player base, evaluating and incorporating valuable feedback and suggestions. 
• Stay abreast of trends and innovations in PC strategy games, integrating best practices into our designs. 

Education and/or Experience Desired: 

• Bachelor's Degree in Game Design, Computer Science or relevant field or equivalent experience. 
• Proven experience with at least one shipped AAA game title. 
• Proven experience with at least one shipped strategy or simulation game. 
• Passion for PC strategy and simulation games and an understanding of their mechanics. 

• Broad familiarity and interest in history, anthropology, science fiction. 
• Excellent creative writing and communication skills, both written and verbal. 
• Demonstrated ability to champion design ideas and inspire enthusiasm in others. 
• Experience managing multiple tasks simultaneously. 
• Ability to quickly learn and adapt to new, often proprietary technology and tools. 
• Sense of ownership and responsibility in project work. 
• Experience with LUA or similar scripting languages. 
• Experience reading, implementing, and maintaining data with XML or similar. 
• Established understanding of existing Stardock franchises preferred (i.e. Sins of a Solar Empire, Galactic Civilizations, etc.). 

Bonuses: 

• Experience working on a game created in Unreal Engine.  
• Experience with/creating Unreal Engine Blueprints.