Gameplay Programmer

Ahoy, fellow miners! 👋

We’re on the hunt for a Gameplay Programmer to join our team!

Who We Are

Based in the heart of Copenhagen, Ghost Ship Games is a passionate, close-knit studio of 60 developers. Guided by our “Co-op First” philosophy, we are the proud creators of Deep Rock Galactic and our recently released second original title, Deep Rock Galactic: Rogue Core.

Our Approach

At GSG, we embrace a unique approach to game creation, moving away from traditional pipelines. We prioritize speed, flexibility, and prototyping to enhance gameplay, believing that the best ideas emerge through rapid iteration. Collaboration lies at the heart of everything we do, both within our team and with our community.

What This Means for You

You’ll work in a pragmatic, fast-paced, and iterative environment that values collaboration across different teams and crafts. We’re not looking for perfection in our work; instead, we value experimentation, clear communication, openness to feedback, and a willingness to explore new ideas.

Who You Are and What You Will Be Doing

We are looking for a Gameplay Programmer with at least five years of professional experience in gameplay programming or a similar role.

Around 70–80% of your time will be spent on hands-on gameplay development, working on player-facing features such as controls, abilities, combat systems, AI behaviors, and other core gameplay mechanics. For this role, we are looking for someone who is interested in taking ownership of gameplay mechanics by maintaining and improving existing systems, as well as building new ones, rather than focusing on engine, tools, or infrastructure development.

This role is part of a highly collaborative team where most discussions and decisions happen through day-to-day conversations rather than formal meetings. It's important to be comfortable communicating and working closely with game designers, artists, and other disciplines, while also understanding the vision for the game and their perspectives.

In this role, you can expect to regularly discuss ideas, prototype features, implement new gameplay solutions, iterate on feedback, and polish the player experience together as a team.

It is highly valuable if you have previously worked across different stages of game development, from early prototyping to production-ready systems. Ideally, you’ve contributed to shipping at least one PC or console game.

At GSG, we value people who see games not just as a set of tasks or individual craft responsibilities, but as a complete experience shaped by their own contributions as well as those of the team.

We believe that it’s important to see the game as a cohesive whole and to think beyond completing only craft-related responsibilities. We appreciate developers who care about the player experience, contribute ideas, and enjoy building games that we would want to play ourselves, together with the rest of the team.

Skills & Software

• C++ Experience.
• Professional Experience working on several gameplay features on a 1st- or 3rd-person game as part of a team is essential.
• Ability to write maintainable code, keep systems stable, and ensure smooth game performance.
• Experience working with a commercial grade game engine.

A plus but not mandatory

• Experience implementing networked gameplay features.
• Unreal Engine Experience.
• Understanding of game design, with the ability to see how technical features fit into the overall design and impact the game.

Personality-wise

You are organized, performance-conscious, and comfortable iterating and adapting your approach. You take ownership of your code and consider how changes affect the game as a whole. You are passionate about making games, not just completing tasks, and enjoy collaborating and sharing ideas.

As a gameplay programmer at GSG, you will work in a highly collaborative environment, so strong communication skills and the ability to align technical work with other game needs are important.

You are comfortable in a highly iterative environment with heavy prototyping and can adapt to change easily, understanding that not everything you work on will make it into the final game.

Your Day-to-Day Responsibilities Will Include (but are not limited to)

• Work on core gameplay systems such as weapons, objectives, progression, character, and enemies, depending on project needs.
• Implement and maintain networked gameplay features and systems.
• You can expect to fully own some gameplay mechanics, based on your skill set and interests.
• Take responsibility for your work - if something breaks, you follow up and fix it.
• Debug and fix existing code.
• Regularly play the game with the team to ensure alignment on development direction and maintain a shared vision.

What We Offer

• Flexible hours with the option to work remotely for two days each month and every Friday.
• Competitive salary with an annual bonus.
• Strong pension plan.
• Health and dental insurance.
• Paid parental leave.
• Five Weeks of vacation plus five extra days.
• Child sick leave.
• Spacious office in Gothersgade with lunch and plenty of social shenanigans.

Practical Information

🚨 Please note: This is a full-time, on-site position. To be considered, you must live in Copenhagen or within commuting distance.

🚨The application deadline is August 9.

Application

Let’s keep it brief! No cover letter is needed - just focus on your portfolio, application responses, and CV. 😊

Review & Interviews

Your application will be reviewed by the P&C and Lead Programmer, followed by 2 interview rounds and a small case in between. The first round is a 30-minute chat with the Lead Programmer, and Lead Game Designer to assess your skills and alignment with our workflow. The second round, lasting about an hour, includes P&C, Lead Programmer and Game Director, giving us a chance to get to know each other more deeply.

We welcome everyone to apply! Your unique background strengthens our crew.

Ready to embark on your next expedition?

Grab your ⛏️ and join us!