Technical Game Designer Lead

At TwinCats, we believe in building powerful, original games through transparency, collaboration, creativity, and diversity. Our goal isn’t just to make horror games—we aim to create deep, emotionally resonant experiences driven by strong narratives and meaningful player agency. We want to craft games that stay with players long after the credits roll—thought-provoking, atmospheric, and memorable.

We’re currently working on Project Adam, a survival horror RPG inspired by Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and Dead Space. Set on a shattered version of the paradise archipelago of Ilhabela, the game combines stealth, exploration, combat, crafting, and faction dynamics in a gritty, system-rich world.

We’re looking for a Technical Game Designer Lead to help shape gameplay systems and support our design and implementation efforts across mechanics, AI, UI, audio, and events.

🔧 What You’ll Do

• Lead the design and technical implementation of core gameplay features using Blueprints (base C++ knowledge helpful, but not required).
• Own features end-to-end: from concept and documentation to implementation and polish.
• Help architect scalable systems and support cross-disciplinary integration (AI, UI, audio triggers, interactive events).
• Guide junior and mid-level designers through mentorship, code/blueprint reviews, and collaborative problem-solving.
• Champion clean design principles, modular thinking, and player-focused experiences.
• Help shape the gameplay identity of Project Adam from its foundations: your influence will be felt in every system.

🎯 What You’ll Bring

• Proven experience designing and implementing gameplay systems in Unreal Engine (Blueprints required; C++ a plus).
• A systems-thinking mindset: you can break down complex mechanics and build them back up in scalable, modular ways.
• A player-first design philosophy that balances creativity with usability and clarity.
• Experience working across disciplines—especially with animators, artists, writers, and audio teams.
• Comfort with iteration: You understand that prototypes are stepping stones, not final answers.
• Leadership and mentorship skills—you uplift teammates through collaboration, clear communication, and a growth mindset.
• Bonus: familiarity with horror game pacing, tension design, or narrative systems.

🕓 What You Can Expect

• Flexible time commitment: 10–40 hours/week, depending on your availability.
• This is a banked-hours role during our pre-funding phase, meaning all hours are tracked and compensated once funding is secured (which is part of our roadmap).
• You'll work alongside a small, driven, and passionate indie team that is fully remote and async-friendly.

📍 Where We Are in Development

• We’ve already completed two internal playtests to validate core gameplay features, player interaction models, and the overall game feel. These sessions helped us refine the moment-to-moment experience and identify what’s working—and what’s not.
• On the narrative side, our structure is well defined, and the writing team has mapped out the major beats and character arcs that drive the story forward.
• Level Design is actively working on the FTUE (First Time User Experience) level, with early pathing and greyboxing already delivered. This means that any features you help design and implement will immediately connect to a playable experience that’s actively evolving.

🌟 Why TwinCats?

We know unpaid roles can raise eyebrows—and rightly so. That’s why we’re fully transparent: this isn’t free labor. It’s about building together, respecting time, tracking contributions, and ensuring those contributions are valued and compensated once we secure funding. We’re creating space for passionate developers who want to help shape a special project from the ground up—without crunch, burnout, or exploitation.

If you're a senior designer who loves systems thinking, elegant implementation, and mentoring others, we’d love to hear from you.

🧡 TwinCats is an equal opportunity team. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. What matters to us is your passion, your skills, and your drive to help build something meaningful together.