Principal Game Designer

Email your CV and Cover Letter to careers@penguinwaddleworks.com

We are actively reviewing applications until September 20th. Email us before then! (even if LinkedIn shows it's no longer accepting applications)

Disclaimer: This is an unpaid role! None of us are drawing a salary as we are developing a prototype, and hope to win funding in the future!

You can choose to join us as a partner who volunteers to see this through to the end (and share in any profits in the long run!) and/or simply agree to a salary when we secure funding - we are flexible and transparent, and can discuss your expectations.

Role Description

You will be part of developing and defining game concepts, core mechanics, systems, and progression for our project.

Daily work includes:

• drawing up player quests and designing features for a prototype that can scale into full production;
• balancing gameplay
• writing concise documentation
• providing and receiving feedback, and iterating based on playtesting and data
• help establish workflows and tools

You will collaborate on studio strategy and contribute to hiring decisions and team culture.

This is a founding-level role with possibility of shared ownership, and it is a remote role.

Employed elsewhere? We don't expect you to quit!

We understand that you have bills to pay and need to keep the wheels turning. We are aware that we are unable to offer a salary at this stage, and so if you are already doing paid work for another entity you can continue to do so while being part of our project.

We don't expect you to do the 9-5 grind. Work on your own time, because your time is being treated as volunteering. We just want to be able to trust that you help us meet our milestones - and we think you would do that only because you believe in its potential for success!

(Just make sure your existing contract does not prohibit you from taking on any other work, even if it is unpaid volunteer work, and you respect all confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements with your current employer! We honour integrity and trust, towards ourselves as well as towards others.)

This Would Be Right For You If You Have:

• Experience designing core gameplay loops, systems, and levels for released or prototype games.
• Ability to create clear design documentation, wireframes, and flowcharts for multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong skills in playtesting, collecting feedback, and iterating based on qualitative and quantitative insights.
• Years of experience in Unreal Engine
• Understanding of implementation constraints.
• No fear of working in an early-stage startup environment that is full of ambiguity, rapid iteration, and shifting priorities.
• Collaborative communication style, with the ability to articulate design decisions and listen to diverse perspectives.
• Interest in co-owning product and business decisions as a founding partner, including long-term vision and roadmap.
• Prior experience in entrepreneurial or startups (for bonus points!)
• Experience using AI in pipelines (highly advantageous!)

Don't tick all the above points? Apply anyway!

We don't use ATS so you don't need to worry about your CV containing all the key words. Write a good cover letter telling us who you are, where you come from, what your experience is and why you want to be part of this project, and send us an email with your CV at careers@penguinwaddleworks.com

Who We Are

We are an unannounced startup, led by people who have been caught in the never-ending global wave of mass layoffs in the gaming industry. Sick of corporate greed, office politics, and companies that care more about share prices than the players, we are breaking free and developing an original narrative RPG for global audiences (Our market research supports the possibility to generate six-figure revenue!)

As an early-stage venture, there is significant creative freedom and the opportunity to shape core gameplay and player experience from the ground up. Joining now means working closely with the founders to define the studio’s vision, strategy, and roadmap.

This environment is ideal for individuals who can confidently build in ambiguity, take ownership and charge, and collaborate and communicate effectively.