Game Designer (2D Action / Adventure)
9 days ago
Croydon
This is an appointment for our UK dev team. About Bitmap Bureau Founded in 2016 by industry veterans Matt Cope and Mike Tucker, Bitmap Bureau is a game development studio based in Southampton. Bitmap Bureau are truly passionate about retro games and are dedicated to creating new titles that hark back to gaming’s golden era through 2D graphics, authentic packaging and a traditional hands-on approach to coding and development. Notable releases include Xeno Crisis, Final Vendetta, and Terminator 2D: NO FATE, with He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Dragon Pearl of Destruction coming soon! We are looking for a Game Designer to work with our team on a new 2D action/adventure title. The Role This is a hands-on gameplay design position focused on combat, boss encounters, progression systems, puzzles, level design and structure, and difficulty balancing. You will work closely with the Production team and Gameplay Programmer to evolve, create and refine the game’s core system and mechanics. This is a full-time, office-based role in Southampton. Responsibilities Combat & Boss Design • Design and iterate on enemy behaviours and combat encounters, • Create varied and distinct, multi-phase boss fights, • Balance player abilities against evolving enemy challenge, • Design 2D levels with pacing, purpose and readable navigation, • Integrate narrative beats into level design and structure, • Balance the character progression and upgrade systems, • Internalise and respond constructively to stakeholder and playtest feedback, • Translate feedback into gameplay improvements, • Iterate on combat, level flow, and systems based on review cycles, • Work closely with 2D artists and animators to ensure gameplay requirements are clearly defined, • Align enemy behaviours, attack timings, and boss mechanics with animation constraints, • Ensure strong visual telegraphing and mechanical readability, • Refer to genre benchmarks in 2D action-adventure games, • Reference comparable titles when proposing gameplay features or changes, • Maintain and evolve relevant sections of the GDD, • Clearly communicate design intent to programmers and artists, • 2–5+ years experience in gameplay design, • Clear and structured documentation skills, • Experience working on a 2D action or adventure gam, • Understanding of combat systems (melee and gunplay) and boss design, • Experience balancing difficulty and player progression, • Programming skill and familiarity with source control systems, ideally C#, Haxe, git, • Experience working on a licensed IP, • Experience with Unity Pay: £30,000.00-£40,000.00 per year Benefits: • Life insurance, • Gameplay Design: 2 years (required), • Southampton SO18 1NP (preferred)Work Location: In person