Level Designer (Senior+)

At Velan Studios, we foster a culture of curiosity. Our games embrace diversity and are fueled by the adventurous spirit of our team. We are the creative minds behind titles like Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, Knockout City, Hot Wheels Rift Rally, Midnight Murder Club as well as the VR game Bounce Arcade, and our journey continues! Our studio's mission is to pioneer groundbreaking gaming experiences and reimagine play in new ways. We're committed to pushing the boundaries of traditional gaming, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy, and revolutionizing the industry one game at a time. 

Are you a level designer with experience creating procedural environments? Have you worked with terrain tools to create organic exteriors or random dungeon generators to make sprawling dynamic layouts? If creating randomized levels for a new ARPG based on a premiere fantasy IP sounds like your dream job, we’d like to talk to you! 

Velan Studios is entering pre-production on this forthcoming title and we are looking for a seasoned Level Designer who can drive critical early-stage design decisions and then lead the implementation of compelling level designs throughout the project. 

Responsibilities

• Own the design of the procedural dungeon system in collaboration with gameplay and tools engineers
• Collaborate with environment artists to create modular room pieces, corridors and static layouts that will come together dynamically to create replayable environments
• Define and maintain procedural parameters for length, complexity, spawn-composition, etc. for gameplay environments in the game to achieve engaging challenge and pacing
• Help define and implement unique gameplay mechanics that fit different biomes
• Create and maintain simple scripts for doors, traps and spawn entrances.
• Work closely with the Game Director and other Lead Designers to shape and implement compelling level and mission content.

Requirements

• 5+ years of design experience
• At least one shipped title as a level designer
• Experience with procedural level generation
• A knack for visual storytelling
• Familiarity with tool-use and basic scripting in any major game-engine such as Unity, Unreal or equivalent

Big Plusses 

• Experience in isometric ARPG level design
• Experience creating dynamic exteriors in survival or exploration-based games
• Experience seamlessly blending hand-made and procedural scenes
• Familiarity with any major 3-d art creation tool such as 3d Studio Max, Maya or Blender
• Experience in a lead or sub-lead role on a mid- or large-size development project.

This is a hybrid or onsite position. Hybrid is 3 days a week in studio. Our studio is located in Troy, NY.

The salary for this position is typically within the range specified below per year. Please note that the actual base pay may vary based on factors such as your qualifications, skills, experience, and other relevant considerations. 

Salary Range:
Senior $80,000.-$120,000. USD
Specialist $100,000.-$150,000. USD

Velan Studios is dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you are excited about a role, but your experience doesn’t align perfectly, we encourage you to submit a General Application. Velan Studios is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion, diversity, and providing a workplace free from discrimination and harassment. We seek to create a work culture that matches the diversity of our players.