Senior Gameplay Programmer
Job Description
Kinesthetic Games is looking for experienced Gameplay Programmers to join our gameplay team, which focuses on implementing the player facing features in our games. As a Senior Gameplay Programmer you’ll be working alongside the Desgin team to design and implement, exciting game features across a wide range of specialist areas like game mechanics, AI, input, UI . Senior Game Programmers should be excellent rapid prototypers who are capable of quickly taking a design spec and fleshing it out into a usable game system for further iteration. Senior Game Programmers are expected to understand game design well enough to make adjustments and iterations “in stream” with their prototyping. As such, an understanding and interest in what it takes to make juicy gameplay that players are going to love is critical. You must be able to quickly familiarise yourself with existing codebases and have a knack for writing elegant, high performing extensible code that works well within a collaborative environment . Familiarity with industry standard engines like Unity and Unreal is a big bonus.
Desired Skills & Experience
The ideal applicant will have at least 3 years’ experience working in the games industry and will be fluent in languages like C/C++ and C#, preferably with cross platform experience. A strong academic background is also preferred with a 1st class or 2:1 degree in Computer Science, Maths, Physics or other science-related subject, but not essential if you have appropriate experience. Past experience with industry standard engines (Unreal/Unity) is a big bonus as is demonstrable experience in various generalist gameplay areas (AI, UI, Controls, Mechanics) in a shipped game.
Responsibilities
- Work in cooperation with other Game Programmers, technology programmers, artists, animators and level designers to design, implement, polish, debug and optimize high quality gameplay features and systems
- Work closely with Design to Quickly prototype gameplay experiences
- Take ownership (in collaboration with the team) to ensure that features and systems implemented are presented at quality within the game experience
- With the Lead Game Programmer, determine tasks to implement features and systems, and accurately determine associated timelines
- Meet project deadlines and milestones as determined by Production
- Implement features taking care to write efficient code and with an eye to a quality end-user experience
- Write clean, professional, and maintainable code
- Accurately schedule tasks and complete them on time, with an understanding of and appreciation for milestones, schedules, deadlines and efficient development processes
- Proactively problem-solve performance and stability issues when necessary
- Troubleshoot complex problems as they arise and construct solutions to unforeseen design problems in a timely manner
- Create/meet project deadlines & milestones as determined by Game Programming Manager
Skills
- 3+ years of relevant programming experience with at least 1 shipped game on any platform
- Proficient in C/C++/C# and object-oriented programming
- Strong debugging skills with ability to work in a large existing codebase, learn new systems/concepts and implement them quickly and efficiently
- Game knowledge and passion and an understanding of the design principles behind games
- Expertise and passion in one or more of the following areas:AI, User Interfaces, General Game-play
- Familiar with Agile Development techniques and Involvement in at least one full development cycle from conception and brainstorming through pre-production, planning, production, and finalizing the product
- Game programming discipline mastery, able to produce high quality and high volume work
- Proven coding skills, self-directed, capable of working on projects independently
- Ability to work well in a fluid, changing environment as creative challenges evolve
- Strong work ethic, self-motivated, demonstrates initiative, and a powerful creative drive
- Excellent initiative, self-motivation, organisational and problem solving skills, with the ability to both drive and follow direction
- Good communication skills, able to work well under pressure
- A strong grasp of signs and feedback in player-facing systems (aka juiciness)
- Good communication and team attitude working with game developers from all disciplines
- A genuine interest in playing games. A love for games with deep engaging combat as well as a passion for martial arts is a big bonus.
- Previous experience with Unreal Engine/Unity Engine is a bonus
Company Information
Kinesthetic Games is a young start up where experience, talent and skill are surpassed only by our passion for creating awesome things. We’re a small group of motivated industry vets (ex-Lionhead) looking to make our mark on the world and we want you to join us! As a start up we crave responsibility and ownership and the variety that comes from not pigeonholing ourselves in strictly defined roles and sinking our teeth into all sorts of crazy challenges! Our mission is to maintain an environment where team goals and personal expression are valued and fostered equally. We are a friendly bunch who are strong believers in excellent work/life balance and the “work hard, play hard” philosophy. We offer competitive pay and benefits like annual and project based bonuses. Kinesthetic Games is situated in one of the UK’s most vibrant games development hubs: the historic town of Guildford, Surrey. With its rural countryside and picturesque town centre, a 35 minute ride to central London and its active gamedev community due to the large number of studios operating in the area, Guildford is an ideal base for games developers looking for career opportunities in the UK
Additional Information
Type: Contract/Permanent Option
Location: On Site/Remote Option
Experience: Mid-Senior level
Functions: Engineering
Industries: Computer Games
Job ID: 6820799