Job VC
Middle/Senior Game Designer
Technologies
Description
About Us
We're building an EdTech platform with mechanics similar to Duolingo — think streaks, XP, levels, challenges, and bite-sized lessons that keep users coming back. We believe learning should feel like play, and we're looking for a designer who shares that vision.
About the Role
We're looking for a Middle/Senior Game Designer to architect the entire game layer of our mobile learning app from scratch. This is not about adding a progress bar to an existing product — it's about designing a complete game system where learning is the core gameplay loop.
You'll own everything from high-level economy design (XP, currency, rewards) to micro-level interaction patterns (how a single lesson feels, what happens when you fail, why users come back tomorrow). You'll also shape the narrative world — characters, tone, story beats — that gives the experience personality and emotional pull.
This is a project-based engagement with a minimum commitment of 10 hours per week.
What You'll Do
Design the core gameplay loop: how users enter a lesson, interact with content, receive feedback, and progress
Build the game economy from scratch: XP, coins/gems, streaks, lives, energy systems, reward schedules, and monetization hooks
Design the progression system: levels, skill trees, difficulty curves, unlockables, and milestones that keep users motivated long-term
Create the level design framework: lesson structure, question types, challenge variations, boss levels, and review mechanics
Develop the narrative layer: characters, their personalities, story arcs, dialogue tone, and how narrative integrates with gameplay moments (onboarding, achievements, failures, celebrations)
Define engagement and retention mechanics: push notification triggers, streak recovery, daily challenges, social features, leaderboards
Write detailed Game Design Documents (GDDs) covering systems, mechanics, balancing, and edge cases
Create flowcharts, diagrams, and spreadsheets that clearly communicate game logic to developers and designers
Collaborate with the product, design, and development teams to ensure mechanics are technically feasible and aligned with learning goals
Playtest, iterate, and balance — analyze user behavior data to tune difficulty, pacing, and reward systems
What We're Looking For
3+ years of experience in game design for mobile games, gamified apps, or interactive products
Strong portfolio or case studies demonstrating game systems you designed — economy, progression, engagement loops
Deep understanding of player psychology: motivation, flow state, variable reward schedules, loss aversion, social proof
Experience designing difficulty curves and balancing systems that serve diverse user types (casual, hardcore, inconsistent)
Ability to think in systems — you see how XP, streaks, lives, content difficulty, and narrative connect into one cohesive experience
Excellent documentation skills — you can write a GDD that an engineer can build from without 10 clarifying meetings
Familiarity with Duolingo, Memrise, Babbel, or similar gamified learning products — and an opinion on what they do well and what they don't
Available for a minimum of 10 hours per week
Nice to Have
Experience in EdTech, educational games, or serious games
Background in narrative design — writing character dialogue, building story frameworks, defining tone of voice
Understanding of behavioral science or learning theory (spaced repetition, active recall, zone of proximal development)
Experience with A/B testing and data-driven balancing of game mechanics
Familiarity with AI tools and how they can enhance game design workflows
Experience designing social/competitive features (guilds, tournaments, cooperative challenges)
Background in tabletop game design, puzzle design, or escape rooms
What We Offer
Competitive project-based compensation
Fully remote, flexible schedule
A product with real impact on how people learn
Collaborative team
We're building an EdTech platform with mechanics similar to Duolingo — think streaks, XP, levels, challenges, and bite-sized lessons that keep users coming back. We believe learning should feel like play, and we're looking for a designer who shares that vision.
About the Role
We're looking for a Middle/Senior Game Designer to architect the entire game layer of our mobile learning app from scratch. This is not about adding a progress bar to an existing product — it's about designing a complete game system where learning is the core gameplay loop.
You'll own everything from high-level economy design (XP, currency, rewards) to micro-level interaction patterns (how a single lesson feels, what happens when you fail, why users come back tomorrow). You'll also shape the narrative world — characters, tone, story beats — that gives the experience personality and emotional pull.
This is a project-based engagement with a minimum commitment of 10 hours per week.
What You'll Do
Design the core gameplay loop: how users enter a lesson, interact with content, receive feedback, and progress
Build the game economy from scratch: XP, coins/gems, streaks, lives, energy systems, reward schedules, and monetization hooks
Design the progression system: levels, skill trees, difficulty curves, unlockables, and milestones that keep users motivated long-term
Create the level design framework: lesson structure, question types, challenge variations, boss levels, and review mechanics
Develop the narrative layer: characters, their personalities, story arcs, dialogue tone, and how narrative integrates with gameplay moments (onboarding, achievements, failures, celebrations)
Define engagement and retention mechanics: push notification triggers, streak recovery, daily challenges, social features, leaderboards
Write detailed Game Design Documents (GDDs) covering systems, mechanics, balancing, and edge cases
Create flowcharts, diagrams, and spreadsheets that clearly communicate game logic to developers and designers
Collaborate with the product, design, and development teams to ensure mechanics are technically feasible and aligned with learning goals
Playtest, iterate, and balance — analyze user behavior data to tune difficulty, pacing, and reward systems
What We're Looking For
3+ years of experience in game design for mobile games, gamified apps, or interactive products
Strong portfolio or case studies demonstrating game systems you designed — economy, progression, engagement loops
Deep understanding of player psychology: motivation, flow state, variable reward schedules, loss aversion, social proof
Experience designing difficulty curves and balancing systems that serve diverse user types (casual, hardcore, inconsistent)
Ability to think in systems — you see how XP, streaks, lives, content difficulty, and narrative connect into one cohesive experience
Excellent documentation skills — you can write a GDD that an engineer can build from without 10 clarifying meetings
Familiarity with Duolingo, Memrise, Babbel, or similar gamified learning products — and an opinion on what they do well and what they don't
Available for a minimum of 10 hours per week
Nice to Have
Experience in EdTech, educational games, or serious games
Background in narrative design — writing character dialogue, building story frameworks, defining tone of voice
Understanding of behavioral science or learning theory (spaced repetition, active recall, zone of proximal development)
Experience with A/B testing and data-driven balancing of game mechanics
Familiarity with AI tools and how they can enhance game design workflows
Experience designing social/competitive features (guilds, tournaments, cooperative challenges)
Background in tabletop game design, puzzle design, or escape rooms
What We Offer
Competitive project-based compensation
Fully remote, flexible schedule
A product with real impact on how people learn
Collaborative team