Level Designer (6-month contract)

Blackbird Interactive is looking for an experienced Level Designer to help build and deliver high-quality level content for an established science fiction universe. This role focuses on designing levels, encounters, and environments that support open-ended exploration while delivering memorable gameplay moments, strong spatial storytelling, and meaningful player agency.

You’ll work closely with systems design, quest design, art, and engineering to create spaces that feel cohesive, reactive, and grounded in the game’s fiction. The role involves collaborating with leadership to align content with the overall creative vision, while also owning levels end-to-end, from initial layout through implementation, iteration, and polish. If you enjoy crafting spaces that reward curiosity, support multiple playstyles, and bring a sci-fi world to life through gameplay, this role could be a great fit for you!

Responsibilities

Collaborate with systems design, quest design, art, engineering, and production to support and implement the established creative vision, raising questions or inconsistencies as they arise during development
Work within production schedules and constraints, implementing level content in a timely and iterative manner while communicating risks or dependencies to appropriate team members
Design and build levels end-to-end, including layout, encounter design, traversal, pacing, and player flow
Create and implement combat spaces, points of interest, and environmental storytelling that support gameplay and narrative goals
Work closely with narrative designers to integrate objectives and story elements into physical spaces, ensuring alignment between gameplay and narrative
Script and set up gameplay events, encounters, triggers, and environmental interactions to support level functionality and player experience
Test, debug, and iterate on levels regularly, identifying and resolving issues related to navigation, encounter balance, progression blockers, and edge cases
Respond constructively to feedback, refining layouts, encounters, and pacing to improve clarity, flow, and overall player experience
Maintain an understanding of core gameplay systems and how they interact with level design, adjusting layouts and encounters to support multiple playstyles and systemic interactions

Requirements

A minimum of 5 years of experience contributing to game development, with a strong focus on level design within complex game systems

Experience shipping at least one title, ideally in the RPG or open-world space, with an understanding of the full content lifecycle from implementation through polish

Comfort working independently on assigned content, with the ability to manage tasks, iterate on feedback, and solve implementation problems in a dynamic production environment

Strong collaboration and communication skills, including the ability to work closely with other designers, artists, engineers, and audio partners to deliver cohesive gameplay spaces

Familiarity with level editing tools, scripting, and logic-driven systems, with confidence building, debugging, and maintaining gameplay spaces directly in-engine

Pluses

• A strong interest in hands-on level implementation, including layout design, encounter setup, and environmental storytellings
• Enjoyment of building and refining gameplay spaces, with an eye toward player flow, readability, and pacing
• A passion for science fiction worlds and environments, especially those that emphasize scale, discovery, and player-driven exploration
• Appreciation for systems-driven RPGs and how level design supports emergent gameplay and multiple playstyles
• An interest in cinematic presentation within levels, including staging, composition, and environmental storytelling
• Care about polish, clarity, and player comprehension, and enjoy iterating on spaces to improve navigation, readability, and gameplay experience