Senior Level Designer

At Wizards of the Coast, we connect people around the world through play and imagination. From our genre defining games like Magic: The Gathering® and Dungeons & Dragons® to our growing multiverse, we continue to innovate and build new ways to foster friendship and connection. That’s where you come in!

Skeleton Key is a game development studio and division of Wizards of the Coast. We are a group of industry veterans who are guided by the belief that empowering our teams and providing the necessary time, tools, and support we can foster a creative culture where everyone can do their best work.

Our studio is located in Austin, TX, and we are looking for a passionate and dedicated Senior Level Designer to join us and bring our first AAA game to life. This role will be based out of Austin, TX.

Reporting to the Lead Level Designer, you will be a key contributor as we enter pre-production, focused on building and implementing gameplay driven level content. This role emphasizes quest scripting, encounter setup, and general gameplay logic. You will work closely with narrative, design, engineering, and other teams to build reactive, systemic level experiences that support player choice, progression, and moment-to-moment gameplay.

What you'll do:

• Design, implement, and iterate on gameplay-driven level content including quests, objectives, encounters, and scripted events.
• Set up and maintain quest logic, triggers, conditions, and gameplay states that respond to player actions and narrative choices.
• Implement combat encounters, enemy setups, and gameplay hooks that support pacing, challenge, and narrative context.
• Collaborate closely with Narrative Design to integrate dialogue outcomes, branching choices, and story variables into gameplay progression.
• Use Unreal Engine tools to author and maintain level scripting, data variables, and gameplay flow.
• Work with Engineering and Tech Design to help develop tools and pipelines for scripting and development.
• Playtest content frequently, debug gameplay flow issues, and iterate on logic, clarity, and player experience.

What you'll bring:

• 5+ years of professional experience as a Level Designer on shipped games.
• Strong experience creating level content focused on scripting, encounters, and open-ended player driven content.
• Hands-on experience implementing quests, objectives, triggers, and scripted gameplay events in Unreal.
• Familiarity with integrating narrative content, dialogue outcomes, or branching logic into gameplay systems.
• Experience collaborating closely with designers, writers, engineers, and other teams to deliver sophisticated gameplay scenarios.
• Strong problem-solving skills and comfort debugging gameplay logic, state, and progression issues.
• Clear communication skills and the ability to document and explain gameplay logic and intent.
• Experience developing and maintaining well organized tools, pipelines, and structures.

We are an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer

Wizards of the Coast is committed to equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment. We are committed to making all employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, marital status, or any other legally protected status.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. If you have a disability and require assistance in this application process and need to request an accommodation, please contact your recruiter or coordinator.

The base salary range for this position is $108,200.00 to $162,300.00. The hiring range will vary based on factors such as experience, skills, location and market conditions. Additionally, employees may be eligible for annual and long-term incentives as part of their overall compensation package.

Our Comprehensive Benefits Package Includes:

• Health & Wellness: Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Time Off to Recharge: Paid Vacation & Holidays
• Financial Well-being: Generous 401(k) Match
• Life & Family Support: Paid Parental Leave
• Giving Back: Volunteer & Employee Giving Programs
• Level Up Your Skills: Tuition Reimbursement
• Exclusive Perks: Product Discounts & More!

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