Ember Crows Ltd

Project: ‘Names Go Dark’

Location: Battersea, London

Working model: On-site

Engagement: Freelance / project-based

About Ember Crows

Ember Crows is an independent game studio based in London, developing ‘Names Go Dark’, a third-person Slavic cyberpunk action RPG for PC and consoles.

Set on Proxima b, a tidally locked planet divided between eternal light and endless darkness, ‘Names Go Dark’ combines action RPG gameplay with a world shaped by Slavic mythology, Central European folklore and near-future technology.

We are currently developing the playable prototype and vertical slice and are looking for a Game Designer to join the development team in our Battersea office.

Job Description

As Game Designer — Combat & Systems, you will work closely with the Game Director and Unreal Engine Gameplay Developer to design, prototype, implement and iterate the core gameplay systems of ‘Names Go Dark’.

The role will focus particularly on combat, player abilities, the interaction between the game's opposing forces, encounters and moment-to-moment gameplay.

This is a hands-on design role. We want someone who is comfortable moving between ideas, documentation, Unreal Engine implementation and playtesting.

Responsibilities

• Design and iterate core gameplay mechanics and systems.

• Develop the core gameplay loop of ‘Names Go Dark’.

• Design the interaction between the game's opposing light and dark forces.

• Design player abilities, resources, costs, rewards and gameplay states.

• Design and iterate third-person combat mechanics.

• Design enemy behaviours and player-enemy interactions.

• Create gameplay encounters that test and combine the game's systems.

• Prototype mechanics directly in Unreal Engine.

• Work closely with the Gameplay Developer during implementation.

• Create clear design documentation, system specifications and gameplay flows.

• Define gameplay variables and support balancing and tuning.

• Take ownership of assigned mechanics and systems from concept through implementation.

• Conduct regular playtesting and analyse results.

• Identify design, balancing, usability and communication problems.

• Iterate gameplay based on testing and feedback.

• Collaborate with programming, cinematic, narrative, art, animation, audio and UI contributors.

• Help define the gameplay priorities for the prototype and vertical slice.

Qualifications

• Professional or equivalent hands-on experience in game design.

• Experience designing gameplay that has been implemented and played.

• Strong understanding of game mechanics and systems design.

• Experience designing combat, abilities, player systems or related gameplay.

• Ability to prototype and iterate gameplay in a game engine.

• Experience with Unreal Engine or another modern game engine.

• Ability to create clear and practical design documentation.

• Strong understanding of player feedback, balancing and gameplay iteration.

• Ability to work closely with programmers during implementation.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to take ownership of features and work independently.

• Good communication and collaboration skills.

• Portfolio containing playable work, videos, case studies or shipped projects.

Nice to Have

• Unreal Engine 5 experience.

• Blueprint scripting.

• Third-person action or action RPG experience.

• Combat design.

• Ability and resource systems.

• Enemy or boss design.

• Encounter design.

• Level design.

• Progression systems.

• Gameplay balancing.

• Structured playtesting.

• Experience on a shipped PC or console game.

Location

This role is based on-site at our Battersea office in London.

You will work closely with the Gameplay Developer and Game Director during prototyping, implementation and playtesting.

Compensation

This is currently a project-based freelance engagement under Ember Crows’ points-based profit-sharing model.

There is no guaranteed upfront salary or freelance fee. Compensation is linked to agreed project milestones through contractual profit-participation points, which may generate payments from the project’s Profit Pool if the game becomes commercially successful.

Full details of the compensation structure and agreement will be provided before engagement.

Apply

Apply through the Ember Crows website with:

• CV

• Portfolio

• Playable projects, gameplay videos or case studies

• A description of your personal contribution to relevant projects

• Examples of mechanics or systems you have designed

• Engines and tools you have worked with

• Current location and availability

We are particularly interested in seeing gameplay you have actually designed, implemented, tested and iterated.