London / Hybrid / Remote

Freelance / project-based

Company description

Ember Crows is an independent game studio based in London.

We founded the studio to create original, story-driven games with distinctive worlds, strong artistic direction and stories worth playing.

We’re a small and ambitious team, and we want to build the studio around talented people who genuinely care about what they create. We take the work seriously, but we like working in a straightforward, relaxed way built on trust, good communication and mutual

respect.

Game description

We’re working on ‘Names Go Dark’, a dark, narrative-driven third-person action RPG for PC and consoles, built in Unreal Engine 5.

The game is set on Proxima b, a tidally locked planet divided between eternal light and endless darkness, combining science-fiction technology with Slavic mythology and a grounded, atmospheric world.

We’re looking for an Unreal Engine Gameplay Developer to join the team and help us bring the gameplay of ‘Names Go Dark’ to life.

You’ll work closely with the Game Director, Game Designer and other members of the team, developing gameplay features and turning design ideas into systems that actually feel good to play.

Responsibilities

• Designing technical solutions and implementing gameplay features in Unreal Engine 5.

• Developing player mechanics, interactions, combat and other core gameplay systems.

• Implementing gameplay using C++ and Blueprints.

• Building reusable and maintainable gameplay systems.

• Implementing enemy and NPC behaviours.

• Prototyping and iterating new gameplay mechanics.

• Working closely with Game Design to turn design documentation into functional gameplay.

• Integrating gameplay with animation, VFX, UI and audio.

• Supporting scripted sequences and gameplay-to-cinematic transitions.

• Debugging and optimising gameplay systems.

• Maintaining clean project architecture and technical documentation.

• Taking ownership of features from implementation through testing and iteration.

• Collaborating with designers, artists and other developers across the project.

Requirements

• At least 3 years of professional or equivalent game development experience.

• Strong practical knowledge of Unreal Engine 5.

• Strong C++ skills.

• Very good knowledge of Blueprints.

• Experience implementing gameplay systems in Unreal Engine.

• Good understanding of UE gameplay architecture.

• Strong debugging and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to implement complete gameplay solutions based on design documentation.

• Experience with source control.

• Ability to manage your own tasks and communicate clearly with the rest of the team.

• Very good written and spoken English.

• Portfolio, gameplay footage, repository or released work showing what you personally built.

If you don’t quite meet every requirement but think your work speaks for itself, take a chance and apply anyway. We’ll keep an open mind too.

Nice to have

• Experience with third-person action games.

• Experience working on RPGs or action-adventure games.

• Experience with realistic, cyberpunk, science-fiction or dark atmospheric projects.

• Strong understanding of narrative-driven RPGs and how gameplay supports story and worldbuilding.

• Interest in Central and Eastern European history, culture, mythology or folklore.

• Familiarity with Slavic mythology and folklore.

• Gameplay Ability System.

• Combat systems.

• AI, Behaviour Trees and EQS.

• Animation Blueprints and Motion Matching.

• Niagara.

• Sequencer.

• NPC and dialogue systems.

• Performance profiling and optimisation.

• Experience developing for PC and consoles.

• At least one commercially released title.

Where from?

Wherever you work best.

The role can be fully remote, hybrid or based in London. We have access to our workspace in Battersea for team members who want to work together in person.

For remote collaboration, we ask for reasonable overlap with UK working hours and regular communication with the team.

What we offer

• A hands-on role with real influence over an original IP.

• Significant ownership of gameplay features.

• Direct collaboration with the Game Director and a small multidisciplinary team.

• Flexible remote, hybrid or London-based collaboration.

• A relaxed but professional working culture based on trust, communication and mutual respect.

• Participation in Ember Crows’ project-based profit-sharing programme.

• The opportunity to grow with the project and studio.

This is currently a freelance, project-based engagement using a milestone-based points profit-sharing model. It does not guarantee an upfront salary or freelance fee unless separately agreed for the specific engagement.

We’ll explain the full compensation structure and contractual terms clearly before you join.

What happens after I apply?

• If your CV and portfolio look like a good match, we’ll invite you to an initial remote conversation.

• We’ll ask you to walk us through something you’ve built and explain what you personally implemented.

• If we think there could be a good fit, we’ll send you a short technical test. It will be self-contained and unrelated to production work for ‘Names Go Dark’. You’ll have several days to complete it.

• If we like your test, we’ll have a second conversation to discuss the project, collaboration and expectations in more detail.

• We may ask for references from people you’ve worked with previously.

• If everything works for both sides, we’ll make you an offer to join the project.

Please note that we will only contact shortlisted candidates.