Game Designer

Join The Team!

Kwalee is seeking a talented Game Designer to join our mobile development team. In this role, you will design engaging gameplay mechanics, define progression systems, and balance economic models for mobile games while ensuring strong player retention and monetisation.

This role is based onsite 5 days per week at our Leamington Spa studio, where our daily in-office collaboration fuels creativity and innovation.

Role Mission:

• Design fun, addictive and well monetised mobile games that appeal to a massive global audience.
• Bridge the gap between hyper-casual accessibility and deep mid-core progression loops to create Hybrid Casual success
• Own the creative vision and design execution of hybrid casual titles from initial concept through to live operations.
• Drive key product metrics (CPI, retention, and LTV) by balancing engaging gameplay with smart monetisation features.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Product, Art, and Engineering) to transform data-driven insights into player-centric features.
• Deconstruct market trends to rapidly prototype and validate innovative new gameplay mechanics.

What You'll Do:

• Use AI tools to quickly prototype and validate game concepts or feature ideas.
• Own the end-to-end design of new mobile titles, from initial high-level concept and rapid prototyping to balancing, launch, and live operations.
• Design intuitive, instantly satisfying core mechanics that appeal to a mass audience while keeping marketability (low CPI) in mind.
• Design well-considered, engaging levels for players, considering difficulty and pacing.
• Create clear, concise, and actionable Design Documentation (GDDs), wireframes, and flowcharts that align cross-functional teams.
• Architect deep meta-progression loops (e.g., collection systems, upgrading) that transform short-term engagement into long-term player retention.
• Design and balance complex virtual economies, ensuring a healthy ecosystem of currencies, resource scarcity, and rewards.
• Craft onboarding experiences and First Time User Experiences (FTUE) that minimise early churn and maximise player understanding.
• Design sophisticated hybrid monetisation systems that seamlessly integrate In-App Advertisements (IAA - rewarded videos, interstitials) and In-App Purchases (IAP) without disrupting the fun.
• Develop monetisation features such as Battle Passes, gacha systems, limited-time offers, and VIP reward tiers tailored for a casual audience.
• Analyse player telemetry and A/B test results to diagnose design flaws and iteratively optimise gameplay, monetisation, and retention KPIs.
• Mentor and guide junior designers, foster a culture of constructive feedback, and elevate the studio's overall design standards.

What You'll Bring:

• Proven track record: Minimum of 3-5+ years of experience in mobile game design, with at least one successfully shipped commercial title (preferably in the Casual or Hybrid Casual space).
• Level Design Skills: A strong portfolio of shipped levels that shows a clear grasp of difficulty curves, onboarding, and moment-to-moment flow, with the ability to design, build and iterate on levels quickly using player data to improve completion, retention and monetisation.
• Hybrid Casual Expertise: Deep understanding of the hybrid casual business model, including the delicate balance between low-CPI marketability, high retention, and dual monetisation (IAA + IAP).
• Systems & Balancing Mastery: Exceptional skills in game balancing, economy design, and pacing, backed by advanced proficiency in Excel, Google Sheets, or equivalent modeling tools.
• Prototyping Skills: Hands-on experience working directly in game engines (ideally Unity) to tweak, tune, and iterate on gameplay feel.
• Communication: Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to pitch concepts clearly to both technical teams and stakeholders.

Preferred but not essential:

• Technical Edge: Basic scripting knowledge (C# in Unity) or experience setting up live-ops tools and remote config systems.
• UX/UI Background: Strong wireframing skills and a keen eye for player psychology, user flows, and interface accessibility.
• Live Ops Experience: Background running a live game, including managing economy inflation, running seasonal events, and designing content pipelines.
• A Passion for Mobile: An avid mobile gamer who actively plays and analyses current top-grossing and top-trending charts.