Level Designer (Senior+)

Level Designer (Senior+) 
Hybrid/Onsite 
Full time 
Toronto, Ontario, Canada 

Description 

From dodgeball in the streets to racetracks in your living room, we've always been more interested in asking "what if?" than following a roadmap. Whether we're dreaming up a chaotic game of hide & seek in the dark or putting a legendary space fox back in the pilot's seat, that inventor's mindset runs through everything we do. We make games for people who appreciate craft and a little bit of magic. If you're curious, you'll be in good company. 

Are you a level designer with experience creating levels from brainstorming and high-level concept planning to shippable quality?  Have you prototyped interesting new gameplay elements, play tested and iterated towards a fun experience?  If the responsibilities listed below sound like your dream job, we’d like to talk to you!  

Velan Studios is looking for an experienced Level Designer who can own the layout, planning, grey-boxing, and gameplay, as well as collaborate with others towards the creation of compelling level designs throughout the project.  

Responsibilities  

• Brainstorm, innovate, create, refine, and finalize 3D level layouts  
• Greybox layout to determine gameplay spaces, high level pacing, and identify key moments 
• Prototype and script gameplay sequences alongside encounters to gain meaningful feedback in early development 
• Own the design of the moment-to-moment and overall pacing of multiple levels in collaboration with environment artists and gameplay engineers  
• Work closely with the Game Director, Designers, and Artists on the design, layout, and construction of our game levels and environments, as well as scripted level mechanics and events. 
• Help define and implement unique gameplay mechanics that fit your levels 
• Work closely with the Game Director and other Lead Designers to shape and implement compelling level and quest content.  

Requirements

• 5+ years of design experience  
• At least one shipped title as a level designer  
• Experience grey-boxing to blockout of gameplay spaces and establishing landmarks 
• An understanding of level pacing and encounter design 
• Ability to do quick prototypes to prove out gameplay ideas  
• Familiarity with tool-use and basic scripting in any major game-engine such as Unity, Unreal or equivalent  

Big Plusses 

• Experience in creating Co-Op gameplay 
• Experience crafting cinematic gameplay moments, an eye for camera 
• Familiarity with any major 3D art creation tool such as 3d Studio Max, Maya, or Blender 
• Other areas of design expertise (systems, combat, etc.) to contribute on different teams and projects. 

This is a hybrid or onsite position. Hybrid is 3 days a week in studio. Our Ontario studio is located in downtown Toronto (near Queen and University). 

Canada Salary Range:
Senior $75,000. - $115,000. CAD
Specialist $95,000.-$145,000. CAD 

Velan Studios is dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you are excited about a role, but your experience doesn’t align perfectly, we encourage you to submit a General Application. Velan Studios is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion, diversity, and providing a workplace free from discrimination and harassment. We seek to create a work culture that matches the diversity of our players.