5 free templates by type. Download as DOCX or copy-paste.
A video game designer is the person who decides what your game actually is: the mechanics, the systems, the pacing, the feel that players cannot name but instantly recognize. For a small or indie studio, the first dedicated design hire is a defining moment, because it usually means the founder is handing off part of the creative core. The posting that brings that person in has to do real work: signal the project, filter on the portfolio, and set up the IP paperwork that protects everything the studio is building.
At FirstHR, we build for small teams that hire without an HR department, and game studios are a pure example: a founder or producer writes the posting, screens portfolios between builds, and onboards the hire personally. The five templates below cover the most common versions of the role: general, junior, senior and lead, mobile and free-to-play, and specialist. Each is ready to use, with portfolio, engine, remote, and IP/NDA fields built in. Fill in the brackets, set your project details, and post. For the general principles behind any posting, the guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals.
TL;DR
Five free, ready-to-use video game designer job description templates by type: General, Junior, Senior / Lead, Mobile / F2P, and Specialist (level, systems, or narrative). Download as DOCX, customize the bracketed fields, and post in minutes. Every template includes the four details that matter in game hiring: the portfolio requirement, the engine, the remote setup, and the IP/NDA note. Then bridge into onboarding once they accept.
What Is a Game Designer Job Description?
A game designer job description is a document that explains the role's project, responsibilities, required skills, work setup, and pay so you can post a job and attract the right designers. It typically covers a studio summary, key responsibilities, the portfolio and engine requirements, the remote or on-site arrangement, a salary range, and how to apply. The SHRM job description tools describe a job description as a plain-language tool that explains the tasks, duties, and responsibilities of a position, and that standard applies whether you are a major publisher or a five-person indie team.
Game designer and video game designer are the same role; employers and candidates use both phrasings, and your posting will be found under either. What actually differs is the specialization and the seniority, which is why the description's most important job is to name what the designer will own. Designers also sit close to other product-craft roles, and if the work is interface and player-facing UX rather than game systems, the UX designer templates may be the better fit.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template that matches the seniority and specialization you are hiring for. The core structure is the same across all five, but each one emphasizes the responsibilities, portfolio expectations, and language that fit a specific version of the role. Use this guide to choose.
General
First design hire
The universal baseline: mechanics, systems, GDDs, prototyping, and iteration. Includes portfolio, engine, remote, and IP/NDA fields. Start here for most studios.
Junior
Entry-level
For an entry-level designer who assists seniors, prototypes, and documents, with game jams and student projects accepted as portfolio and mentorship built in.
Senior / Lead
Systems ownership
For an experienced designer with shipped titles who owns core systems, mentors the team, and drives cross-discipline decisions.
Mobile / F2P
Live games
For mobile and free-to-play studios: economy and monetization design, retention KPIs, live-ops events, and A/B testing.
Specialist
Level / systems / narrative
One configurable template for the three common specializations, with a responsibility block for each: level layouts, systems modeling, or branching narrative.
Match the Template to What They Will Own
The fastest way to choose is by ownership. First design hire who will touch everything? General. Training someone up from QA or school? Junior. Handing over core systems and mentorship? Senior / Lead. Running a live mobile game on metrics? Mobile / F2P. Need depth in one craft? Specialist, and keep only the responsibility block that matches. Whichever you pick, the portfolio and IP/NDA fields stay in.
5 Free Game Designer Job Description Templates
Download all five as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each one follows the same structure: studio overview, job summary, key responsibilities, qualifications, the IP/NDA note, compensation, and how to apply. Fill in the brackets before you post.
Download All 5 Job Description Templates
General, junior, senior, mobile/F2P, and specialist. All in one DOCX.
Template 1: Video Game Designer (General)
The universal baseline: mechanics, systems, GDDs, prototyping, and iteration, with portfolio, engine, remote, and IP/NDA fields built in. Use this for most first design hires.
Video Game Designer Job Description (General)
VIDEO GAME DESIGNER JOB DESCRIPTION
Studio: __
Location: __ ([ ] Remote [ ] Hybrid [ ] On-site)
Reports to: Creative Director / Lead Designer / Founder
[One or two sentences about your studio, the games you make, and what you are
building next.]
JOB SUMMARY
[Studio Name] is hiring a Game Designer to design the mechanics, systems, and
player experience for [project / genre]. You will own design features end to
end: concept, documentation, prototyping in-engine, playtesting, and iteration
with the team. This role suits a designer who loves both the craft and the
collaboration of making games at a small studio.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Design game mechanics, systems, and player progression
•Write and maintain game design documents (GDDs) and feature specs
•Prototype and iterate on designs in-engine
•Balance gameplay, difficulty, and pacing through playtesting
•Collaborate with artists, programmers, and producers daily
•Review builds and give clear, actionable design feedback
•Incorporate playtest and player feedback into iterations
•Keep design documentation current with the shipped build
REQUIRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS
•A portfolio of shipped or playable work (links required with application)
•Experience with a major engine: Unity, Unreal, or Godot
•Basic scripting ability (C#, C++, Blueprints, or Lua) a plus
•Strong written design communication (GDDs, specs)
•Collaborative mindset suited to a small team
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Shipped title or released indie/personal project
•Experience in [your genre or platform]
NOTE ON IP AND CONFIDENTIALITY
This role works directly with unreleased intellectual property. Employment is
subject to a signed non-disclosure agreement and IP assignment agreement.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Salary range: $_____ to $_____ per year
Benefits: __ (health, PTO, remote stipend, etc.)
To apply, email __ with your resume and portfolio links.
[Studio Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Template 2: Junior Game Designer
For an entry-level designer who assists seniors, prototypes, and documents, with game jams and student projects accepted as portfolio and mentorship built into the role.
Junior Game Designer Job Description
JUNIOR GAME DESIGNER JOB DESCRIPTION
Studio: __
Location: __ ([ ] Remote [ ] Hybrid [ ] On-site)
Reports to: Lead Designer / Senior Designer
Employment type: [ ] Full-time [ ] Part-time
Salary range: $_____ to $_____ per year
JOB SUMMARY
[Studio Name] is hiring a Junior Game Designer to support our design team on
[project / genre]. You will assist senior designers, build prototypes, write
and maintain documentation, run playtests, and grow your craft with mentorship.
Student projects, game jams, and mods count as portfolio. This is a real entry
point into game design at a studio that will invest in you.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Assist senior designers on features and systems
•Build and iterate on prototypes in-engine
•Write and maintain design documentation
•Set up and run playtests; record findings
•Implement design data and tuning under guidance
•Log and triage design feedback from builds
•Participate in design reviews and team critiques
•Learn the studio's tools, pipeline, and design standards
REQUIRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS
•A portfolio of playable work: student projects, game jams, or mods welcome
•Familiarity with Unity, Unreal, or Godot
•Clear written communication for docs and specs
•Curiosity, coachability, and reliability
•Genuine love of analyzing why games are fun
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Game jam participation or released personal projects
•QA, playtesting, or community experience
NOTE ON IP AND CONFIDENTIALITY
This role works with unreleased intellectual property. Employment is subject
to a signed non-disclosure agreement and IP assignment agreement.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Salary range: $_____ to $_____ per year
Benefits: __
To apply, email __ with your resume and portfolio links.
[Studio Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Still Using Spreadsheets for Onboarding?
Automate documents, training assignments, task management, and track onboarding progress in real time.
For an experienced designer with shipped titles who owns core systems, mentors other designers, and drives decisions across disciplines.
Senior / Lead Game Designer Job Description
SENIOR / LEAD GAME DESIGNER JOB DESCRIPTION
Studio: __
Location: __ ([ ] Remote [ ] Hybrid [ ] On-site)
Reports to: Creative Director / Founder
Employment type: [ ] Full-time
Salary range: $_____ to $_____ per year
JOB SUMMARY
[Studio Name] is hiring a Senior Game Designer to own core systems on
[project / genre] and raise the design bar across the team. You will define
design direction for your areas, mentor other designers, drive decisions
across disciplines, and ship. This role suits an experienced designer with
shipped titles who wants real ownership at a small studio.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
DESIGN OWNERSHIP
•Own the design of core systems and features end to end
•Set design direction and quality standards for your areas
•Make and document design decisions that hold up in production
LEADERSHIP
•Mentor and review the work of other designers
•Drive cross-discipline alignment with art, code, and production
•Represent design in scope, schedule, and cut decisions
•Champion playtest findings into the build
REQUIRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS
•____+ years of game design experience with at least one shipped title
•Portfolio demonstrating systems ownership (links required)
•Deep fluency in Unity, Unreal, or Godot workflows
•Scripting ability (C#, C++, Blueprints, or Lua)
•Proven mentorship and cross-discipline communication
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Experience at a small studio or as an early design hire
•Experience in [your genre or platform]
NOTE ON IP AND CONFIDENTIALITY
This role works directly with unreleased intellectual property and strategy.
Employment is subject to a signed non-disclosure agreement and IP assignment
agreement.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Salary range: $_____ to $_____ per year
Benefits: __
To apply, email __ with your resume and portfolio links.
[Studio Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Template 4: Mobile / F2P Game Designer
For mobile and free-to-play studios: economy and monetization design, retention KPIs, live-ops events, and A/B testing alongside the creative work.
Mobile / F2P Game Designer Job Description
MOBILE / F2P GAME DESIGNER JOB DESCRIPTION
Studio: __
Location: __ ([ ] Remote [ ] Hybrid [ ] On-site)
Reports to: Product Lead / Lead Designer
Employment type: [ ] Full-time
Salary range: $_____ to $_____ per year
JOB SUMMARY
[Studio Name] is hiring a Mobile Game Designer to design and tune the economy,
progression, and live features of [game / genre]. You will balance player
experience with retention and monetization goals, design and analyze A/B
tests, and shape live-ops events. This role suits a designer who is equally
comfortable with creative systems and a metrics dashboard.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Design game economy, progression, and monetization systems
•Define and tune retention, session, and conversion loops
•Design live-ops events, offers, and seasonal content
•Plan and analyze A/B tests with the team
•Work with analytics data to inform design decisions
•Balance difficulty, pacing, and reward schedules
•Document systems and tuning values clearly
•Collaborate with engineering, art, and marketing
REQUIRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS
•Portfolio or live titles demonstrating systems/economy design
•Experience with free-to-play mechanics and KPIs (retention, ARPDAU, LTV)
•Comfort with analytics tools and spreadsheet modeling
•Experience with Unity or a comparable mobile pipeline
•Clear documentation and communication habits
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Live-ops experience on a shipped mobile title
•A/B testing experience with measurable outcomes
NOTE ON IP AND CONFIDENTIALITY
This role works with unreleased features, metrics, and strategy. Employment is
subject to a signed non-disclosure agreement and IP assignment agreement.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Salary range: $_____ to $_____ per year
Benefits: __
To apply, email __ with your resume and portfolio links.
[Studio Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Template 5: Level / Systems / Narrative Designer (Specialist)
One configurable template for the three common specializations, with a responsibility block for each. Keep the block that matches your hire and delete the other two.
Level / Systems / Narrative Designer Job Description
Game designer duties run from pure creative work to rigorous documentation, and they fall into four categories. A good job description picks the specific duties that match your project and the designer's ownership rather than listing every possible task.
Design & Systems
Design mechanics, systems, and progression
Balance gameplay, difficulty, and pacing
Define the player experience
Documentation
Write and maintain GDDs and feature specs
Document tuning values and decisions
Keep docs current with the build
Prototyping & Iteration
Build prototypes in-engine
Run playtests and gather feedback
Iterate based on data and findings
Collaboration
Work daily with art, code, and production
Review builds and give design feedback
Support live updates and events
The mix shifts by role: a mobile designer adds analytics, A/B testing, and live-ops on top of the core loop, a narrative designer trades systems math for branching story tools, and a lead spends real hours mentoring and aligning disciplines. For help scoping the role precisely before you write the posting, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through a simple process.
Game Designer vs Game Developer
The most common confusion in game hiring is designer versus developer, where developer usually means programmer. The short version: the designer decides what the game is, the developer builds the code that makes it run, and at a small studio the two collaborate constantly.
Trait
Game Designer
Game Developer
Designs mechanics, systems, and player experience
Writes the production code that ships
Documents the design in GDDs and specs
Implements features in the engine codebase
Prototypes and iterates in the engine
At small studios the line blurs: many designers script in C#, Blueprints, or Lua, and many programmers shape design. Post the role by its center of gravity. If the hire will primarily write production code, the software engineer templates are the right starting point; if they will primarily design and document what others build, use the templates on this page.
What to Include in a Game Designer Job Description
Beyond the standard sections, a game design posting lives or dies on four specifics: the portfolio requirement, the engine and tools, the work setup, and the IP/NDA note. The duties themselves should be concrete enough that a candidate can picture the week.
Weak bullet
Strong bullet
Help make the game fun
Design and balance core gameplay systems through playtesting
Work on the design docs
Write and maintain GDDs and feature specs the team builds from
Know game engines
Prototype and iterate designs in Unity, Unreal, or Godot
Be data-driven
Plan A/B tests and tune systems based on retention metrics
Write the story
Build branching dialogue and quests in tools like Articy or Ink
Specific, concrete duties attract designers who can actually do the work and signal a serious studio. Keep the language neutral and inclusive too, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on protected characteristics. For recognized tasks and skills you can borrow, the O*NET profile for video game designers lists the standard occupational duties.
How to Write a Game Designer Job Description
A strong game designer job description takes about 20 minutes once you know what the hire will own. Here is the process the templates are built around. If this is one of your studio's first hires, the startup hiring guide covers the surrounding decisions, from sourcing to closing.
1
Choose the right template
Pick the version that matches the role: general, junior, senior and lead, mobile and F2P, or specialist for level, systems, or narrative design.
2
Lead with the project
Open with the studio, the genre, the engine, and what the designer will own. Indie candidates choose projects as much as paychecks, so the project is your pitch.
3
List concrete responsibilities
Group duties by design and systems, documentation, prototyping and iteration, and collaboration. Write prototype and iterate on designs in-engine, not the vague help make the game fun.
4
State portfolio, engine, and work setup
Require portfolio links and say what counts for the level. Name Unity, Unreal, or Godot, and state remote, hybrid, or on-site explicitly, since the talent pool is global.
5
Add the IP/NDA note, salary range, and apply steps
Include the confidentiality and IP assignment note so the paperwork is expected, a realistic salary range, an equal opportunity statement, and clear application instructions.
Game Designer Salary
Game designer pay varies widely by seniority, geography, remote policy, and studio funding, and the government does not track the role separately, so anchor on the closest official category and adjust from your market.
The Closest BLS Baseline
The Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks game-adjacent creative roles under special effects artists and animators, which shows a median of about $99,800 per year across 57,100 jobs, with employment projected to grow 2 percent and about 5,000 openings a year, mostly from replacement (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Market data for game designers clusters near that median, with juniors well below and leads well above.
Position your range against the level: junior designers sit meaningfully below the baseline, generalists near it, and senior and lead designers well above, with mobile live-ops experience commanding premiums at F2P studios. Always publish a range. It is legally required in many states, and in a portfolio-driven field where strong designers choose among studios, postings without one get skipped. Standard wage and hour rules frame the basics, so the Department of Labor FLSA standards are worth a review as you classify the role, especially for contract arrangements.
Hiring a Game Designer for a Small Studio
Large studios and publishers hire designers through recruiters, standardized pipelines, and legal departments that handle the IP paperwork without anyone thinking about it. A small or indie studio has a founder doing all of it between builds. Here is how to write the designer posting for that reality.
The portfolio is the resume
Game design hiring runs on playable work, not job titles. Shipped titles, released personal projects, game jams, and mods tell you more in twenty minutes of play than any interview. Require portfolio links in the posting, say explicitly what counts (for junior roles, student projects and jams are fine), and build your screening around playing the work. A posting that skips the portfolio requirement invites a flood of applications you cannot evaluate.
IP and NDA paperwork comes before the first standup
Every design hire works with your unreleased intellectual property from day one, and in game development the IP assignment and non-disclosure agreements are the legal foundation of the studio's value; disputes over confidential information in this industry have produced nine-figure judgments. Put the IP/NDA note in the posting so candidates expect it, and have the agreements signed before the new designer sees a build. The templates here include that note by default.
At a small studio, the founder is also the recruiter
Most game studios are small teams where the founder or a producer writes the posting, screens portfolios, and onboards the hire personally, often for the studio's first or second dedicated design role. Remote hiring widens the talent pool enormously, but it raises the stakes on a specific posting: the engine, the genre, the specialization, and the remote setup all need to be explicit, because they are the filters doing the work a recruiting team would otherwise do.
From Hiring to Onboarding
The job description is step one. Once a designer accepts, two tracks need to finish before they open the project: the paperwork and the pipeline. The paperwork means the offer, the NDA, the IP assignment agreement, and the new-hire forms, all signed before access to unreleased work, because retrofitting IP agreements after the fact is exactly the gap that turns into disputes. The pipeline means engine licenses, repository access, the design doc space, and a first week built around playing the current build.
Set both up before the start date. The offer letter template handles the offer, and the employment contract template covers the agreement layer where the IP and confidentiality terms live, with an onboarding template structuring the first weeks. FirstHR connects the offer, e-signature on NDAs and IP assignment agreements, document collection, and the onboarding workflow in one place, with training modules for your tools and pipeline, so a small studio can take a designer from signed offer to first commit without an HR department.
Key Takeaways
A game designer designs the mechanics, systems, and player experience; a developer builds the production code. Post by the role's center of gravity.
Use the template that matches the role: general, junior, senior and lead, mobile and F2P, or specialist.
The portfolio is the resume: require links, say what counts for the level, and screen by playing the work.
Every template includes the four game-specific essentials: portfolio, engine, remote setup, and the IP/NDA note.
Sign the NDA and IP assignment agreements before the designer sees a build, not after.
BLS does not track game designers separately; the closest category shows a median around $99,800, with juniors below and leads above.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a video game designer do?
A video game designer designs the mechanics, systems, and player experience of a game. Core duties include designing gameplay mechanics and progression, writing and maintaining game design documents, prototyping ideas in-engine, balancing difficulty and pacing through playtesting, and collaborating daily with artists, programmers, and producers to ship the design. The role varies by specialization: a level designer builds layouts and encounters, a systems designer models economies and combat, a narrative designer writes branching story and dialogue, and a mobile designer tunes retention and monetization. A clear job description names which version of the role your studio is hiring.
What should a game designer job description include?
A strong game designer job description includes a studio summary, the project or genre, 8 to 10 specific responsibilities, the required skills, the work setup, the salary range, and how to apply. Four game-specific details matter most. First, the portfolio requirement: state that links to playable work are required, and for junior roles say that game jams and student projects count. Second, the engine and tools: Unity, Unreal, or Godot, plus any scripting expectations. Third, the work setup: remote, hybrid, or on-site, since the design talent pool is global. Fourth, the IP and NDA note, so candidates know signing confidentiality and IP assignment agreements is part of the hire.
What is the difference between a game designer and a game developer?
A game designer decides what the game is: the mechanics, systems, rules, pacing, and player experience, documented in design docs and proven in prototypes. A game developer, in the common usage meaning a game programmer, builds the production code that makes those designs run in the shipped game. Both prototype and iterate in the engine, and at small studios the line blurs, with many designers scripting in C#, Blueprints, or Lua and many programmers contributing design ideas. If your hire will primarily write production code, post a programmer role instead; if they will primarily design and document systems that others implement, post a designer role.
Do I need a separate posting for level, systems, or narrative design?
Only when the specialization is the job. A generalist game designer at a small studio touches levels, systems, and narrative as the project demands, and the general template covers that reality. Post a specialist role when the work is genuinely concentrated: a level designer building and pacing layouts full time, a systems designer who owns the economy and combat math, or a narrative designer writing branching dialogue in tools like Twine, Articy, or Ink. The specialist template here handles all three with a responsibility block for each, so you keep the block that matches and delete the rest. Specialist postings attract deeper portfolios in that craft.
What salary should I list for a game designer?
Set your range from the closest government baseline plus your market reality. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not track game designers as a separate occupation; the nearest category, special effects artists and animators, shows a median of about $99,800 per year. Market data for game designers clusters in a similar range, with junior designers well below it and senior and lead designers well above. Geography, remote policy, and studio funding move the number significantly. Always publish a range: pay transparency is required in many states, and in a portfolio-driven field where strong candidates pick their studios, postings without a range get skipped.
What qualifications should I require for a game designer?
Require the portfolio, the engine, and the communication, and keep the rest flexible. A portfolio of shipped or playable work is the core qualification, and it predicts performance better than degrees, which is why many studios drop formal education requirements entirely. Engine experience with Unity, Unreal, or Godot is the practical baseline, with scripting in C#, C++, Blueprints, or Lua a strong plus. Written design communication matters because the designer's documents drive the whole team's work. For senior roles, add a shipped title and systems ownership; for junior roles, accept game jams and student projects and say so in the posting.
How do I write a game designer job description for an indie studio?
Lead with the project and be specific about the craft. Name the genre, the engine, the team size, and what the designer will actually own, since indie candidates choose projects as much as paychecks. State the portfolio requirement and what counts, the remote or on-site setup, and the salary range. Include the IP and NDA note so the paperwork is expected, not a surprise. Keep requirements realistic: a five-person studio asking for ten years of experience and three shipped AAA titles is filtering out exactly the versatile, scrappy designers it needs. The five templates here are written for studios where the founder runs the hiring personally.
What happens after I hire a game designer?
Once a candidate accepts, two things need to happen before they touch a build: the paperwork and the pipeline. The paperwork means the offer, the NDA and IP assignment agreements, and the new-hire forms, signed before access to unreleased work. The pipeline means accounts and licenses for the engine and tools, the repository, the design doc space, and a first-week plan that gets them playing the current build and reading the core docs. FirstHR handles the offer letter, e-signature on NDAs and IP agreements, document collection, and the onboarding workflow in one place, with training modules for your tools and pipeline, so a small studio can onboard a designer without an HR department.
