Senior Gameplay Engineer - Characters
astrid entertainmentNew York (NY)
Senior Gameplay Engineer - Characters
Posted 6 days ago
astrid entertainmentNew York (NY)
SENIORITY
Senior
About the role
Astrid is a gaming studio that brings together accomplished worldbuilders and game developers to create multiplayer creative experiences. Our first project is a cooperative open-world sim, designed to foster connection, problem-solving, and shared discovery. Players embark on a profound social experience in a richly imagined world shaped by dynamic systems, immersive storytelling, and community-driven play.
Our team spans the US, the UK, and beyond. We are taking a fully remote approach, but have regular in-person meetups to synchronise, huddle and build our culture.
Job Description:
Astrid is seeking an experienced Senior Gameplay Engineer to join our small and thoughtful team as we push the boundaries in gaming and IP, offering fans new meaningful worlds and experiences.
We are looking for an individual with a passion for co-op games. You care deeply about characters, behaviours, and game AI — the kind that players feel rather than notice. You will be building character and NPC behaviours, iterating on cameras and controls, and making sure our game feels fun.
This is a remote position on a fully distributed team.
Who You Are:
You are passionate about games and what they mean for our players
You are proactive and take initiative
You are a problem solver with a positive mindset who likes a challenge
You care about code quality and reducing technical debt
You consistently address issues as you encounter them
You like to experiment and innovate
You work well with others and communicate technical concepts clearly
You have a continuous improvement mindset
What You Will Do:
Design and create AI behaviours in Unreal Engine using State Trees and Blackboards.
Build and iterate on Character, Camera & Controls.
Integrate AI with the rest of the game systems to create a fun, exciting living world.
Share knowledge, mentor, and support colleagues in your area of expertise
Champion engineering quality
Partner with engineers, designers and artists to deliver excellent player-facing features
Requirements:
Proven experience developing AI behaviours in Unreal Engine
An interest in 3 Cs (Character, Controls, Camera) and experience in a Third-Person game
Working knowledge of State Trees, Blackboards, Perception, and GAS.
Strong teamwork and collaboration skills.
Solid knowledge of C++
Experience identifying and addressing performance bottlenecks in UI and gameplay systems
Bonus Experience
Experience with Unreal Replication.
Background in co-op or multiplayer character systems (replication, prediction, lag compensation)
Exposure to AI-driven narrative or social simulation systems
Experience with systemic game design (emergent mechanics, simulation-driven worlds, sandbox titles)
Benefits:
Great compensation package and equity
Private health insurance
Pension
Unlimited vacation days. We trust our team!
Flexible remote work hours as long as team members deliver results
We are committed to continuing to expand our benefits and perks to support our team.
Before you apply
Applying takes about a minute. These four things decide how fast it moves after that.
Your profile is current
It's what we read first. Occupations, seniority and locations matter more than a long history.
Two examples you can talk through
Not a portfolio — just two pieces of work where you can explain the decisions and what you'd change.
A number in mind
What you're on now and what would make you move. We negotiate better when we know both.
Your notice period
Employers plan around it, and it's the question that stalls offers most often.
Once you apply, someone reads it and calls you before anything reaches the employer — usually within two working days.
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