Game Designer

The MissionAt Subject, we're building the Netflix of Education. Personalized. Localized. Accredited. Backed by Owl Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, and industry leaders, and serving 100K+ students, we're building the world's most advanced Learning Intelligence System: studio-quality, standards-aligned learning that is delivered personally and proves outcomes.The ImpactAs a Game Designer at Subject, you own how learning actually feels for students. You design the systems that turn standards-aligned content into experiences students choose to come back to: the loops, the rewards, the progression, the moment-to-moment feel. Subject is not adding gamification on top of a worksheet. We are building learning experiences that hold their own against the best games students play outside school. Your work is the difference between a student opening Subject because they have to and opening it because they want to. You report into the Design Director and partner directly with product, engineering, and content.What You'll OwnCore Loop and Systems DesignDesign the core student loops across Subject: how a learning session starts, escalates, rewards, and endsBuild the progression systems, mastery feedback, and meta-game that keep students engaged across days, weeks, and unitsTune difficulty, pacing, and challenge curves so students feel the right amount of stretch at every levelDefine the economy of points, streaks, unlocks, and achievements with intent. No empty extrinsic loopsMechanics and Moment-to-Moment FeelDesign the moment-to-moment interactions: how a question feels to answer, how a wrong answer is handled, how a win is celebratedSpecify motion, sound, haptics, and feedback in enough detail that engineers and designers ship exactly what you intendedPrototype mechanics quickly with paper, Figma, code, or off-the-shelf engines and put them in front of real studentsHold the bar on feel: if it does not feel good in a student's hand, it does not shipLearning and Engagement IntegrationPartner with Product and Curriculum to translate learning objectives into game systems without compromising rigourWork with the AI team on personalized difficulty, adaptive challenges, and AI-driven narrative or character momentsDefine the metrics that prove a system is working: retention, session length, mastery, time-on-task with intent, return rateRun playtests with real students in partner schools and feed insights back into designCross-functional BuildWrite tight design docs that product builders and engineers can execute against without ambiguityWork and ship alongside engineers, designers, and content specialistsBrief support, GTM, and educator success on the why behind each system so the field can speak to itTrack outcomes after launch and iterateRequirements5+ years of game design experience on shipped consumer products. Mobile, web, or consoleA portfolio with at least one title that demonstrates strong systems design, progression, and player retentionDeep understanding of core loops, meta-game, economy design, and player psychologyHands-on prototyping skills: Figma, Unity, Godot, web, or whatever lets you put a working mechanic in someone's hand fastComfortable with data: you can define what success looks like, read a dashboard, and change course based on what you findClear writer: your design docs are readable, your rationale is tight, your stakeholder updates don't require translationBonus: experience in AI-native productsThe Mindset We NeedStudio-quality bar: you hold craft and outcomes together. Fun systems that don't teach are not enough, and effective systems that aren't fun are not enough eitherFull ownership: you feel the weight of the systems you ship. You don't hand off, you shipSpeed with taste: you prototype fast, iterate in the open, and don't let perfect be the enemy of shipped-and-learningStudent obsession: you watch students play, you know what makes them lean in and what makes them quitAI-native operator: you already use Claude Code, Cursor, or equivalent daily. AI is in your workflow, not on your wishlistThe Commitment We're Looking ForThis role requires exceptional dedication because students deserve our absolute best. We need someone who:Lives the mission and treats student and district outcomes as real stakesThrives in intensity and takes pride in building something from nothingTakes end-to-end ownership: design, definition, delivery, resultsWorks with presence: Los Angeles office, 5 days/weekCan commit to 60 hours/week: this is a high-output, high-ownership role and the pace reflects the ambitionWe're not looking for people who tolerate long hours. We're looking for people who find meaning in building something that matters this much.Compensation $150,000 to $160,000Benefits: Premium health coverage, gym membership, daily meals, top hardwareJoin UsIf you want to design the learning systems students actually choose to come back to, Subject is where you do that work.