UserWise
Creative Director / Lead Game Designer (Mobile F2P - Licensed IP)
UserWise, Poland, New York, United States
Full time - Remote
Remote - open to all EU locations
The Opportunity UserWise is developing a new mobile game based on a globally recognized entertainment IP, blending proven F2P systems with fast, rewarding hybrid‑casual gameplay.
We're looking for a Creative Director / Lead Game Designer to own the creative vision, game feel, and design quality of the project. This role is the creative authority for the project – responsible for defining the player experience, setting the quality bar, and ensuring that every interaction feels rewarding, intuitive, and cohesive.
This is a hands‑on leadership role in a lean team environment. You will actively design, prototype, and iterate alongside engineers and artists, bridging mass‑market accessibility with long‑term retention, and shaping the soul of the game from early prototypes through launch.
Role Focus
Design vision & creative direction
Quality bar across all gameplay and systems
Clarity, cohesion, and emotional impact of the player experience
As the design team grows, this role acts as the final design decision‑maker, while delegating execution to systems and feature designers.
What You’ll Do Vision & Experience Ownership
Define and own the overall creative vision, experience pillars, and player fantasy
Act as the guardian of the core loop and game feel, ensuring interactions, feedback, pacing, and rewards feel tactile, satisfying, and premium
Establish and uphold the design quality bar across gameplay, progression, monetization touchpoints, and LiveOps
Make final calls on major design trade‑offs to preserve clarity, cohesion, and emotional impact
Core Gameplay, Retention & Systems Direction
Shape the core loop, session structure, and high‑level progression strategy
Architect the game’s retention strategy, designing emotional highs/lows and session flows that support long‑term engagement
Guide the direction of economy, rewards, streaks, and monetization systems to serve core fun rather than overwhelm it
Ensure trivia gameplay, meta systems, and social mechanics work together holistically
Team Leadership & Collaboration
Serve as the creative and design lead while remaining deeply hands‑on in day‑to‑day development
Guide and mentor other designers (systems, economy, feature/content) while continuing to contribute directly to game design
Partner closely with the Lead Producer on scope, priorities, and milestone planning
Collaborate daily with the Technical Director to align design intent with technical execution
Work with Art and UI/UX leadership to ensure design, visuals, and UX reinforce the same vision
Hands‑On Design & Prototyping
Actively design, prototype, and iterate on core gameplay, flows, and experience moments – this is a hands‑on role, not a review‑only position
Lead and participate in rapid prototyping to validate fun, clarity, pacing, and player delight
Personally own the design of key features or experience pillars, especially during early and mid‑production
Review and iterate on designs from other designers, providing clear, actionable feedback
Deconstruct competitor experiences to inform polish, pacing, and player motivation
Requirements
8‑10+ years of professional game design experience, including leadership responsibility
Proven experience owning design vision, game feel, and quality on a shipped mobile F2P title
Strong background in casual or hybrid‑casual games with an emphasis on progression and retention
Demonstrated mastery of player motivation, feedback loops, pacing, and polish
Experience improving or owning retention metrics (D1/D7/D30+) on live products
Comfortable working hands‑on with prototypes and collaborating deeply with engineering and art
Excellent communication and decision‑making skills
Fluent in English; effective in a remote, international team
Nice to Have
Experience working on licensed IP
Experience guiding a design team across MVP → soft launch → live
Familiarity with LiveOps, events, and post‑launch iteration
Hands‑on experience with Unity or other game engines
Familiarity with AI‑assisted development or gameplay systems, such as content generation, tuning automation, or adaptive difficulty
Benefits
Own the creative vision of a new mobile game from concept to global launch
Work with a veteran‑led team in a lean, high‑ownership environment
High visibility and direct impact on a flagship project
Opportunity to build and shape a growing design team
Work on a globally recognised IP with real brand reach and growth potential
100% remote, flexible work with a small, passionate, execution‑focused team
#J-18808-Ljbffr
Remote - open to all EU locations
The Opportunity UserWise is developing a new mobile game based on a globally recognized entertainment IP, blending proven F2P systems with fast, rewarding hybrid‑casual gameplay.
We're looking for a Creative Director / Lead Game Designer to own the creative vision, game feel, and design quality of the project. This role is the creative authority for the project – responsible for defining the player experience, setting the quality bar, and ensuring that every interaction feels rewarding, intuitive, and cohesive.
This is a hands‑on leadership role in a lean team environment. You will actively design, prototype, and iterate alongside engineers and artists, bridging mass‑market accessibility with long‑term retention, and shaping the soul of the game from early prototypes through launch.
Role Focus
Design vision & creative direction
Quality bar across all gameplay and systems
Clarity, cohesion, and emotional impact of the player experience
As the design team grows, this role acts as the final design decision‑maker, while delegating execution to systems and feature designers.
What You’ll Do Vision & Experience Ownership
Define and own the overall creative vision, experience pillars, and player fantasy
Act as the guardian of the core loop and game feel, ensuring interactions, feedback, pacing, and rewards feel tactile, satisfying, and premium
Establish and uphold the design quality bar across gameplay, progression, monetization touchpoints, and LiveOps
Make final calls on major design trade‑offs to preserve clarity, cohesion, and emotional impact
Core Gameplay, Retention & Systems Direction
Shape the core loop, session structure, and high‑level progression strategy
Architect the game’s retention strategy, designing emotional highs/lows and session flows that support long‑term engagement
Guide the direction of economy, rewards, streaks, and monetization systems to serve core fun rather than overwhelm it
Ensure trivia gameplay, meta systems, and social mechanics work together holistically
Team Leadership & Collaboration
Serve as the creative and design lead while remaining deeply hands‑on in day‑to‑day development
Guide and mentor other designers (systems, economy, feature/content) while continuing to contribute directly to game design
Partner closely with the Lead Producer on scope, priorities, and milestone planning
Collaborate daily with the Technical Director to align design intent with technical execution
Work with Art and UI/UX leadership to ensure design, visuals, and UX reinforce the same vision
Hands‑On Design & Prototyping
Actively design, prototype, and iterate on core gameplay, flows, and experience moments – this is a hands‑on role, not a review‑only position
Lead and participate in rapid prototyping to validate fun, clarity, pacing, and player delight
Personally own the design of key features or experience pillars, especially during early and mid‑production
Review and iterate on designs from other designers, providing clear, actionable feedback
Deconstruct competitor experiences to inform polish, pacing, and player motivation
Requirements
8‑10+ years of professional game design experience, including leadership responsibility
Proven experience owning design vision, game feel, and quality on a shipped mobile F2P title
Strong background in casual or hybrid‑casual games with an emphasis on progression and retention
Demonstrated mastery of player motivation, feedback loops, pacing, and polish
Experience improving or owning retention metrics (D1/D7/D30+) on live products
Comfortable working hands‑on with prototypes and collaborating deeply with engineering and art
Excellent communication and decision‑making skills
Fluent in English; effective in a remote, international team
Nice to Have
Experience working on licensed IP
Experience guiding a design team across MVP → soft launch → live
Familiarity with LiveOps, events, and post‑launch iteration
Hands‑on experience with Unity or other game engines
Familiarity with AI‑assisted development or gameplay systems, such as content generation, tuning automation, or adaptive difficulty
Benefits
Own the creative vision of a new mobile game from concept to global launch
Work with a veteran‑led team in a lean, high‑ownership environment
High visibility and direct impact on a flagship project
Opportunity to build and shape a growing design team
Work on a globally recognised IP with real brand reach and growth potential
100% remote, flexible work with a small, passionate, execution‑focused team
#J-18808-Ljbffr