(Senior) Game Designer - Systems & Economy

You’ll own game design at Iteration One. That means pitching features, modeling their economy impact, designing monetization systems, working with developers and artists to build them, and taking responsibility for the results. You’ll maintain currency flows, progression curves, pricing, and IAP & ad monetization strategy across a live game with real players who notice when things are off.

You own the design chair. That comes with real autonomy - but also real accountability.

Day to day:

• Designing, balancing, and maintaining the game economy: currencies, sinks, sources, progression vectors, event economies
• Owning F2P monetization - IAP design, offer strategy, ad placements, conversion optimization, and pricing
• Building economy models in spreadsheets and simulation tools
• Using player data (BigQuery) to find where the experience breaks and fixing it
• Planning and balancing LiveOps content - events, limited-time offers, seasonal content
• Working directly with developers and artists in a small, cross-functional team

• 3+ years of game design experience on a shipped, live F2P mobile game
• Strong economy design skills: you can build a progression model in a spreadsheet and explain why the numbers work
• Experience designing F2P monetization: you’ve worked on IAP offers, pricing, ad strategy, or conversion funnels and can talk about what worked and why
• Experience with idle tycoon, coin looter or auto battle games: as a designer or as a serious player who understands the genre deeply
• Self-directed: you pitch ideas and set direction, not wait for someone to tell you what to design
• Comfort with data: you understand retention, ARPDAU, LTV, conversion rates, and use them to inform your decisions
• Fluent English; German is a plus but not required

Nice to have: experience with simulation tools (Machinations or similar), SQL knowledge (we use BigQuery), experience with AI-assisted design workflows, or a background that combines analytical training with game design practice.

Iteration One is a self-funded, independent gaming studio in Karlsruhe. With Nightclub Tycoon - a free-to-play idle tycoon game on iOS and Android - we’ve built a game played by millions, with a small team and no outside money.

We’re 7 people. We’re growing. And we need a game designer who can own the design of a mobile free-to-play game end to end: economy, progression, and monetization. We’re looking for someone who can hold both, design and monetization, and make the game feel great while making the business sustainable.