> Markdown version of [/jobs/ext/2306597-founding-game-designer](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/jobs/ext/2306597-founding-game-designer). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Founding Game Designer - **Company:** Embedding VC - **Location:** London, UK - **Salary:** £80,000.0 - £110,000.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Artificial Intelligence, Software Design Documents, Game Engine, Software Prototyping, Large Language Models, Generative AI - **Published:** August 30, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.collegerecruiter.com/job/2815439390-founding-game-designer ## About the Role You have: * Shipped at least one game or interactive product where you owned core design decisions: progression, pacing, systems, or economy design. * A portfolio or body of work that demonstrates systems thinking: you can show how you designed rules that produced emergent player behaviour, not just authored fixed content. * The ability to prototype quickly and iterate based on playtesting, not just theory. * Strong design communication skills. You can write a clear design doc, argue for a mechanic, and explain your reasoning to engineers and non-designers without hand-waving. You're comfortable with: * Being the first designer. There's no existing design language, style guide, or established framework. You'll be making foundational calls with incomplete information and revising them as you learn. * Providing a strong input on the visual side. You have a strong visual eye and opinions about art direction * Designing for an audience that isn't you. Our players are 6-10 years old. You don't need a background in child development, but you need genuine curiosity about how kids think, play, and learn. * Working with generative systems. Much of Pebble's content is procedural and AI-driven, which means you're designing constraints, rules, and possibility spaces rather than hand-crafting every encounter. Nice to have: * Experience with Godot, or any 2D game engine's design/prototyping tools. * Familiarity with educational game design, edutainment, or serious games. * Interest in or exposure to AI/LLM-powered interactive experiences. * Experience designing for young children or family audiences. Genuinely optional: * Charizard card in mint condition to add to our cabinet of curiosities ## Description You'll be Pebble's first game designer, responsible for defining how an AI-powered world actually feels to play. That means designing the exploration systems, pacing, and progression mechanics that make kids want to come back, not through dark patterns, but through genuine curiosity and a deepening relationship with an AI companion character. You'll work at the intersection of game design, child development, and generative AI, building design frameworks from scratch in a Godot 4 environment where the content is procedural and the interactions are voice-driven. ## Related Videos - [WeAreDevelopers LIVE - "Fun and games - and all that comes with it", Back to BASIC & more](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1719-wearedevelopers-live-fun-and-games-and-all-that-comes-with-it-back-to-basic-more) - [Building a fully automated escape room](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/735-building-a-fully-automated-escape-room) - [Your imaginations is (no longer) the limit: how Generative AI empowers people to be creative](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/741-your-imaginations-is-no-longer-the-limit-how-generative-ai-empowers-people-to-be-creative) - [Innovating Developer Tools with AI: Insights from GitHub Next](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1268-innovating-developer-tools-with-ai-insights-from-github-next) - [What AI Can, Can’t, and Shouldn’t do for Games](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/997-what-ai-can-can-t-and-shouldn-t-do-for-games) - [Building Collaborative Open Source tools for Developers and Designers - Pablo Ruiz-Muzquiz from Penpot](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1345-building-collaborative-open-source-tools-for-developers-and-designers-pablo-ruiz-muzquiz-from-penpot) ## Related Articles - [John Romero - What AI Can, Can’t, and Shouldn’t do for Games](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/478-john-romero-what-ai-can-can-t-and-shouldn-t-do-for-games) - [What Developers Can Learn from Indie Games](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/650-what-developers-can-learn-from-indie-games) - [WWC24 Talk - Brenda Romero - Stay: Surviving and Thriving in Tech](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/467-wwc24-talk-brenda-romero-stay-surviving-and-thriving-in-tech) - [Five Nostalgic Developer Portfolios for Inspiration](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/644-five-nostalgic-developer-portfolios-for-inspiration) - [Dev Digest 118 - not a total recall](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/452-dev-digest-118-not-a-total-recall) - [Dev Digest 135 - AI is Doomed](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/480-dev-digest-135-ai-is-doomed)