Senior Combat Designer

Location: Vancouver, Canada; relocation assistance available

Company

hirify.global is an independent game studio under Behaviour Interactive, known for creating the Darkest Dungeon strategy gothic horror franchise.

What you will do

• Design and develop heroes, enemies, combat encounters, and core combat mechanics from prototype through shippable state.
• Design, implement, and tune enemy behaviors and combat AI to create readable and responsive threats.
• Define encounter structures and pacing in collaboration with level and environment teams.
• Prototype and build combat features in Unreal Engine, testing ideas directly in-game.
• Represent combat design in discussions with design leadership and partner teams, building alignment on key decisions.
• Create and maintain documentation for systems and features.

Requirements

• 8+ years of professional game design experience, including 3+ years designing combat, enemies, or encounters.
• At least one shipped title where combat features or systems were driven by the candidate.
• Deep understanding of combat balance, enemy behaviors, pacing, telegraphing, readability, and difficulty curves.
• Strong prototyping, building, and scripting experience in Unreal Engine 5, including Blueprints and GAS, or similar tools.
• Proven ability to take ownership, exchange knowledge, and drive initiatives independently.
• Strong cross-disciplinary collaboration skills and a builder’s mindset.

Nice to have

• Experience with spreadsheet-based balancing for power curves and difficulty pacing.

Culture & Benefits

• Work with experienced leadership, including the original Darkest Dungeon creators.
• Collaborative workplace founded on creativity, respect, transparency, and accountability.
• Designers have creative ownership and work without micromanagement.
• Stable independent studio focused on long-term development.
• Relocation assistance for living and working in Vancouver.