Middle Puzzle Designer (Gamedev)

MIDDLE PUZZLE DESIGNER (EMPTY EXHIBIT)

🕹 Locator
🧠 Middle
💰 $40/hour
⏰ Part-time
🌎 Remote

🦄 Description
Empty Exhibit is looking for a Freelance Puzzle Designer for Locator, a Geoguessr-inspired detective game set on an alien planet. Players examine photos to determine their location on a map using visual and contextual clues, with each puzzle built around logical deduction.

🚀 Responsibilities
• Create low fidelity puzzle prototypes to test puzzle logic and identify issues based on player feedback
• Collaborate with narrative to ensure puzzles support key story beats and narrative constraints
• Work in Blender to create low fidelity blockout environments, place cameras, and render puzzle photos
• Use Photoshop to create journal pages, notes, maps, and other supplementary puzzle materials
• Review playtest footage and player surveys
• Evaluate puzzle clarity, difficulty, fairness, and logic
• Fine-tune puzzles based on player feedback and testing

📚 Required Skills
• Demonstrable puzzle design experience
• Strong understanding of logical deduction puzzle design
• Moderate proficiency with Blender
• Comfortable navigating 3D scenes and moving, rotating, and scaling objects
• Comfortable placing cameras in 3D environments
• Basic proficiency with Photoshop
• Ability to create simple page layouts and low fidelity sketches
• Availability for virtual meetings in Pacific Time

👍 Nice to Have
• Experience with detective games or logic-based puzzle games
• Experience designing puzzles that support narrative
• Familiarity with Unreal Engine
• Interest in games such as Return of the Obra Dinn, Case of the Golden Idol, and Outer Wilds

🍪 What we offer
• Freelance part-time role
• Remote work
• Flexible workload of around 20 hours per week
• Duration from now until around February 2027
• Opportunity to work on a logical deduction detective game
• Support from an experienced 3D environment artist
• Inclusive hiring approach

🌐 Vacancy link

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