Role Summary (Why we need this person ?)

• Responsibilities: Systemic Enemy Design, Designing Enemy Archetypes, AI data entry, AI Behaviour implementation, AI Balancing

• Team composition: Senior AI Designer

• Team work: Design team, they will work as part of the AI feature team. They will work under Kristian Vuorinen, Combat Director.

We are looking for an experienced Senior AI designer that will take responsibility over designing, implementing and balancing a set of systemic enemies for a melee action game. The role requires understanding of what makes a fun enemy for a melee action combat loop, technical hands-on capability of implementing the AI using Unreal’s State Trees.

Core Mandate (3 main missions)

• Design, prototype, and iterate on combat AI behaviors for enemies and creatures

• Own enemy archetypes, design their combat roles, abilities, and implement behavior patterns

• Work closely with the Combat Director, combat designers, and 3Cs designers to ensure strong interaction between player mechanics and enemy behavior

Success Criteria (What are we expecting from you in the next months)

• Design an enemy and provide a high level and low level design documents to prepare for implementation

• Using Unreal State Trees, implement and iterate on the enemy AI

• As part of the combat design team, proactively propose improvements to the combat loop and enemy behaviors to improve combat rhythm and player challenge

• Work with other departments to take your enemy designs from prototype to final product

Key information

• Type of contract: Contractor (1 year renawable) via Deel

• Availability: ASAP (if available later, do not hesitate to apply!)

• Location: Full remote possible (Europe only)

• Few links about us

  • We released the first trailer: https://tinyurl.com/yd9k7fa8

  • Our website: https://tinyurl.com/2ae4hxuu

  • A short article about us: https://tinyurl.com/mr23zkkb

  • Good summary of our game: https://tinyurl.com/bdzxd9cc

Hard skills

• Mandatory (if a candidate doesn’t have it in his/her background, the hiring process will not continue)

  • Several years of experience (4-5) working on combat AI, enemy design, or encounter design, with at least one shipped title in a similar role

  • Experience with behavior trees, state machines, or utility-based AI systems

  • Strong understanding of combat pacing, player challenge, and moment-to-moment gameplay dynamics

  • Ability to collaborate across departments and incorporate feedback effectively

• Nice to have (if the candidate doesn’t have it, we can continue the hiring process)

  • Proficiency with Unreal Engine 4/5, including hands-on experience with Blueprints

  • Understanding of the technical implementation of AI and gameplay systems

  • Prior experience designing enemies or encounters for a melee combat-focused third-person action game

1. First conversation (20 min) by video call with Arthur (Recruiter): To learn more about your experience, your expectations and Novaquark

2. Hiring Manager interview (1 hour) with Kristian (Combat Director): To meet your future manager and to go deeper in our current context and the position itself

3. C-level interview (1 hour) with Francisc (Design Director): To meet our Design Director to give you a bigger picture of the project and the game

Throughout the entire recruitment process, Arthur will ensure follow-up and coordination. Do not hesitate to send your portfolio in addition to your CV to showcase your creations!