Associate Game Designer - D&D

 

The Dungeons & Dragons Game Design team is a collaborative and versatile group dedicated to making D&D as fun as it can be. Our team is responsible for D&D game content from beginning to end, working with cross-functional teams to ensure the experiences we make resonate with players and fans. This includes mechanical and narrative design, play innovations, playtests, product exploration, and other design-related tasks.

This Associate Game Designer role draws on your D&D knowledge, your curiosity and enthusiastic proclivity for learning, and an understanding of game design theory and philosophy. You'll write compelling, fun game content under the leadership of senior designers.

Location & Work Arrangement

This role is based in Renton, WA and follows a hybrid schedule, with in-office collaboration Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday each week.

What You'll Do:

• Conceptualize, design, and develop portions of D&D products—especially discrete game elements such as monsters, magic items, and spells—with guidance from project leads.
• Analyze and incorporate player feedback to craft outstanding game content
• Assist in preparing products for publication
• Contribute to design documentation and research
• Help review material for game balance, clarity, consistency, and player enjoyment
• Brainstorm themes, stories, encounters, and discrete game design elements to drive narrative-based gameplay experiences
• Participate as an active, creative member of a cross-functional team, contributing ideas in brainstorms, playtests, and meetings alongside artists, designers, editors, and producers

What You'll Bring:

• At least 1 year of experience in tabletop game design, including both narrative and rules design
• Ability to consistently translate designs from ideas to final implementation
• Comfort working in shared documentation systems (e.g., Confluence) and version-controlled design environments
• Strong creative writing, storytelling, and technical design skills
• Strong familiarity with Dungeons & Dragons and proficiency in the fifth edition rules
• Strong collaboration and communication skills
• A deep understanding of Dungeons & Dragons game mechanics, balance considerations, and modular design structures
• Solid technical writing and editorial skills, including attention to detail and dedication to accuracy
• Strong time/project management skills with ability to multitask and prioritize
• Curiosity, enthusiasm, and genuine love of games, with a motivation to learn more

Nice to Have:

• Experience crafting for or contributing to Unearthed Arcana or other public-facing playtest programs
• Experience generating player-facing rules content and refining it through testing and review
• Familiarity with D&D Beyond, VTTs, or digital-first content pipelines