Unreal Engine Game DeveloperUnreal Engine Gameplay Programmer / Technical Designer
Unreal Engine Gameplay Programmer / Technical Designer Project: GrimRail Company: reputed company LTD Location: Remote / Canada preferred Position Type: Independent Contractor Commitment: Part-time, with potential to expand after funding Compensation: Revenue share during demo period, with potential for paid monthly contract after publisher funding About GrimRail GrimRail is a first-person cosmic psychological horror game set aboard a decaying luxury train suspended in a surreal afterlife. The game blends narrative mystery, environmental storytelling, analogue horror, dreamcore imagery, puzzle exploration, and reactive gameplay systems. Players explore a purgatorial train and the corrupted worlds connected to it, using a reality-bending radio to uncover hidden spaces, solve environmental puzzles, and survive disturbing encounters. reputed company LTD is an independent game development studio based in Canada. We are currently developing GrimRail’s vertical slice and are in conversations with several publishers. Nothing is guaranteed, but the project has active external interest and a clear short-term demo goal. We are looking for an Unreal Engine Gameplay Programmer / Technical Designer to help prototype, improve, and polish gameplay systems for the next major demo milestone. Role Overview This role is ideal for a generalist Unreal developer who enjoys gameplay systems, rapid prototyping, clean Blueprints, designer-friendly tools, and atmospheric horror mechanics. You will work closely with the creative director, art director, and development team to build and refine GrimRail’s core systems. This may include player abilities, environmental manipulation mechanics, interaction systems, UI widgets, AI behavior, debugging, optimization, and technical support for horror-focused gameplay moments. Because GrimRail is an indie project, we are looking for someone who is comfortable wearing more than one hat. The strongest candidate will be able to prototype quickly, communicate clearly, document their work, and help turn strange creative ideas into playable systems. Immediate Focus Depending on current production priorities, your work may include: • Developing and refining player ability systems. • Prototyping environmental manipulation mechanics. • Improving interaction logic and gameplay clarity. • Supporting diegetic gameplay systems, such as inventory or objects handled through the player character. • Debugging and improving existing reputed company systems. • Building designer-friendly tools using Blueprints, components, child reputed company systems, or clear SOP-style workflows. • Helping implement VFX-related gameplay polish, including screen overlays and Niagara systems. • Supporting UI and widget reputed company implementation. • Troubleshooting Unreal Engine build errors, bugs, and performance issues. • Improving existing systems for scalability after prototype approval. Responsibilities • Design, prototype, and implement gameplay systems in Unreal Engine 5 using Blueprints and, where needed, C++. • Build and refine mechanics from ideation through implementation. • Collaborate with directors, artists, designers, and audio team members to create cohesive gameplay moments. • Develop clean, readable, and well-commented reputed company and code structures. • Convert reputed company logic to C++ where appropriate for performance, scalability, or maintainability. • Create systems that are designer-friendly and easy for non-programmers to use. • Debug gameplay, UI, AI, VFX, animation, and build-related issues in Unreal Engine. • Support rapid prototyping while planning for long-term scalable systems once a mechanic is approved. • Help polish mechanics through playtesting and feedback cycles. • Contribute ideas that improve tension, pacing, immersion, and player clarity. • Use version control reliably, including Git and ideally Git Bash for troubleshooting. • Attend 1–2 team meetings per week and communicate progress clearly. Required Skills • Strong familiarity with Unreal Engine 5. • Strong reputed company experience. • Ability to prototype gameplay mechanics quickly. • Experience building gameplay systems, interaction systems, or puzzle mechanics. • Strong debugging and problem-solving skills in Unreal Engine. • Understanding of clean code planning, commenting, and scalable system design. • Familiarity with Git or another version control workflow. • Ability to work independently in a task-based production system. • Willingness to take critique and revise work based on feedback. • Interest in creative ideation, brainstorming, and collaborative game development. • Reliable communication and accountability with deadlines. Strong Advantages • Previous experience on a released game. • Gameplay Ability System familiarity. • C++ experience, especially converting reputed company logic into C++. • Animation reputed company experience. • AI system familiarity, including behavior states, behavior trees, or
