Associate Game Designer, Technical

naughtydog

United States, Santa Monica, CA · United States · Canada

Posted Jul 2, 2026

Temporary
Hybrid
Naughty Dog

Job description

This position is for temporary engagement through our staffing partner, Yoh Enterprise Solutions. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States for this position.

This is a hybrid / onsite position.

For nearly 40 years, Naughty Dog has been crafting best-selling, critically acclaimed games that constantly push the boundaries of narrative, gameplay, and technology. Naughty Dog recently released The Last of Us Part II Remastered as well as a current generation remake of The Last of Us Part I for the PS5. We're also proud to say that The Last of Us Part I is now available for the first time on PC.

Naughty Dog games have long been lauded for their evocative, character-driven stories and attention to detail. We are committed to innovation within our games and as such have curated some of the top creative and technically innovative minds in the industry. We welcome diverse candidates and believe that a broad range of cultural and life experiences contribute to the overall well-being and success of the studio and the titles we craft together.

In this role you’ll be responsible for prototyping gameplay using our in-house tools and scripting language, which could range from combat encounters to narrative sequences to player mechanics and enemy behaviors. Then working across departments to bring your prototypes into production and polish your work to the high level of quality Naughty Dog is known for. We’re looking for self-motivated, proactive designers who enjoy creating unique experiences and can combine their technical and creative skills while iterating rapidly.

What you will do

Prototyping, implementing, and owning gameplay scenarios, narrative sequences, interactive objects, and AI behaviors
Collaborating with the Design team to conceptualize, prototype, implement, tune, and balance gameplay mechanics and systems
Communicating with animation, programming, and art departments to effectively produce the assets and code support required for the areas you’re owning
Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed

What skills will you use

Significant programming ability (Computer Science undergraduate degree preferred)
Knowledge of 3D math
Experience with C++, C#, Lua, or other scripting language
Broad understanding of gaming landscape
Self-starter with excellent communication and teamwork skills
Willingness to take design direction when offered, brainstorm, iterate and come up with fun and creative solutions
Additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed

Bonus Skills

Experience developing third-person action games
Experience with 3D level editors
Understanding of narrative principles, and conveying emotion through gameplay
Experience with the following areas of design

Behavior Trees
Melee
Combat Systems
Character animation
Enemy & boss design

As part of the Naughty Dog application process, candidates should expect to be given a technical interview

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At SIE, working with our partners, we consider several factors when setting each role’s base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location.

Please note that the individual base pay range may vary based on job-related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location.

In addition, this role is eligible for benefit offerings that include medical, dental, and vision. Click here to learn more.

The estimated base pay range for this role is listed below, this is an hourly rate.

$37—$50 USD

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