Principal Game Designer - Skill Games

This is a Principal Game Designer role for our new Skill Games Team.

Skill-based games provide fair gaming competitions to players interested in proving their skills in a real-money environment.

You'll play a critical role in shaping our games from concept to launch. If you're passionate about building engaging game loops, optimising player experiences, and leveraging data to drive design decisions, this role is for you.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

As our Principal Game Designer, you’ll turn our vision into reality, designing game features and mechanics that engage and excite players. Reporting to the Head of Design, you’ll be responsible for architecting game systems, defining mechanics, and ensuring every decision is backed by data and player insight.

1. Design & Define: Create clear, detailed documentation, wireframes, and game system designs.
2. Balance Creativity & Data: Use analytics to inform decisions—your solutions should be backed by numbers, not just gut feelings.
3. Own the Player Experience: Put the player first in all design choices, ensuring fun, intuitive, and competitive gameplay.
4. Collaborate & Innovate: Work with cross-functional teams, including artists, engineers, and product managers, to refine and improve game concepts.
5. Stay Ahead of the Game: Keep a pulse on industry trends, competitor games, and emerging opportunities in skill-based gaming.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

1. Proven experience as a Senior / Principal Game Designer (F2P or skill-based games preferred).
2. Hands-on concept creation experience—you’ve built game concepts from scratch and taken them to pre-production.
3. Strong market knowledge - Experience with monetisation models and staying ahead of industry trends.
4. A data-driven mindset—Ability to interpret player data and analytics to make informed design choices.
5. Collaborative and self-sufficient—Thrive in a remote, highly autonomous environment, working seamlessly with cross-functional teams.
6. Excellent communication skills – Very strong written and verbal English skills to articulate design decisions clearly.

WHY JOIN PLAYNETIC?

1. A startup within an established company—move fast, innovate, and make an impact.
2. Fully remote & flexible—work when and where you work best.
3. Flat hierarchy & high autonomy—own your work without bureaucracy.
4. Growth opportunities—we’re scaling, and this role could evolve into a leadership position.

HOW WE WORK & OUR BENEFITS

1. Flexible working hours—Flexible working at Playnetic is actually flexible! No core working hours; work how you work best. We operate a common sense and goal-driven approach that helps you and us track success.
2. Unlimited holidays—We respect the importance of work-life balance, which is why we believe in unlimited holidays. The only thing we ask is you take at least 25 days!