Lead Game Designer

The Role

You own the systems that make LoTH play well — the deterministic faction engine, the economy layer, the starship refit and combat systems, the tier-based progression, the module framework, and everything that makes a session feel tight. The spec is written. The lore is written. You make it balance.

What You'll Do

• Tune and validate the deterministic faction turn engine — ensure outcomes feel dramatic, fair, and narratively productive
• Balance the economy — base prices, dynamic modifiers, scarcity curves, the relationship between Dark Matter Reserves, War Score, and market conditions
• Design the starship system gameplay loop — refits, repairs, capacity, mining yields, trade routes, combat integration
• Define the tier progression experience — ensure each tier (Citizen through GM Pro) feels meaningfully different
• Validate guided module pacing — scene length, branch density, dice check frequency, narrative beat timing
• Collaborate with engineering on system implementation and with narrative on content integration

Requirements

• 5+ years in game design with shipped titles — tabletop, digital, or both
• Systems design depth. Economy balancing, faction simulation, progression tuning
• Deterministic experience. State-driven game systems, not just RNG-based mechanics
• Quantitative skills. You model systems before you ship them
• You've played enough TTRPGs to know when a system is getting in the way of the story, and you've fixed it

Compensation

All positions include equity in Kuykendall Industries. Salaries are TBD and will be determined based on role scope, experience, and what you bring to the table — literally and figuratively.

The Builder Clause

We don't care where you went to school. We don't care if you went to school. Our founder is self-taught, started coding at 13, and built a 602,000-line cognitive architecture and a 420,000-word universe without a CS degree or a creative writing MFA.

Meet the qualifications, or show us what you've built. Either path works. Both paths demand excellence.

Apply

Ready to move? Send a short note of relevant proof-of-work — past shipped projects, metrics you moved, or a draft of your first 30 days.