Game Designer

About Us

Arcade Online is a live platform where players enjoy a growing catalogue of original digital games designed exclusively for the platform, alongside the ability to remotely control real arcade machines.

Our games blend traditional arcade sensibility with modern live-service design, built around events, progression, challenges and real-world rewards.

The Role

We're looking for a Game Designer to own the design of our original titles.

This is a hands-on role that takes games from early concept through prototyping, iteration, balancing and launch. Working closely with a small team of developers, this role is about finding the fun while establishing the rules, mechanisms and economies that make arcade games highly accessible, juicy, and replayable.

Our games include a ticket economy - just like a physical arcade, players earn tickets with real world value based on gameplay outcomes. You won't be expected to arrive knowing this space, but you should be comfortable designing and balancing reward systems, in-game economies and progression loops.

What You'll Do

• Design original digital arcade games from concept through to launch
• Prototype and iterate gameplay mechanics with a focus on engagement, accessibility and replayability within the Unity game engine
• Balance difficulty, progression, reward timing and ticket payout through rigorous testing and analysis
• Design scoring models, bonus mechanics and progression systems
• Produce clear design documentation, specifications and economy spreadsheets
• Playtest extensively - identify what's working, what isn't, and drive iteration until it's right
• Analyse player behaviour and game performance post-launch to inform future improvements
• Develop original game concepts and, over time, take ownership of creative direction for new titles
• Support the design of proprietary electromechanical arcade games where relevant

What We're Looking For

• Commercial game design experience, ideally in mobile, casual, arcade or live-service games
• A strong instinct for what makes gameplay satisfying, accessible and highly replayable
• Experience designing and balancing gameplay systems
• Strong analytical skills; comfortable tuning mechanics using data and structured testing rather than instinct alone
• Experience working closely with software engineers throughout a development cycle
• Able to iterate rapidly, make decisions under uncertainty, and hold a high bar for polish
• Clear communicator - able to document design decisions and specs that a small team can execute against
• Hands-on with game engines (Unity preferred) - you don't need to write code, but you're not afraid to get into the tools

Nice to have

• Live-service or free-to-play mobile games
• In-game economies or virtual reward systems
• Rapid prototyping experience

What Success Looks Like

After your first 12 months, you'll have:

• Shipped multiple original Arcade Online titles
• Taken ownership of gameplay balancing across the digital portfolio
• Established design processes that increase development velocity
• Become the go-to for new gameplay mechanics and original game concepts
• Contributed to games with high engagement, repeat play and commercial performance

Why Join Us

This is a chance to design games in a category that doesn’t really exist anywhere else - where arcade mechanics, live-service design, and real-world prizes combine into something genuinely novel.

You'll work in a small, highly collaborative team where your decisions have a direct and visible impact on the product.