“You were bold once. Be bold once more.” – The Academic
Red Hook are the creators of the Darkest Dungeon series, which has grown from crowdfunded beginnings to become gaming’s most iconic strategy gothic horror franchise. Darkest Dungeon and Darkest Dungeon II have combined to sell many millions of copies. Red Hook continues to function as an independent studio under its parent company, Behaviour Interactive, with a mandate to continue creating bold titles featuring significant innovation. We strive to maintain a workplace founded upon creativity, respect, transparency, and accountability.
We’re looking for an Encounter Designer to help craft the enemies and encounters that are crucial to ensuring a challenging and fun combat experience. You’ll take a hands-on approach to designing and creating compelling enemies and combat encounters that engage players in tactical and strategic thinking. If you love jumping into tools, iterating quickly, and obsessing over how enemies feel, we’d love for you to grow your craft here. Reporting to the Design Manager and partnering closely with our Combat team, you’ll take real ownership over enemies and combat encounters that help define the player experience.
Why Join Us?
- Clear Vision & Leadership - Work with experienced leaders who know where the project is going and how to get there. Red Hook is led by the original Darkest Dungeon creators.
- Collaborative Culture - Join a team that respects and elevates each other’s craft, knowing that only through our collective efforts can we achieve success.
- Agency - With the game’s vision clearly defined, our designers are trusted with real creative ownership - working without micromanagement and empowered to shape a game the entire team will be proud of.
- Stability - Red Hook is careful about hiring and firing, seeking to avoid boom and bust cycles. We’re in this for the long game.
- Beautiful Vancouver - Live and work in one of the most desirable cities in the world. Relocation assistance available.
Responsibilities
- Design, prototype, and implement enemy units, mechanics, and encounters that feel tense, readable, formidable, and rewarding
- Design and implement enemy behaviors and combat AI that create distinct, readable, and responsive threats
- Craft memorable combat encounters and pacing, working closely with level and environment teams
- Rapidly prototype in Unreal to test ideas directly in-game and then refine and implement those ideas to shippable state
- Collaborate with the combat team to take advantage of cross-disciplinary expertise
- Iterate through playtests, metrics, and feedback, constantly improving clarity, balance, and fun
- Create clear documentation to communicate how systems and features work
Qualifications
- 5-7+ years of professional game design experience with hands-on combat or gameplay systems work
- At least one shipped title where you contributed meaningfully to combat or enemy mechanics
- Solid understanding of combat fundamentals: balance; enemy behaviors; combat pacing; telegraphing and readability; and difficulty curves
- Experience prototyping and scripting directly in Unreal Engine 5 (including blueprints and GAS) or similar tools
- A builder’s mindset, you’re comfortable jumping into tools and making things work yourself
- Demonstrated commitment to taking ownership, exchanging knowledge, and driving initiatives independently
- Collaborative and friendly–your ability to get along with other team members while still pushing for high quality end product is crucial to success
Red Hook Studios is an inclusive, respectful, and supportive workplace. We encourage candidates of all identities and backgrounds to apply.
