Senior Gameplay Programmer, Game Prototypes

About This Role

This senior gameplay programmer role is central to shaping the gameplay foundation of Netflix Games, focusing on the cloud streaming platform, the Netflix Game Controller (NGC), and other potential platforms. The role involves implementing and refining gameplay systems across a diverse portfolio of game prototypes, spanning various genres from children's titles to AAA action-adventure games. It suits a highly-skilled programmer with industry-leading craft expertise and a proactive curiosity, comfortable working with a unique input device like the NGC.

Responsibilities

• Build across genres: Contribute to a rotating slate of projects spanning many different genres, adapting your engineering approach to fit the genre, audience, and platform at hand
• Drive feature areas end-to-end: Own multiple complex gameplay features from prototype to polished implementation, producing well-engineered, reliable, and maintainable code
• Prototype in UE5: Translate design intent into functional, playable systems and mechanics using Unreal Engine 5 with a combination of C++, Blueprints, Gen AI, and custom tools to validate gameplay hypotheses and find the fun fast
• Optimize and debug: Profile, optimize, and debug both code and content across projects as needed to keep prototypes performant on TV via the cloud streaming platform and other targets
• Collaboration catalyst: Partner closely with designers, artists, producers, and other engineers to integrate and improve features, ensuring cohesion between design intent and execution. Participate in code reviews and create documentation and functional tests for the features you build

Requirements

• Proven experience prototyping and shipping two or more titles as a Gameplay Programmer/Engineer across varied genres, with a focus on excellent player experience
• Excellent technical knowledge in C++, optimization, math, and debugging, with extensive hands-on experience in Unreal Engine 5 and strong Blueprint implementation skills
• Strong gameplay and design sensibilities, able to partner with designers to shape systems and articulate the core elements that contribute to the "feel" and success of each genre
• Demonstrates ability to develop complex features and systems end-to-end, and to produce reliable, maintainable code under fast iterative timelines
• Thrives in a fast-moving, prototype-first environment where scope and direction evolve quickly, demonstrating exceptional adaptability to change
• Strong communicator who can translate complex technical ideas for other disciplines and communicates actively about the status of their tasks
• Maintains a broad and active engagement with games, offering well-informed and strong perspectives on the elements that contribute to an exceptional player experience
• Demonstrates good judgement on the required quality level and technical approach for a wide array of tasks ranging from quick and dirty prototypes to shippable features