Junior Game Programmer / Unreal Generalist (Unreal Engine)

Written By Habin Park

  • Location: Hybrid Remote / in person NYC (can be fully remote if home address is in NY state)

  • Employment Type: Full Time

  • Experience Level: Junior (1–2 years)

  • Industry: Game Development

  • Specialization: Unreal Engine

About Spiky Spike:

We are Spiky Spike, a startup studio focused on creating innovative roguelike games with amazing storylines and narratives. Our goal is to push the boundaries of storytelling within the roguelike genre and provide unforgettable gaming experiences. We thrive in a fast-paced environment where creativity and productivity go hand in hand.

Spiky Spike Values:

  • Responsibility: We take our role seriously and understand the impact of our work. Every promise, deadline, and milestone reflects our commitment to excellence and our passion for game development.

  • Accountability: We take ownership of our work and our mistakes. Accountability fosters teamwork and ensures the quality of our deliverables, building trust between us and our players.

  • Discipline: Making games is fun, but it requires rigorous discipline. Our adherence to workflows, processes, and schedules sets us apart and helps us achieve our ambitious goals.

  • Hard Work and Teamwork: We believe in finishing together. Our commitment to high-quality work is matched by our dedication to supporting each other and our players to the very end.

  • Communication: Clear and thorough communication is key at Spiky Spike. We ensure everyone—from team members to players—is aligned and informed.

  • Mastery: Our expertise is built on years of experience with the world’s leading games, engines, and platforms. We are committed to continuous improvement, ensuring we remain at the forefront of game development.

  • Curiosity and Continuous Learning: The video game industry is ever-evolving. We are perpetual learners, always adapting and applying the latest knowledge to stay ahead.

Job Description:

As a Junior Game Programmer (Unreal) at Spiky Spike, you will be a highly motivated and independent individual with a passion for gaming. Reporting directly to the Lead Programmer, you will play a key role in building cutting-edge technologies and developing features within our games. Collaborating with talented teams across various departments, you'll contribute to creating systems and mechanics for our games. Your enthusiasm and creativity will help drive innovation in our projects.

Performance Metrics:

The Junior Game Programmer (Unreal) will be measured according to the metrics below, on a six (6) score rating scale:

  • Quality: “Did you successfully deliver the promise?”

    • On-time delivery of project deliverables

    • Outcome delivered as per project specifications

    • Outcome delivered as per specifications consistently

  • Quality: “Where do you stand with industry expectations?"

    • Time spent on an outcome is within project or budgeted man-days

  • New Competency: “Can you do things now that you couldn’t before?”

    • Successful application of new skills on a project which resulted in:

      • New opportunities/upsell as a direct result of new capabilities

      • Improved efficiency (time spent is less than budget)

      • Improved quality

      • Demonstration of new skill on a project task​

  • Improvement of Existing Competency: “Are you getting better at what you do?”

    • Improved efficiency of existing skills, when comparing before/after completion time which resulted in:

      • Reduced frequency of repeat mistakes​

      • Improved efficiency (time spent is less than budget)

      • Improved quality

      • Demonstration of growth/improvement of existing skills

Job Skills:

The Junior Game Programmer (Unreal) will possess the following competencies:

  • Production Ready:

    • Unreal Engine Basics

    • C++ Programming

    • Source Control (e.g., SVN, Perforce)

    • Blueprints (Visual Scripting)

    • Gameplay Ability System

    • Motion Matching

    • Animation layering

    • Procedural Content Generation

  • Beginner Level:

    • Gameplay Systems

    • AI Programming

    • Physics and Collision

    • Networking and Multiplayer

    • Animation Systems

    • Rendering Techniques

    • Optimization Techniques

    • Performance Profiling

  • Additional Skills:

    • Shader Programming

    • Scripting Languages (e.g., Python, Lua)

    • Plugin Development

    • Tool Development

    • Cross-Platform Development

    • Cinematics and Sequencer

    • Meta sounds

Spiky Spike is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

To apply please send a cover letter, resume, and portfolio link to jobs@spikyspike.com

Habin Park