DON’T NOD is an independent publisher and developer, based in Paris and Montreal, creating original narrative games in the adventure (Life is Strange, Tell Me Why, Twin Mirror), RPG (Vampyr), and action (Remember Me) genres. The studio is internationally renowned for unique narrative experiences with engaging stories and characters, and has worked with industry leading publishers: Square Enix, Microsoft, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Focus Entertainment, and Capcom. DON’T NOD creates and publishes its own IPs developed in-house, as well as using its knowledge and experience to collaborate with third-party developers whose editorial visions parallel the company’s own.

Step into the studio's immersive and innovative universe at dont-nod.com

Why join us?

• You want to bring your talent to the DON’T NOD Montreal team and work on the new narrative game Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, led by key members from the team behind Life is Strange and further enriched by local and international talent;
• You want to join a diverse and committed team, both in its culture and in the content of the games it creates;
• You're looking for an environment where you'll be able to interact with multiple teams in a simple and efficient manner;
• You'd like to use your game and level design skills to contribute to an original and meaningful experience based on its characters.

What you'll be doing

Reporting to the Montreal studio’s Design Director, your role will be to create content and to work tightly with all other departments to coordinate and assemble all the levels’ required building blocks.

Your mission will be to:

• apply your creative and intuitive mind to design well-paced and rich levels;
• build & script entire levels from mockup/skeleton to shippable quality product: script level flow/quests, implement scripted events, implement VO/cinematic/animation/VFX, design puzzles, actively push for design iterations, polish & debug;
• jump on more advanced levels and orchestrate final efforts to wrap them up for shipping;
• be the spokesperson on the levels’ content with other departments;
• write synthetic and formal documentation & specs;
• prototype new features if required.

The must-have skills we're looking for

• Proven experience in the video game industry as a game/level designer or similar position;
• Established track record in shipping titles and the comprehensive effort it entails;
• A clear understanding of the player-centric experience;
• Proven experience with Unreal Engine 4/5 and good knowledge of Blueprint;
• Experience in working through all the design spectrum (game, level and tech design) using visual scripting tools;
• Knowledge of the key components of narrative games such as dialogues, cinematics, VO, environmental storytelling, character development, branching, etc.;
• A demonstrated understanding of the game production constraints.

What would set you apart?

• A genuine motivation to collaborate within a remote and onsite team environment;
• Solid ability to present, collaborate, and communicate with the different team members;
• An ability to push the boundaries of the role by being autonomous and having a creative approach to problem solving;
• Giving priority to the player experience;
• Being strict with maintaining consistency in design but know when to bend a bit the rules;
• A capacity to demonstrate leadership within the team and potentially take charge of certain responsibilities.

At DON’T NOD Montreal, we celebrate diversity and inclusivity within our games as well as our teams. We commit to equal opportunities and non-discrimination in our hiring process. We are respectful of the principles of equal employment opportunities, and that is why we encourage women, people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, First Nations people, people living with a disability, visible minorities, as well as any other person who can contribute to the diversity of our studio to apply for our positions.

We build close-knit teams to encourage a fulfilling work environment for all our employees.

Our teams enjoy a range of benefits, including flexibility, a generous holiday bank, time off, training and career development support, and a personalized Lifestyle spending account.

Additional perks include:

• The possibility of working anywhere in Quebec;
• Insurance and virtual healthcare coverage as of Day 1;
• An annual bank of 40 hours of menstrual leave;
• Partial refund of transport fees (OPUS, BIXI and parking);
• Access to gym and fitness classes as well as a multi-sports field in summer which turns into an ice rink in winter;
• Referral bonus that goes the extra mile;
• RRSPs with the employer's contribution.