YYZ Studio is Hiring: Game Developer
Hey there, we are YYZ Studio! As an indie game company, we believe in crafting games that are playful and relaxing, places where you forget the stress of daily life and find joy in the little things. Our games have reached over a million players (and counting!).
With exciting new projects on the horizon, we have the ambition to reach millions more - that’s where you come in!
As part of our development team, you’ll help shape both our games and our studio’s future. From building core gameplay systems and AI to optimizing performance and improving UI/UX, you’ll have a hand in it all. You’ll also play a key role in responding to player feedback and ensuring our games run smoothly across platforms. It’s a chance to grow with us, take ownership, and make a real impact.
Our website: https://yyzstudio.com/
Responsibilities of the Developer Hire:
Core Development Tasks:
Gameplay Feature Development -
- Design, implement, and maintain gameplay features using Unity and C#
- Work on game mechanics, resource systems, and AI behaviors (particularly for colony sim/city builder genres)
- Collaborate with the team to create engaging, balanced, and fun gameplay systems
AI & Systems Engineering-
- Develop and maintain AI systems for settlers, resource management, and pathfinding
- Optimize and debug AI-related systems to ensure smooth performance
- Address complex AI-related bugs and improve behavior systems
Optimization -
- Optimize the game's performance, particularly with large numbers of settlers/buildings in Havendock or Stormbridge
- Profile and reduce lag or performance bottlenecks, ensuring the game runs smoothly on a wide range of devices.
- Profile and optimize game systems for performance, particularly when handling large numbers of game entities (settlers, buildings)
- Address and debug any performance bottlenecks related to memory, frame rate, and resource management
UI/UX Design -
- Assist in creating and improving the game's UI/UX for a smooth and intuitive player experience
- Ensure a clean, well-organized user flow that aligns with gameplay mechanics and enhances player engagement
- Provide feedback and suggestions for UI improvements based on player feedback
Debugging and Bug Fixes -
- Collaborate with the team to identify and resolve bugs related to gameplay systems, AI, and optimization
- Work on debugging complex issues, particularly related to performance and AI behavior
Controller Support & Steam Deck Optimization -
- Implement and maintain controller support, including Unity’s new Input System
- Add support for Steam Deck and other controller-based platforms
Game Analytics -
- Implement and track in-game analytics to monitor player behavior, identify trends, and gather data for informed decision-making
- Analyze data from gameplay to assess feature performance, balance, and player engagement, providing actionable insights for future improvements
Experienced with Version Control (Git)
Player Feedback & Issue Resolution -
- Review player feedback (via Google Forms, Discord, Steam Discussions) and identify key issues or areas for improvement
- Take the initiative to address and resolve issues without constant oversight or direction from the team
- Provide insights based on player feedback and help implement improvements or features that enhance player experience
Documentation & Code Quality -
- Write clean, well-documented, and maintainable code that is easy for other team members to understand and build upon
- Ensure that all code follows established version control practices and coding standards
- Document the development process, systems, and features clearly for future reference and onboarding
Future-Proofing & Scalability -
- Ensure the game’s codebase is scalable and can accommodate future updates, content additions, and new features
- Contribute ideas to make the game adaptable to future platforms or features (such as multiplayer or cross-platform support)
Non-Development Responsibilities:
Autonomy & Initiative -
- Be able to work independently with minimal supervision
- Take ownership of tasks, prioritize them, and proactively suggest solutions for ongoing development challenges.
Collaboration & Communication -
- Regularly communicate progress, challenges, and solutions with the team
- Participate in regular remote meetings and contribute ideas for the game’s design and future features
Self-motivated -
- We are a small team, being passionate enough to manage your own workload or showing initiative to improve the game goes a long way
Bonus Qualifications
- Experience in the Colony Sim/City Builder genre (preferred but not required)
- Experience with debugging complex game systems and optimizing large-scale NPCs / NavMeshAgents
- Ability to design and iterate on AI systems and gameplay mechanics
- Experience with project management tools (Notion)
- Multiplayer experience - Ability to write code in a way that’s easy to transition to a multiplayer system, ensuring future scalability and less rework if multiplayer is added
Benefits
✨ No micromanagement / corporate BS
⏳ Flexible working hours
🏡 Fully remote
🎨 Creative freedom in a small, close-knit team
