JOB DESCRIPTION: Senior Level Designer

DISCIPLINE: Design

REPORTS TO: Lead Level Designer

The Studio

Compulsion Games is a first-party game studio and subsidiary of Microsoft’s Xbox Game Studios, located in Montreal, Canada.

Founded by industry veterans, we have a human-first culture where we trust and respect each other, with shared love and passion for our craft. Our games have won praise and awards for their art, music, world-building, and engaging narratives. We are devoted to building experiences that feel unique and handcrafted, and our programming team is here to make sure our content creators and designers are as creative as they can be.

We aim to create characters with compelling, human flaws and narratives that explore heavy themes with care and empathy. Our storytelling typically has a healthy dose of darkness and comedy thrown in for good measure.

Studio Culture

At Compulsion Games, we champion a human-first culture built on trust, autonomy, harmony, and exceptional craftsmanship. Our team thrives on experimentation and artistic expression, embracing diversity and accessibility as core values. We believe in fostering a close-knit, inclusive environment where creativity flourishes, and every voice is heard.

The Role

As a Senior Level Designer at Compulsion Games, you will play a crucial role in shaping the gameplay experience through expertly crafted levels. You will be responsible for designing, prototyping, and fine-tuning engaging, immersive, and well-balanced game levels that align with the game’s vision and mechanics.

You will collaborate closely with game designers, artists, programmers, and narrative teams to ensure that level layouts, pacing, and environmental storytelling create a compelling and seamless player experience. Additionally, you will mentor junior designers and help establish best practices within the team.

Responsibilities

• Design, prototype, and implement complex and engaging game levels.
• Organize, prioritize, and estimate level design tasks with the Lead
• Work with game designers, artists, and programmers to integrate gameplay mechanics into levels.
• Ensure levels support player flow, pacing, and progression while enhancing immersion.
• Incorporate environmental storytelling elements to reinforce the game’s narrative.
• Conduct playtests and iterate based on feedback to improve player experience.
• Balance and fine-tune level difficulty, combat encounters, and exploration mechanics.
• Use scripting tools (Blueprint) to create interactive gameplay moments.
• Optimize levels for performance, accessibility, and technical constraints.
• Help define best practices, workflows, and guidelines for the level design team.
• Mentor junior level designers, providing feedback and guidance on their work.
• Stay updated on industry trends and level design innovations to enhance the game’s quality.

Skills And Experience

• 5+ years of experience in level design (AAA or high-quality indie experience preferred).
• Strong understanding of level design principles, player psychology, and spatial storytelling.
• Proficiency with Unreal Engine and level-building tools.
• Experience with scripting languages (Blueprint, Lua, or similar) to create interactive elements.
• Ability to analyze playtests, interpret player feedback, and iterate efficiently.
• Strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
• Experience mentoring junior designers and improving team workflows.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• Passion for creating immersive and memorable game worlds.

Whilst we operate a hybrid work environment, our preference is to hire applicants who can spend time in the studio regularly; therefore, we will prioritize applicants local to Montreal and/or within Quebec province.

If you’re eager to contribute to a team that’s redefining storytelling in games, we’d love to hear from you.