Junior Game Designer (Gameplay & Systems)

F9Play Game Studio · Remote, HCMC, VN

F9Play is an indie game studio focused on creating fun, creative, and distinctive mobile games.

We're looking for a Junior Game Designer who loves games, enjoys understanding how they work, and is excited about turning ideas into real gameplay experiences.

You'll take part in different areas of game design — from gameplay mechanics, game systems, progression, economy, and rewards to balancing, UX flows, and prototyping.

This is a 100% remote position. Since our team works remotely, we value clear communication, initiative, ownership, and responsibility just as much as technical skills.

🎮 WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Design gameplay mechanics, game rules, and core gameplay loops for F9Play's mobile games.
• Design and improve game systems such as progression, levels, rewards, currencies, missions, achievements, daily activities, and meta-game features.
• Help design and balance game economies, including currency sources and sinks, reward structures, progression curves, and resource distribution.
• Tune gameplay values and systems to create experiences that are fun, accessible, and rewarding.
• Design user flows and gameplay flows for new features.
• Create clear Game Design Documents (GDDs), feature specifications, diagrams, flows, and other documentation needed by artists and developers.
• Create simple wireframes or mockups when needed to communicate gameplay and UI/UX ideas.
• Work closely with developers and artists throughout feature development.
• Playtest frequently, identify problems, and propose improvements to gameplay and player experience.
• Use player behavior and game data, when available, to improve balancing, progression, and game systems.
• Research mobile games and analyze their mechanics, UX, economy, retention systems, and design trends.
• Proactively propose gameplay ideas, features, and experiments for our games.

✨ WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

• A good understanding of fundamental Game Design principles.
• Understanding of gameplay loops, progression, reward systems, and player motivation.
• Strong logical and systems-thinking skills.
• Comfortable working with numbers and spreadsheets for game balancing and economy design.
• Ability to communicate a feature clearly through documents, diagrams, flows, or prototypes.
• Good UX thinking and an understanding of how players interact with games on mobile devices.
• Ability to analyze a game and explain why a mechanic is fun, why a system works, or why an experience could be improved.
• Comfortable receiving feedback and iterating on designs through multiple rounds.
• Willingness to playtest repeatedly, identify problems, and refine the experience.
• Most importantly: you enjoy playing games and are curious about what makes them fun.

We don't require many years of experience. F9Play values game design thinking, practical ability, personal projects, and learning speed more than formal qualifications.

💬 COMMUNICATION & REMOTE WORK

This is a 100% remote position, so good communication is an important part of the role.

• Communicate gameplay ideas clearly and logically.
• When proposing a mechanic or change, be able to explain what problem it solves and why you chose that approach.
• Ask questions when requirements are unclear instead of making assumptions.
• Proactively share progress and communicate blockers or potential delays early.
• Be open to feedback and willing to change a design when playtesting shows that the original solution isn't working.
• Work with developers to find practical solutions when a design faces technical limitations.
• Collaborate with artists to make sure visuals, animation, and feedback support the intended gameplay experience.
• Organize your own work, manage your time, and meet agreed deadlines.
• Take ownership of the features you work on and follow through from the initial idea to the final in-game experience.
• Maintain consistent communication and availability during the working hours agreed upon with the team.

Remote at F9Play doesn't mean working alone. We want to build a small team that communicates regularly, shares ideas openly, and supports each other throughout the development process.

⭐ NICE TO HAVE

• Experience designing mobile games, indie games, or personal game projects.
• A playable game prototype or personal project.
• Experience with game economy design or balancing.
• Experience designing progression, reward systems, missions, or live game systems.
• Experience with Figma, Miro, or similar tools for creating flows and wireframes.
• Experience using Google Sheets / Excel for game systems, balancing, or economy modeling.
• Experience with Construct 3, Unity, or another game engine.
• Ability to create simple gameplay prototypes.
• Basic understanding of mobile game UI/UX.
• Understanding of Free-to-Play game design, retention, and monetization.
• Basic understanding of game analytics and player data.
• Experience using AI tools for research, brainstorming, documentation, or prototyping.
• You play a variety of games and naturally analyze how and why their systems work.

🛠 WHAT THE WORK MAY LOOK LIKE

For example, the team wants to create a new Daily Reward System.

You might start by defining:

When players receive rewards → what those rewards are → how their value changes over time → what happens when a player misses a day → how the system affects the game economy → design the flow → discuss the UI with the artist → write the specification for the developer → playtest the implemented feature → adjust rewards and flow until the experience feels right.

Another day might involve:

Balancing a game mode → designing a new progression system → analyzing the game economy → brainstorming a mini-game → designing missions → tuning rewards → playtesting a feature → or studying an interesting mechanic from another game.

Because F9Play is an indie game studio, the work can be quite varied. You'll have the opportunity to take part in the full process of turning a gameplay idea into a real feature inside the game.

👤 WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR

We're not looking for a Game Designer who simply writes documents.

We're looking for someone who often asks themselves while playing:

“Why is this mechanic fun?”
“Why do I want to play one more round?”
“What would happen if this rule changed?”

And most importantly:

“How could I make this better?”

• genuinely enjoy games;
• are curious about how games work;
• enjoy analyzing gameplay and game systems;
• like experimenting with new ideas;
• can combine logical thinking with creativity;
• notice small details in the player experience;
• are willing to throw away your own design when playtesting shows that it doesn't work;
• communicate ideas and problems proactively with the team;
• are willing to learn things you don't know yet;
• take responsibility for the features you design;
• and want to help build games from the ground up with a small indie studio.

📁 PORTFOLIO / PROJECTS

You don't need a traditional professional Game Design portfolio.

What F9Play really wants to see is how you think about games.

You can send us: Game Design Documents or feature designs, game prototypes, game jam projects, game economy / balancing spreadsheets, level designs, UX flows or wireframes for game features, personal games you've created, or an analysis or redesign of a mechanic or system from a game you enjoy.

If a project was created as part of a team, please briefly explain what you personally designed and contributed.

Your project doesn't need to be perfect. A small prototype that clearly demonstrates how you think and solve problems can sometimes tell us more than a very long design document.

📩 HOW TO APPLY

Please send your application to contact@f9play.com, including:

• CV / Resume
• Portfolio / Game Design project / Prototype (if available)
• A short introduction about yourself
• Personal projects or games you've worked on (if available)

Email subject: [Junior Game Designer] – Your Name