Senior Game Designer

Riyo Games
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Posted
January 30, 2026
Full Time
Canada
Remote
$90,000 - $110,000 CAD

Riyo Games is currently looking for a Senior Game Designer who is passionate about JRPGs to join our team. You will leverage strong creative, analytical, and communication skills to create and iterate the systems that power our JRPG, Threads of Time. Combat and progression are critical systems for our game, and you will play a pivotal role in shaping the player experience with those systems.

 

About Us:

Our mission is to craft retro-infused JRPGs that awaken cherished childhood memories. We’re growing the studio by assembling a dream team of talent from across the globe. Join us on this epic quest to make fun, narrative-rich games in an inclusive, supportive, and fun studio environment!

You’ll be working on Threads of Time, a 2.5D JRPG inspired by Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy where you get to travel from the pre-historic era to the end of time!

  • Become part of a veteran team that includes legendary developers who led iconic titles such as Xenoblade Chronicles, Legend of Mana, and more
  • Competitive salary
  • 4 weeks paid vacation (1 week of which is taken in late December)
  • Benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance, and an Employee & Family Assistance program
  • Collaborative environment with opportunities to contribute to the game’s creative design and take ownership of features
  • Opportunities to help you strengthen your skills or learn something new
  • A workplace that appreciates and values diversity and inclusivity

 

Responsibilities:

  • Own your designs through every phase of development from concept to finish, using feedback and testing to refine them
  • Work in engine to iterate, debug, and polish enemies and boss fights
  • Hold and communicate the vision for your work to collaborators in other departments
  • Collaborate with art, code, audio, animation, and visual effects to deliver memorable combat encounters
  • Research retro and modern JRPG design conventions to ensure authenticity of the experience
  • Work with the GAS in Unreal Engine 5 to implement and tune combat abilities
  • Standardize, document, and communicate designs to the team, recognizing the audience for documentation.

 

Requirements:

  • At least 5+ years' experience in the games industry working as a combat/systems designer, shipping at least one title
  • A passion for JRPGs is a must
  • Proactive and able to own designs from initial creation through to implementation
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
  • Familiarity and proficiency with scripting
  • Experience using Unreal Editor, with experience using Unreal GAS is a plus
  • Strong communication and interpersonal skills
  • Organized and able to write concise documentation
  • Self-motivated, with the ability to prioritize and deliver quality work within deadlines
  • Ability to recognize player fantasy and turn that into compelling gameplay mechanics

 

Pluses:

  • Resident of Ontario or Quebec, Canada

 

Salary: $90,000 - $110,000 CAD

 

Please note that although this is a full-time remote position, applicants must reside in either Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, or British Columbia, or be willing to relocate.

 

Maybe you think that your experience is not where it should be? Or you don’t meet every requirement listed in this job description? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply to jobs if they don’t think they meet every qualification. But we feel that creating meaningful work means embracing different perspectives, which is why at Riyo Games we are focused on building an equitable, diverse and inclusive studio. If your experience is not perfectly aligned with every requirement in this job description, but you’re interested in this position, we encourage you to apply anyway. We simply want to know what makes you special!

Riyo Games welcomes and encourages applications from candidates with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in the selection process. If you require disability-related accommodation during the recruitment process, please email contact@riyogames.com. We will consult with all applicants who request disability-related accommodation during the recruitment process to ensure that the accommodation provided takes into account the applicant's individual accessibility needs.

Riyo Games uses tools to sort applications based on geographical criteria only. We do not use AI to screen, assess, or select applicants.

 

Thank you, we look forward to hearing from you!

About
Riyo Games

It all started with a promise between two kids, huddled next to their CRT TV playing RPGs after school, to one day create fantastical, story-rich adventures together. That dream turned into Riyo Games, a Canadian studio full of passionate and seasoned developers with experience from Shovel Knight, Fortnite, Deltarune and Tomb Raider. They have all embarked on an epic quest to make Threads of Time, the studio’s first title, while aided by legendary developers and composers from Japan who have helped define Xenoblade Chronicles, the Mana series and more.

 

Our Vision

Riyo Games' vision is to craft retro-infused RPGs that awaken treasured childhood memories. It is our hope to inspire a whole new generation with memories like the ones we grew up with!

 

Our Values

  • Memorable: The studio is driven to create games that will become cherished memories, leaving a lasting impact on players long after the credits roll.
  • Inclusion: Riyo believes in the benefits that diversity and inclusion bring to creative endeavours, the company, the industry and society at large and is steadfastly committed to creating a workplace and video games that cherish them.
  • Community: The studio values staying in close touch with its community of fans, maintaining open channels of communication to ensure that their passion and ideas are heard.

 

Working at Riyo Games

We’re a tight-knit, passionate team of JRPG fans working on bringing the best of the genre to everyone!

We are each other’s cheerleaders - we support and celebrate each other’s work and achievements in and out of the studio. And that’s reflected in the Platinum Rule: we treat others as they want to be treated based on their unique background.

That’s why we have a no crunch! policy, make people-first decisions when it comes to studio culture, and operate fully remotely to give everyone their best chance for a healthy work-life balance.

 

Diversity & Inclusion

We welcome and value the presence and contributions of people regardless of their gender identity and/or expression, sexual attraction, age, culture, abilities, ethnic origin, marital status, nationality, race, religion, education, or socioeconomic status.

We do not accept and will take action against discrimination or harassment based on the Ontario Human Rights Code.

 

Commitment To Improvement

We acknowledge that the work of creating and maintaining a diverse and equitable workplace is never done. This statement reflects our aspirations, and we welcome feedback. We will make decisions with careful thought to our commitments above.

 

Work With Us!

Do you have enduring love for retro JRPGs? Is it your dream to help make one? We’re looking for talented individuals with unique and diverse experiences and backgrounds to join our team!

Threads of Time is an era-spanning, turn-based RPG inspired by the timeless classics. Embark on a journey through time, gather a party of charismatic heroes from across ages, and uncover a plot that threatens to unravel the past, present and future.

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