Exploding Kittens, Inc.

Principal Game Developer

Exploding Kittens, Inc.

full-time

Posted on:

Location Type: Hybrid

Location: Los Angeles • California • United States

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Salary

💰 $120,000 - $140,000 per year

Job Level

Lead

About the role

  • Serve as gameplay authority - making final calls on mechanics, balance, and player experience.
  • Refine games to ensure strong audience fit across family, adult, and kids categories.
  • Lead playtesting process and analyze and synthesize playtest footage into clear development direction.
  • Creatively solve complex gameplay challenges, always keeping the player top of mind.
  • Evaluate inventor submissions and contribute to greenlight and portfolio decisions.
  • Write and/or refine instruction manuals to ensure clarity, accessibility, and brand/tone alignment.
  • Mentor designers and developers, implementing and raising product standards and best practices across the team.
  • Collaborate cross-functionally with the rest of Creative Operations, Production & Sourcing, and key stakeholders to bring outstanding, innovative, and disruptive games to shelf.

Requirements

  • 10+ years of tabletop game design/development experience or equivalent expertise.
  • Proven track record of developing successful and commercially viable mass retail party games.
  • Deep understanding of mass retail party games, game mechanics, player psychology, rules balance, and replayability.
  • Extensive experience running, observing, and analyzing playtests.
  • Strong ability to diagnose gameplay issues and implement effective solutions.
  • Excellent writing and editing skills, especially for rules, instruction manuals, and “how to play” videos.
  • Demonstrated ability to mentor and elevate other designers.
  • Exceptional taste, strong judgment, and a sustained focus on the audience experience.
Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills & Tools
tabletop game designgame developmentgame mechanicsplayer psychologyrules balancereplayabilityplaytestingwritingediting
Soft Skills
mentoringproblem-solvingcollaborationjudgmentaudience focus