Careers

Nihilistic Software is currently hard at work on an unannounced Next Gen title with a Top Publisher. Nihilistic is a medium-sized independent developer that focuses on one solid title at a time. We believe in hiring creative, dedicated, talented people and letting them do their job. We are entirely focused on the next-generation console market and specialize in action, adventure, and role-play games for the hard-core gamer market. We have an 8-year record of stability and a focus on employee quality of life.

This position is full-time, on-site in the Marin County / San Francisco Bay Area. We offer competitive salaries, full employer-paid benefits, and direct royalty profit sharing. We also offer team members direct equity in our company after completing their first full project cycle.

Level Designer

• Have a strong sense of artistic design and gameplay
• Have interest in and experience with gameplay on videogame console systems
• Think creatively and have a passion for making great games
• Be experienced building levels in a three dimensional game world
• Familiarity with and knowledge of higher-level modeling software (Maya a big plus)
• Have a background in programming, scripting or a strong level of confidence in programming concepts
• Have samples we can run through and look at (via user-made add-ons or professional work in a commercial product)
• Be willing to work on game features and have game designer responsibilities as needed
• Have excellent interpersonal and verbal skills, be able to effectively communicate with programmers, level designers and artists
• Have excellent organizational skills, be able to accept and provide direction, work well under pressure, and handle multiple tasks simultaneously
• Be willing to work closely with a small group of people in an open environment
• Be ready to work hard in a fun and relaxed atmosphere

Game Designer

• Extensive knowledge & experience playing, designing, and critiquing combat/action/adventure games
• Have experience with gameplay styles specific to videogame console systems
• Previous hands-on experience in character controls, combat tuning, and complex animation-driven systems a must
• Be able to comfortably understand the logic behind game features and directly edit/tweak game data
• Should have strong skills in “debugging” gameplay, identify and fix problems quickly, and analyze user feedback to guide refinements
• Have a strong sense of interactive design and gameplay
• Think creatively and have a passion for making great games
• Be able to evaluate game features as they are being developed and determine necessary feature improvements
• Have excellent interpersonal and verbal skills, be able to effectively communicate with programmers, level designers and artists
• Have excellent organizational skills, be able to accept and provide direction, work well under pressure, and handle multiple tasks simultaneously
• Have excellent writing skills and the ability to create clear design documentation
• Be ready to work hard in a fun and relaxed atmosphere

Character Animator

• Have excellent character animation skills
• Be motivated, enthusiastic, and ready to work hard in a fun and relaxed atmosphere
• Be willing to work closely with a small group of people in an open environment
• Preferably have experience working in games; console experience another plus
• Proficient with Maya animation tools (Character Setup skills a big plus)
• Experience working with Motion Capture and/or MotionBuilder a plus.
• Have a passion for video games.
• Be willing to relocate to the San Francisco Bay Area

Senior PS3 Programmer

• Have previous console game development experience, especially on PS2
• Experience developing new systems, not just maintaining old code
• Have developed engine code for at least one shipped title
• Have a proactive programming style that anticipates and resolves project roadblocks
• Possess excellent C/C++ and software architectural skills
• Experience working with launch hardware and pre-release development environments
• Have a passion for games and achieving excellence
• Knowledge of current games and technology
• Ready to work hard in a fun, relaxed and outspoken atmosphere
• Comfortable working directly with artists and designers to solve problems & develop ideas
• Ready to tackle the next-generation of 3D games and hardware