Company & Team

Threshold Games is a remote-work indie game studio founded by June Gayler, a white, queer, trans writer/game designer, and proudly comprised with a mix of new developers and veterans from Sucker Punch (Ghost of Tsushima), WB Games (Batman: Arkham City & F.E.A.R.), and En Masse Entertainment (The Exiled Realm of Arborea/TERA.)

Studio management consists of our creative co-directors June Gayler and Jessica Bean. Other team members currently include our lead producer, lead engineer, a UI/UX specialist, an art director, a 3D artist/programmer, with additional team members to be added as the project progresses. The studio uses AGILE project management structure with a 2-week sprint cycle and iterative milestones.

Our company structure is notably different from many major AAA and indie development studios, focusing on a flexible work schedule and work-life balance for all team members, including those with families. To add additional flexibility and better accommodate our staff, our company is also remotely-based and work-from-home.

Project

This a game about defining bold, bright futures for humanity on a new world after forced exodus from Earth. This comes in the wake of man-made environmental cataclysm, born from humanity's failure to create a sustainable and just society on our home world.

Our first game is a turn-based, Solarpunk-inspired 4X strategy game with twists on the traditional formula, including the incorporation of city-building gameplay. The game narrative and mechanics are the foundation for highly progressive themes, such as social and economic justice (particularly with regard to race, class, gender, sexuality, ability, and political agency), environmentalism, and challenging the colonization narrative common in the genre. We're looking to tread bold new territory while offering a compelling, story-rich experience aimed at the PC/Steam ecosystem.

Position

Our team is looking for someone with a passion for working on procedurally-generated terrain and other proc-gen systems. If you're an engineer, technical artist, or graphics engineer who's ready to make a system that can dynamically build inspiring and customizable landscapes at runtime, you're the person we want to talk to!

In this project it is critical to have knowledge about the (many) ways axes of oppression function systemically. Candidates should be able to demonstrate and do the ongoing work necessary in treating people from diverse backgrounds with awareness and respect. This is important both in interacting with the team and in interfacing with the game's content and structure.

This is a 3/4 time (average of 30 hours per week), remote-work contract position (potential for additional hours as the project progresses). Most hours are flexible, but availability in US Pacific time (PST) is a must for synchronous meetings. Pay range is $50-$75/hour; hourly rate will be commensurate with experience.

Responsibilities:

Guide planning and implementation of procedural 3D terrain for generating a game "world."
Assess appropriate tools and technologies for the project.
Research and prototype different implementations of assets as it pertains to the world map.
Assist in identifying and implementing performance optimizations.
Collaborate with our game design, art, and engineering teams on best practices for melding our different disciplines into a fun, exciting, optimized product.
Be willing and able to work consistently in a remote setting, through text and voice/video chat.
Promote and ensure effective communication and cooperation between team members, taking into account the power dynamics that can exist between individuals of different identities.

Required Skills & Experience:

A deep understanding of the technical needs and limitations of Unreal Engine 4.
Comfort with writing and researching C++ as the project develops, with a minimum of 3 years C++ experience or 1 year C++ experience & 3 years of another object-oriented programming language.
Experience with visual scripting (Unreal Blueprinting preferred.)
Comfortable with one or more variants of version control (including SVN, Git, Perforce, Mercurial, etc.)
At least 3 years of work experience in an Engineering, Technical Artist, or Graphics Engineer role on a game development team, or a minimum of 2 shipped solo titles. Having game development experience on a team is a huge plus, as this role will interface between our Engineering and Art departments.
An understanding of how to create tools, processes, and contributions that work comfortably for others in a team setting.
Ability to consistently and regularly make progress on tasks without supervision.
Well-developed knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion. This includes a commitment to dismantling systems of oppression including white supremacy and cis-heteropatriarchy; ability to work equitably with those of different backgrounds, contexts, beliefs, and identities.
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
Emotional intelligence, diligence, and attention to detail.
Proficiency in providing proactive, constructive feedback in order to support team development and keep the development of the game world on track. To us, constructive feedback, creative solutions, and team collaboration are much more important than assigning blame.
A readiness to experiment in their field.

Helpful Skills & Experience:

Knowledge of art-related performance optimization in Unreal Engine 4.
Experience with writing parallel and/or concurrent code.
Familiarity with PC 4X Gaming Titles (such as Civilization, Age of Wonders, Stellaris, Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, etc.) and/or with PC City Building titles (such as SimCity, Anno 1800, Cities: Skylines.)
An understanding of the game development process, from planning to post-release, with familiarity with the Agile development methodology and related software.
A passion for telling real, diverse human stories through the lens of science fiction.
Excited by alternate universes such as steampunk and solarpunk.
Experience with Slack, Google Drive, Clubhouse, Notion, and/or Perforce. Similar substitutes to these programs, such as Confluence, JIRA or Microsoft Teams, are welcome too!

Interested candidates should email a cover letter, a portfolio/demo reel, and a current resume to careers@thresholdgames.dev.

Landscape Graphics Engineer

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