Game Engineer Generalist

As a Game Engineer Generalist at Rushdown, you'll be responsible for a variety of tasks to enhance our gaming projects. This includes full solution engineering—from modifying the game, UI, and build pipeline, to building in-game features that integrate seamlessly with online SDKs, while ensuring top-notch performance and usability. Additionally, you'll work towards integrating first-party platform features in line with console certification requirements and collaborating with both programmers and artists to maximize efficiency. Mentoring less experienced programmers and troubleshooting issues on consoles and PCs will also be key aspects of your role.

To be considered for the Game Engineer Generalist position at Rushdown, candidates should have a strong background in game development, specifically with at least 3 years of experience in C++ programming for commercial games. Familiarity with developing for consoles and experience with bespoke game engines are crucial. Moreover, a keen attention to detail, excellent communication skills, and a passionate interest in gaming will elevate your application. Your pragmatic approach towards enhancing player experiences will definitely make you a valuable addition to our team.

At Rushdown, our work culture is built on collaboration, creativity, and a shared passion for gaming. We are a co-dev studio driven by the belief that consistent challenges lead to stellar outcomes. As a Game Engineer Generalist, you will find yourself in an environment where your ideas are valued, and you’ll have the opportunity to influence the direction of projects. We nurture an atmosphere of mentorship, where seasoned teammates share their expertise with newer members, fostering growth and teamwork. Our team genuinely enjoys what we do, which translates into a supportive and engaging workspace.

Rushdown offers an attractive benefits package for our Game Engineer Generalists. You’ll have a competitive salary ranging from $100,000 to $150,000 per year. Additionally, we provide a yearly video game budget of $300, along with comprehensive dental, health, and vision insurance. We prioritize your work-life balance through paid time off and parental leave, alongside 401(k) matching to support your future savings. We believe that happy, well-supported employees are key to achieving our goals and delivering amazing gaming experiences.

At Rushdown, we are committed to the professional growth of our Game Engineer Generalists. We encourage continuous learning and skill enhancement through mentorship opportunities where experienced developers guide less seasoned team members. Whether through internal workshops, collaborative projects, or encouraging community engagement such as modding games, we value every chance to help our engineers expand their expertise. Our culture promotes innovation, so you’re free to explore new ideas that can improve our games and processes, ensuring you grow alongside your projects.

When answering this question, it's important to connect your passions for gaming and programming with Rushdown's mission. Share specific examples of games that inspired you or experiences in game development that ignited your enthusiasm. Discuss how Rushdown’s focus on multiplayer challenges aligns with your desire to create engaging gaming experiences and how you could contribute your skills to their team.

In your response, choose a specific instance and outline the problem clearly. Discuss the steps you took to analyze the issue, the solution you implemented, and the outcome. Highlight collaboration with team members and how this experience shaped your problem-solving skills, keeping the focus on how this relates to the role of a Game Engineer Generalist at Rushdown.

Detail the methods you employ to optimize performance, like profiling tools or user testing, and discuss your approach to user experience. Emphasize the importance of player feedback in shaping your development and how your technical skills help create smooth and efficient gameplay experiences. This approach shows that you prioritize player engagement in your work.

Share specific projects where you utilized C++ for game development, detailing your level of comfort and proficiency with the language. Discuss any libraries, frameworks, or engines you worked with and your contributions to ensuring robust and maintainable code. Your response should convey not just technical skills but also a passion for writing clean code that enhances gaming experiences.

Illustrate your teamwork philosophy by describing how you communicate with different stakeholders during a project. Mention specific tools or methodologies that aid collaboration, and share examples of successful teamwork that led to improved project outcomes. Highlight your belief in open communication and constructive feedback to drive efficient teamwork.

Start by explaining your systematic approach to identifying the root cause of crashes—using logs, reproducible tests, or profiling tools. Share your problem-solving process and how you document your findings. Convey your understanding that timely issue resolution benefits both the development team and player experience.

Reflect on a mentoring experience and focus on your approach. Describe how you identified learning opportunities, shared knowledge, and provided support. Outcomes like the mentee’s growth or a project’s success can be emphasized. This demonstrates your leadership capabilities and commitment to team development.

Discuss specific online SDKs you've worked with, detailing how you integrated them into your projects. Explain the challenges you faced and how you resolved them. By emphasizing your hands-on experience with SDKs, you’ll showcase your relevant skills for the Game Engineer Generalist role.

Share your methods for staying informed, such as participating in online forums, reading industry publications, or attending conferences. Highlight how you apply what you learn to improve your work and to keep your projects relevant in the rapidly changing gaming landscape.

Elaborate on the elements that contribute to an enjoyable player experience such as intuitive UI, engaging gameplay mechanics, and responsive feedback. Relate your ideas back to your experience as an engineer and your dedication to prioritizing player needs when designing features as a Game Engineer Generalist.