Slots Game Designer

Summary

Playtika creates mobile games enjoyed by millions worldwide and combines the scale of a public company with the speed and ownership of a startup. The Slots Game Designer owns the pre-production design of new slot experiences from concept through Ready-for-Production, developing themes, gameplay, features, player flows, mathematical intent, and visual direction. The role collaborates with mathematicians, art management, product, analytics, and R&D teams to create clear design documentation and support production handoff.

Responsibilities

• Own assigned slot concepts through the pre-production design process, from initial concept through Ready-for-Production handoff
• Develop original themes, narratives, gameplay mechanics, bonus features, symbol concepts and player-experience flows for new slot titles
• Apply Feature Design discipline to individual gameplay and bonus features, defining triggers, entry conditions, states, transitions, player interactions, progression, awards, retriggers, exits, edge cases and return to base game
• Work side-by-side with Slot Mathematicians / Math Designers to define the intended mathematical experience, including pacing, volatility, reward behavior, feature frequency, anticipation and overall player feel
• Provide clear math guidance and design targets during pre-production without owning detailed production math implementation or final production simulations
• Work side-by-side with Game Art Management to establish art direction, symbol hierarchy, feature presentation, visual communication, player focus and the visual intent required for the experience
• Create and maintain clear game-specific design documentation within the Unified Design Document (UDD)
• Translate creative concepts into implementation-ready flows, feature descriptions, visual guidance, rules, player expectations and handoff requirements
• Help create and review concept art, animatics, mockups and playable prototypes that communicate gameplay and bonus behavior before production begins
• Plan and participate in design reviews, feature reviews and play sessions to evaluate comprehension, pacing, excitement and overall experience
• Gather and incorporate appropriate input from Product, Art, Math, R&D, Analytics and other stakeholders during the pre-production stage-gate process
• Maintain current knowledge of social casino, iGaming and land-based slot products, successful mechanics, player expectations and emerging slot-design trends
• Build ideas from strong player and business rationale while protecting originality, clarity and entertainment value
• Provide clarification and design support after handoff when production teams need additional guidance on approved design intent

Skills

• Strong creative game-design ability and a demonstrated understanding of slot games and slot-player expectations
• Strong understanding of slot mechanics, bonus features, game flows, symbols, player communication and feature presentation
• Working knowledge of slot mathematics, including RTP, volatility, hit frequency, feature frequency, pay distribution and how mathematical behavior affects player experience
• Strong process and documentation skills, with the ability to turn complex ideas into clear, concise and implementation-ready design direction
• Ability to think through complete player-facing feature flows, alternate states and edge cases before production begins
• Strong visual communication and presentation instincts and the ability to collaborate effectively with Game Art Management
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills across creative, mathematical, product and technical disciplines
• Creative thinker who can connect player experience to business goals without losing the integrity of the game concept
• Highly detail-oriented, proactive and comfortable working across multiple concepts and priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Must love making and playing games
• Proficient knowledge of English, written and oral
• 3+ years of professional game-design experience, preferably involving slots, social casino, iGaming, land-based casino games or related chance-based entertainment products
• College degree or equivalent professional experience in game design, interactive media, mathematics, art, production or a related discipline
• Portfolio or professional examples demonstrating game concepts, mechanics, bonus features, flows, design documentation or complete game experiences
• Experience designing social casino or free-to-play slot games
• Experience with both casino-floor and social/iGaming slot products
• Experience designing complex slot bonus or gameplay features
• Experience working directly with mathematicians or mathematical game models
• Experience working closely with game art leadership or creating art-direction briefs
• Experience creating prototypes, storyboards, animatics, wireframes or other pre-production design materials
• Experience working with distributed teams across studios and time zones

Qualifications

Must Haves

• Strong creative game-design ability and a demonstrated understanding of slot games and slot-player expectations
• Strong understanding of slot mechanics, bonus features, game flows, symbols, player communication and feature presentation
• Working knowledge of slot mathematics, including RTP, volatility, hit frequency, feature frequency, pay distribution and how mathematical behavior affects player experience
• Strong process and documentation skills, with the ability to turn complex ideas into clear, concise and implementation-ready design direction
• Ability to think through complete player-facing feature flows, alternate states and edge cases before production begins
• Strong visual communication and presentation instincts and the ability to collaborate effectively with Game Art Management
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills across creative, mathematical, product and technical disciplines
• Creative thinker who can connect player experience to business goals without losing the integrity of the game concept
• Highly detail-oriented, proactive and comfortable working across multiple concepts and priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Must love making and playing games
• Proficient knowledge of English, written and oral
• 3+ years of professional game-design experience, preferably involving slots, social casino, iGaming, land-based casino games or related chance-based entertainment products
• College degree or equivalent professional experience in game design, interactive media, mathematics, art, production or a related discipline
• Portfolio or professional examples demonstrating game concepts, mechanics, bonus features, flows, design documentation or complete game experiences

Nice to Haves

• Experience designing social casino or free-to-play slot games
• Experience with both casino-floor and social/iGaming slot products
• Experience designing complex slot bonus or gameplay features
• Experience working directly with mathematicians or mathematical game models
• Experience working closely with game art leadership or creating art-direction briefs
• Experience creating prototypes, storyboards, animatics, wireframes or other pre-production design materials
• Experience working with distributed teams across studios and time zones

Benefits

• Work permit assistance for employees.
• Biweekly pay via direct deposit.
• Annual bonus plan.
• Health, dental, vision, disability and life insurance (mostly company-paid).
• Learning platform (Campus), gym memberships, events and perks.
• Paid Time Off (PTO), including vacation, sick time and 11 paid holidays. PTO accrual and usage vary by state.
• 6 additional long weekends throughout the year.
• Leaves of Absence available for family, medical, military, jury duty, bereavement and more, as provided by state and federal law.
• Additional day off during your birthday month.
• Flexible working hours and happy hours.
• Corporate celebrations, team-building activities and fun events.
• 401(k) plan with 100% match up to 3%.
• Work remotely or join us at our Vegas HQ, with our hybrid setup (3 days in the office, 2 days from anywhere).