Junior Gameplay Programmer

Mob Entertainment
United States
On-site

Who this role is best for

Strong fit for candidates early in their career who seek hands-on learning and contribute to real production systems in Unreal Engine, with a preference for those familiar with horror or narrative-driven games.

Best fit for

  • Candidates early in their career who want to learn and contribute to real production systems in Unreal Engine
    — “role is designed for an engineer early in their career who is eager to grow their skills in gameplay programming”
  • Those with an interest in horror or narrative-driven games, or the Poppy Playtime franchise specifically
    — “Passion for horror games, narrative-driven experiences, or the Poppy Playtime franchise specifically”

Things to consider

  • Compensation varies significantly based on geographic location, with lower ranges for non-major metropolitan areas
    — “All Other U.S. Locations: $57,000 - $74,000 USD annually”
  • The role requires a commitment to writing clean, readable code that integrates well with team workflows
    — “Write code that senior engineers can review and extend with minimal friction”

How to stand out

  • Highlight experience with Unreal Engine project structure and Blueprints in your resume and interview responses
    — “Basic familiarity with Unreal Engine (project structure, actors/components, basic editor workflow)”
  • Showcase your ability to document work and follow coding standards through examples in your portfolio
    — “Document your work (setup steps, how systems function, known issues)”
  • Emphasize your collaborative and communication skills, especially in team environments
    — “Good communication skills and comfort working in a collaborative, fast-paced team environment”
  • Demonstrate your problem-solving ability and willingness to ask questions during interviews
    — “Strong problem-solving skills and a willingness to ask questions and learn from senior team members”
  • Include examples of personal or student projects built in Unreal Engine to demonstrate practical experience
    — “Personal or student projects built in Unreal Engine (game jams, portfolio projects, mods)”
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Team

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • implemented gameplay features
  • fixed bugs
  • supported team's production needs
Typical background
basic working knowledge of C++ and Unreal Engine

Skills & requirements

Required

Gameplay ProgrammingUnreal EngineC++BlueprintsBug FixingCode ReviewsDocumentation

Preferred

Multiplayer/networked GameplayProfessional Game Studio ExperienceSource Control ToolsHorror GamesNarrative-driven Experiences

Stack & domain

C++Unreal Engine BlueprintsUnreal EngineGameplay ProgrammingMultiplayer/networked GameplaySource Control ToolsProblem-solvingCommunicationCollaborationLearningDocumentationGamingGame DevelopmentHorror GamesNarrative-driven Experiences

About the role

Original posting from Mob Entertainment via Greenhouse

Mob Entertainment is a startup multimedia studio that is best known for our hit indie horror game "Poppy Playtime".  This franchise is one of the hottest new properties in gaming, and our team is naturally expanding as our ambition expands.  To give a taste of our brand's popularity, more than 100 billion YouTube views of Poppy Playtime related content have occurred since the game's launch 4 years ago. 

Mob Entertainment is seeking a Junior Gameplay Programmer to join the team supporting development of one of our upcoming Unreal Engine projects. This role is designed for an engineer early in their career who is eager to grow their skills in gameplay programming while working alongside senior engineers and designers on real production systems.

You'll work under the guidance of senior gameplay and systems engineers, implementing and iterating on gameplay features, fixing bugs, and supporting the team's day-to-day production needs. This is a hands-on learning role, ideal for someone who wants to build a strong foundation in Unreal Engine while contributing meaningfully to a shipping title.

Responsibilities

Implement gameplay features and mechanics in Unreal Engine using both C++ and Blueprints, under the direction of senior engineers.

Assist in building and iterating on core gameplay systems (player interactions, triggers, pickups, simple AI behaviors, UI hookups, etc.).

Identify, reproduce, and fix bugs reported by QA, designers, or other team members, tracked through Jira.

Support senior engineers by prototyping mechanics, testing systems, and turning rough ideas into working in-engine examples.

Collaborate closely with designers to implement and tune gameplay behavior based on feedback and playtesting.

Write clean, readable code and follow the team's existing coding standards and conventions.

Participate in code reviews as both a reviewer and a recipient of feedback, using reviews as a learning opportunity.

Document your work (setup steps, how systems function, known issues) to help the wider team understand and extend it.

Take part in sprint planning, stand-ups, and design discussions, and communicate blockers or risks early.

Continuously build your understanding of Unreal Engine, gameplay programming patterns, and the studio's codebase.

Required Qualifications:

Basic working knowledge of C++.

Basic working knowledge of Unreal Engine Blueprints.

Basic familiarity with Unreal Engine (project structure, actors/components, basic editor workflow).

Strong problem-solving skills and a willingness to ask questions and learn from senior team members.

Good communication skills and comfort working in a collaborative, fast-paced team environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

Basic experience with multiplayer/networked gameplay concepts in Unreal (replication, RPCs, or similar).

Experience at a professional game studio (internship or full-time), OR a degree in Computer Science or a related field.

Personal or student projects built in Unreal Engine (game jams, portfolio projects, mods).

Familiarity with source control tools (e.g., Perforce).

Passion for horror games, narrative-driven experiences, or the Poppy Playtime franchise specifically.

Interest in growing toward ownership of larger systems over time.

Performance Expectations:

Deliver small-to-medium gameplay features and fixes reliably and on time.

Grow steadily in independence, requiring less guidance over time.

Write code that senior engineers can review and extend with minimal friction.

Actively contribute to team knowledge-sharing and documentation.

Salary Range:

The base salary range for this position is listed below. Final compensation within the applicable salary range will be determined based on factors such as the applicant’s experience, qualifications, and work location.

San Francisco, CA; New York City, NY; Los Angeles, CA; Seattle, WA; Boston, MA; & Seattle, WA DC Metropolitan Areas:   $78,000 - $100,000 USD annually

Austin, TX; Denver, CO; Nashville, TN; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; & Miami, FL Metropolitan Areas:  $67,000 - $87,000 USD annually

All Other U.S. Locations: $57,000 - $74,000 USD annually

Benefits:

Mob Entertainment offers the following benefits to all eligible U.S.-based full-time employees: profit sharing; medical, dental, and vision insurance; 401(k) matching; FSA/HSA; paid time off; sick time; holidays; and parental leave.

Fraud Alert:

Beware of job scams: Mob Entertainment does not extend offers via text, social media DM, or without a completed application and interview. Please verify email address which should always originate from @mobentertainment.com.

#LI-Remote

Mob Entertainment is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and complies with all federal, state, and local laws prohibiting discrimination in employment. We are committed to providing equal opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age, disability, military service, or any other protected class under applicable state or local law. Mob Entertainment also considers all qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with Fair Chance laws as well as any other applicable state and local laws.

Source: Mob Entertainment careers (Greenhouse)

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