We are developing Ember Sword, a groundbreaking social sandbox MMORPG game set in a community-driven PvE and PvP fantasy universe.

As a , your main responsibility is designing and structuring the overall architecture of large gameplay systems in Ember Sword. Our game is built on a custom-built ECS-based game engine written in C++. It is compiled with Emscripten to WebAssembly and runs directly in your browser. It currently loads in just 5 seconds and we’re aiming for the game to be platform agnostic. Therefore, we care greatly about the quality and performance of our code and don't shy away from refactoring if needed. You are expected to work closely with the Game Design team and your fellow Gameplay Engineers to make sure we build our systems in a scalable, highly performant, and most of all fun way!

What you'll do

• Design, architect, and implement key gameplay systems and functionality, raising the bar on best practices and quality of code delivered.

• Work with the Game Design team to identify key systems and mechanics that will drive the player experience.

• Take a pragmatic approach to design and implementation by understanding the game design and player value of features that are being implemented.

• Ensure we are using best coding practices and architectural principles applied to long-living, multiplayer client/server games.

• Maintain a high level of code quality and continuously improve existing gameplay systems to ensure they are robust and maintainable.

• Contribute to the big picture when it comes to how the game works technically, but have a strong focus on the details and how everything adds up.

• Support the team in finding solutions, through brainstorming and discussions.

• Inspire other engineers to grow and achieve their potential.

• Contribute ideas toward all aspects of the game’s production and development.

Who you are

• You have several years of experience as Game Programmer with a focus on larger gameplay systems, ideally focused on combat

• You have experience with structuring large code projects from the ground up.

• You have excellent C++ skills (e.g. a strong grasp of Standard Template Library (STL) and underlying data types).

• You have experience with ECS/ENTT (e.g. ECS design principles, data locality, and how to design systems with these principles in mind).

• You can speak “Game Designer” and “Artist” (i.e. being able to communicate well with designers and artists, not just to understand what they want, but also share their excitement and joy).

What's in it for you

• We are a remote-first company but also have offices in the Netherlands (Breda), Denmark (Copenhagen), and Serbia (Novi Sad) where you could work from.

• If you’re not based in any of our office locations and as long as you are based within the CET timezone +2/-2 hours, we can offer a UK/EU-based role (either as a contractor or as an employee through Deel). You will then occasionally travel to Copenhagen to meet with your colleagues.

• Flexible working is available to all colleagues so you will not be required in the office every day!

• You’ll get 25 days annual leave + 1 free day off for your birthday + bank holidays of your employment locations.

• Recharge time: we give everyone the option to take extra paid time off to recharge after intense periods of time.

Who we are

Bright Star Studios is a global independent games development studio led by a team of award-winning venture founders, former world champion pro-players, and entertainment professionals who come with decades of game industry experience. We are aiming to carve a new path forward for MMORPGs across PC, browser, and mobile platforms. The studio’s mission is to rewrite the games industry with a business model that favours the community through exciting competitive gameplay, instant playability, and a leading platform that supports the player economy.

We are an equal-opportunity employer that hires people who are genuinely passionate about changing the games industry for the better. Always on the lookout for exceptional talent and potential, we care about good team effort, open and friendly communication, and speaking up without reserves.