Part-Time / Project-Based

Location: Remote; East Coast working-hour overlap preferred

Compensation: Project-based and determined by project scope and experience, with scope and expected time commitment established in advance.

The Role:

Boppo is looking for a creatively ambitious Game Designer to help us dream up new ways for kids to play, learn, imagine, and explore.

In this role, you’ll work closely with key stakeholders to develop games and interactive activities from early brainstorming through production-ready design. We’re looking for someone with strong instincts for game mechanics who loves solving creative problems within constraints and knows how to turn a great idea into an experience kids will actually want to play again and again.

This is a part-time, project-based freelance role. Each project will have a defined scope, expected time commitment, timeline, and fee established before kickoff. While we’re initially looking for support on specific projects, there is plenty of opportunity for a great collaborator to grow with us and contribute across additional Boppo projects over time.

What You’ll Do:

• Join creative brainstorms and help turn big, playful ideas into clear, workable game concepts.

• Design and iterate on game mechanics, from quick mechanic-driven experiences to more narrative and script-based games.

• Write clear, process oriented Game Design Documents that guide a project from concept through production.

• Create and organize script templates, flows, and other documentation for games and interactive activities.

• Partner with writers during script kickoffs to make sure the game design translates clearly into content.

• Playtest games and activities throughout development, identify what’s working (and what isn’t), and provide clear, actionable feedback.

• Support engineering throughout development milestones to help answer questions, troubleshoot challenges, and help keep projects moving on schedule.

• Think creatively about how sound, physical interaction, timing, feedback, and a limited set of inputs can create genuinely engaging play.

The Experience We’re Looking For

• Experience designing games for kids, with a strong understanding of what makes an experience intuitive, engaging, and age-appropriate.

• Excellent game-mechanics instincts, with experience working across a variety of game types — from simple, mechanic-driven play to more complex, scripted or narrative experiences.

• Demonstrated experience creating clear, thorough Game Design Documents and production-ready design documentation.

• A fast, collaborative approach to ideation. You can generate ideas, pressure-test them, identify potential problems, and iterate without getting overly precious about the first solution.

• Strong written communication skills and the ability to translate a game idea into documentation that writers, engineers, producers, and other collaborators can actually use.

• Comfort designing within creative and technical constraints — and, ideally, an enthusiasm for the challenge.

• Self-direction, strong organization, and comfort collaborating asynchronously as part of a project-based team.

Bonus Points

• Experience designing audio-first, screen-free, or non-visual play experiences.

• Familiarity with hardware-based or input-constrained game design.

• Experience in educational content, early childhood media, or learning through play.

• Experience collaborating closely with writers, audio teams, engineers, and other multidisciplinary creative partners.

If you are interested in applying for the role, please email jamie@boppo.com with a note about your experience, a resume, and your hourly rate.