Game Design Intern

“Kawaii” (Japanese for cute) is now the #1 subculture for women globally. Blind boxes. Claw machines. Gashapon machines. But most importantly… never-ending cuteness. 

Founded by a former TikTok executive, Utopic aspires to be the next big name in kawaii culture. By building a gacha and cozy mobile game, we aim to popularize a new generation of cute characters for kawaii fans around the world. 

We are looking for a Game Design Intern to help us understand why games are fun and turn that understanding into concrete design work for our mobile game. This is a remote part-time internship role.

What you'll do:

• Play and analyze games in the gacha, cozy, and casual mobile space, breaking down their mechanics, feedback loops, progression & pacing, and monetization design
• Stay abreast of game industry trends, viral games, and best practices to bring fresh ideas back to the team
• Come up with new gameplay mechanics and content ideas in collaboration with designers and artists, helping ensure features are well-visualized, intuitive, and fun
• Create game design documentation for feature specs, user flows, and prototypes, keeping specs clear and accessible to the whole development team
• Support playtesting sessions, helping design test scenarios, observe player behavior, and translate what you see into concrete design changes

What you'll bring:

• Currently pursuing or recently completed a degree in Game Design, Game Development, Psychology, English, Marketing, or a related field
• Passion for anime/kawaii culture, gacha/cozy games, and toy collecting preferred
• Solid understanding of game design fundamentals and theory
• Demonstrated ability to dissect what makes games fun and frustrating and why something works
• Strong portfolio of design and/or analytical work such as game breakdowns, mod work, and personal projects
• Resourceful and self-motivated with excellent written and verbal communication skills