Entry Level Independent Game Developer Jobs
New grad independent game developer jobs welcome recent graduates and entry level candidates with zero to two years of experience, where a strong portfolio or internship work can matter more than a long resume. Most openings are on-site roles across Education, Technology & Software, and Gaming & Esports, with employers like IGT, Worldscape, and Crystal Dynamics hiring at this level now.
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INTRODUCTION
Crystal Dynamics is constantly seeking the best gaming talent worldwide to add to our 30-plus year legacy of game development creating new and iconic franchises. We are committed to making great games with great people and living the dream while doing it. Benefits for our regular full-time positions include, but are not limited to, a competitive regional salary, 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance options, professional development reimbursement, flexible hybrid on-site/off-site work opportunities, company paid holidays, plus additional paid days in December when the studio is closed for holiday break, and the ability to accrue additional paid time-off. Join us and help shape an amazing studio culture, where we’re building award-winning franchises like Tomb Raider and more!
Job Description
Crystal Dynamics is now accepting applications for a remote spring internship, open to candidates across most U.S. states. As part of this 12-week program, you will take part in meaningful, hands-on work that contributes directly to active AAA projects. Throughout the program, you will step into a professional development environment where ongoing projects, experienced mentors, and collaborative teams give you a direct view into AAA game creation. This internship is designed to help you build industry ready skills, form strong professional relationships, and deepen your understanding of how world class games are made!
Eligibility Criteria:
- Graduated from a college or university program in 2026 (Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter).
- Degree in Animation, Art, Game Art, Technical Art, Game Design, Game Development, Engineering, or related fields.
- Availability to work full-time (40 hrs / week), during core business hours, for the duration of the program (February 1st – April 23rd, 2027), including the first week onsite at our studio in San Carlos, CA for onboarding.
- Legal eligibility to work in the United States.
- Submission of a complete application that includes a resume, cover letter, and a link to your portfolio or GitHub.
What You Will Gain:
- Practical Project Involvement: Contribute to active game development efforts while learning production scope, workflows, and the advanced tools used across modern AAA pipelines.
- Professional Mentorship: Receive guidance from experienced professionals with deep industry knowledge.
- Skill Development: Expand your skill set, establishing a solid foundation for your professional journey.
- Team Collaboration: Work alongside our dedicated onsite and remote teams including fellow interns, building valuable professional relationships within the gaming industry.
What You Will Do:
- Learn and apply development workflows in Unreal Engine, using Blueprint scripting, rapid prototyping, and playtesting to turn design ideas into working gameplay. Review, test, and refine your work with guidance from your design mentor.
- Help improve existing combat and traversal mechanics by reproducing issues, debugging Blueprint logic, tuning gameplay values, and building small test spaces to evaluate movement distances, timing, readability, and game feel.
- Prototype clearly scoped gameplay features with guidance from the project’s design leadership. Potential assignments include progression and upgrade systems, new movement abilities, systemic encounters, or a focused boss encounter. Contribute fresh ideas and iterate on a small playable prototype through regular feedback.
- Help develop and document repeatable workflows for designing, building, and testing gameplay and levels. Explore Unreal Engine’s procedural content generation (PCG) tools, create reusable test setups, and record what works so others can build on your experiments.
What Makes You Stand Out:
- Foundational hands-on experience with Unreal Engine and Blueprint scripting, demonstrated through a small playable project, prototype, or coursework, together with a strong interest in learning and thoughtfully applying game development tools, systems, and workflows.
- Portfolio examples should show one or more of the following:
- Gameplay logic or systems you helped build, such as a character ability, movement mechanic, interaction, encounter, or simple progression system. Explain your contribution, how the logic works, and how you investigated a problem or improved the result.
- A playable gameplay or level prototype that demonstrates experimentation, attention to the player experience, and iteration based on testing or feedback. Personal, classroom, and game jam projects are welcome.
- Industry involvement outside classroom curriculum such as game jams, personal projects and/or contributions to group projects that show going above and beyond.
- Exposure to industry-standard development software tools and engines.
- Willingness to tackle challenges, learn from feedback, and adapt to new tools or workflows.
- Ability to communicate your ideas with eagerness to learn and put feedback into action.
INTERNSHIP FAQ
Interns are vital to our innovation and growth. Below are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about our internship program. Given the volume of applications we receive, we aren’t able to accept resumes directly via email or provide individual updates through outreach. To be considered, please submit your application through our careers site so your materials are routed to the hiring team for review.
Q: When and how long will the internship take place?
A: The internship is a 12-week, full-time program, with interns working 40 hours per week. The exact dates will vary year over year, and may be subject to change. Please see our upcoming schedule below for details:
Spring 2027 Internship
- February 1st – April 23rd, 2027
Q: Where will the internship be located?
A: This is a remote internship for candidates living in eligible US states. However, the first week will be on-site at our studio in San Carlos, California for onboarding and a chance to meet people who you will be working with throughout the internship.
Q: Will this be a paid internship?
A: Yes, the internship will be paid. Hourly rates for each position will be detailed in the job description. Compensation for this internship is $20-23/hr. Compensation is location-based and will be aligned to the intern’s confirmed work location during the program. Interns are also eligible for a medical, dental, and vision benefits package. Your recruiter can provide more information about total compensation.
Q: What are we expecting an intern to do?
A: Interns will be selected based on our current project needs. Specific responsibilities and expectations for each intern will be outlined in the job description for the internship position you apply for. This will provide valuable hands-on experience within your chosen field at our studio.
Q: Does Crystal Dynamics have a dress code?
A: At Crystal Dynamics, we believe that creativity thrives when you can be yourself. That’s why we encourage you to wear what makes you comfortable and confident, as long as it’s within the bounds of professionalism and respect for others. Whether it’s casual wear or your favorite gaming tee, feel free to showcase your individuality. Just remember, any attire that could be considered offensive or inappropriate is not allowed.
Q: How do I apply?
A: To apply for an internship, please visit our careers page, where you will find detailed information on our current internship openings and the application process. We encourage you to apply since we’re looking at your skills, experience, and potential, not every requirement! Please note that incomplete applications or attempts to submit outside of the careers page will not be considered. If you make our shortlist, we’ll be in touch for further assessments and interviews. We look forward to receiving your application!
Q: What can I do to make my application stand out from the crowd?
A: To make your application stand out, focus on tailoring your resume to the specific internship role you’re interested in and put together a thoughtful cover letter. Highlight any relevant experience or coursework related to game development and consider including a well-organized portfolio if it showcases your skills effectively. Emphasize your ability to work collaboratively in teams, stay informed about industry trends and the studio’s projects, and ensure your application materials are error-free and professional. If you have references who can vouch for your skills, consider including them. Lastly, closely follow application instructions and be thoroughly prepared for interviews, demonstrating your passion and suitability for the role.
Q: Do I need a degree?
A: At Crystal Dynamics, we value diverse backgrounds, including various levels of education and experience. Having a university degree is not a strict requirement for all of our regular full-time positions. However, if you’re interested in our internship program, eligibility is as follows:
Spring 2027 Internship
- Recent college or university graduates from Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter 2026 with a relevant degree.
Q: Is there a possibility for an intern to become a full-time employee?
A: We value the impact our interns bring to the teams and projects. Our goal is to give interns the experience they need to be successful after schooling is complete. These opportunities are limited and depend entirely on business needs at the time. Interns are encouraged to make the most of their internship and explore future opportunities with us as they become available.
Q: What perks and benefits does Crystal Dynamics offer to interns?
A: Interns at Crystal Dynamics enjoy a range of perks and benefits. These include competitive compensation, access to industry professionals, networking opportunities, and a supportive learning environment. Additionally, interns will be eligible for medical, dental, and vision benefits and have access to unlimited snacks in the office! Detailed information about these perks and benefits will be provided to successful candidates during the onboarding process.
Q: If I’m not eligible for the program at this time, can I be considered for any future internship programs?
A: If you are not eligible for the program at this time, we encourage you to keep an eye on our future internship opportunities. We regularly assess our needs and welcome talented individuals to apply when suitable positions become available.
The pay for this internship role includes the base hourly rate, and does not include the medical, dental and vision benefits package that interns will also be eligible for. Your recruiter will be able to share more information about total compensation.
INTERNSHIP PAY RATE (UNITED STATES)
$21—$24 USD
Not sure if you are qualified? We hope that you will still choose to apply so we may review your application!
Please be advised that our company is aware of scammers impersonating us, and we assure you that all legitimate communication will come from the official Crystal Dynamics email address domain "@crystald.com" or will be an automated response from our applicant tracking system using "no-reply@us.greenhouse-mail.io". If you have any concerns about the validity of a message from our staff, feel free to contact us.
For more information on how to avoid scams like this please see our Jobs Scams & Phishing Attempts help page, or visit the FTC website .
EEO STATEMENT
Crystal Dynamics is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to identifying and implementing positive and persistent measures to ensure equal opportunity in the recruitment, hiring, development, training, promotion and compensation of a diverse team employee group. This includes persons of different race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identity or gender expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding or medical conditions related to breastfeeding, genetic characteristic, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, medical condition, political affiliation, age, veteran status, uniform service member status, marital status, physical or mental disability, or citizenship, as well as any other classifications protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. Crystal Dynamics is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in accordance with applicable laws. If you require any accommodations, please notify us at your earliest convenience during the interview process.
By submitting an application, you acknowledge that you have read and understand Crystal Dynamics's Privacy Notice.
INTRODUCTION
Crystal Dynamics is constantly seeking the best gaming talent worldwide to add to our 30-plus year legacy of game development creating new and iconic franchises. We are committed to making great games with great people and living the dream while doing it. Benefits for our regular full-time positions include, but are not limited to, a competitive regional salary, 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance options, professional development reimbursement, flexible hybrid on-site/off-site work opportunities, company paid holidays, plus additional paid days in December when the studio is closed for holiday break, and the ability to accrue additional paid time-off. Join us and help shape an amazing studio culture, where we’re building award-winning franchises like Tomb Raider and more!
Job Description
Crystal Dynamics is now accepting applications for a remote spring internship, open to candidates across most U.S. states. As part of this 12-week program, you will take part in meaningful, hands-on work that contributes directly to active AAA projects. Throughout the program, you will step into a professional development environment where ongoing projects, experienced mentors, and collaborative teams give you a direct view into AAA game creation. This internship is designed to help you build industry ready skills, form strong professional relationships, and deepen your understanding of how world class games are made!
Eligibility Criteria:
- Graduated from a college or university program in 2026 (Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter).
- Degree in Animation, Art, Game Art, Technical Art, Game Design, Game Development, Engineering, or related fields.
- Availability to work full-time (40 hrs / week), during core business hours, for the duration of the program (February 1st – April 23rd, 2027), including the first week onsite at our studio in San Carlos, CA for onboarding.
- Legal eligibility to work in the United States.
- Submission of a complete application that includes a resume, cover letter, and a link to your portfolio or GitHub.
What You Will Gain:
- Practical Project Involvement: Contribute to active game development efforts while learning production scope, workflows, and the advanced tools used across modern AAA pipelines.
- Professional Mentorship: Receive guidance from experienced professionals with deep industry knowledge.
- Skill Development: Expand your skill set, establishing a solid foundation for your professional journey.
- Team Collaboration: Work alongside our dedicated onsite and remote teams including fellow interns, building valuable professional relationships within the gaming industry.
What You Will Do:
- Learn and apply development workflows in Unreal Engine, using Blueprint scripting, rapid prototyping, and playtesting to turn design ideas into working gameplay. Review, test, and refine your work with guidance from your design mentor.
- Help improve existing combat and traversal mechanics by reproducing issues, debugging Blueprint logic, tuning gameplay values, and building small test spaces to evaluate movement distances, timing, readability, and game feel.
- Prototype clearly scoped gameplay features with guidance from the project’s design leadership. Potential assignments include progression and upgrade systems, new movement abilities, systemic encounters, or a focused boss encounter. Contribute fresh ideas and iterate on a small playable prototype through regular feedback.
- Help develop and document repeatable workflows for designing, building, and testing gameplay and levels. Explore Unreal Engine’s procedural content generation (PCG) tools, create reusable test setups, and record what works so others can build on your experiments.
What Makes You Stand Out:
- Foundational hands-on experience with Unreal Engine and Blueprint scripting, demonstrated through a small playable project, prototype, or coursework, together with a strong interest in learning and thoughtfully applying game development tools, systems, and workflows.
- Portfolio examples should show one or more of the following:
- Gameplay logic or systems you helped build, such as a character ability, movement mechanic, interaction, encounter, or simple progression system. Explain your contribution, how the logic works, and how you investigated a problem or improved the result.
- A playable gameplay or level prototype that demonstrates experimentation, attention to the player experience, and iteration based on testing or feedback. Personal, classroom, and game jam projects are welcome.
- Industry involvement outside classroom curriculum such as game jams, personal projects and/or contributions to group projects that show going above and beyond.
- Exposure to industry-standard development software tools and engines.
- Willingness to tackle challenges, learn from feedback, and adapt to new tools or workflows.
- Ability to communicate your ideas with eagerness to learn and put feedback into action.
INTERNSHIP FAQ
Interns are vital to our innovation and growth. Below are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about our internship program. Given the volume of applications we receive, we aren’t able to accept resumes directly via email or provide individual updates through outreach. To be considered, please submit your application through our careers site so your materials are routed to the hiring team for review.
Q: When and how long will the internship take place?
A: The internship is a 12-week, full-time program, with interns working 40 hours per week. The exact dates will vary year over year, and may be subject to change. Please see our upcoming schedule below for details:
Spring 2027 Internship
- February 1st – April 23rd, 2027
Q: Where will the internship be located?
A: This is a remote internship for candidates living in eligible US states. However, the first week will be on-site at our studio in San Carlos, California for onboarding and a chance to meet people who you will be working with throughout the internship.
Q: Will this be a paid internship?
A: Yes, the internship will be paid. Hourly rates for each position will be detailed in the job description. Compensation for this internship is $20-23/hr. Compensation is location-based and will be aligned to the intern’s confirmed work location during the program. Interns are also eligible for a medical, dental, and vision benefits package. Your recruiter can provide more information about total compensation.
Q: What are we expecting an intern to do?
A: Interns will be selected based on our current project needs. Specific responsibilities and expectations for each intern will be outlined in the job description for the internship position you apply for. This will provide valuable hands-on experience within your chosen field at our studio.
Q: Does Crystal Dynamics have a dress code?
A: At Crystal Dynamics, we believe that creativity thrives when you can be yourself. That’s why we encourage you to wear what makes you comfortable and confident, as long as it’s within the bounds of professionalism and respect for others. Whether it’s casual wear or your favorite gaming tee, feel free to showcase your individuality. Just remember, any attire that could be considered offensive or inappropriate is not allowed.
Q: How do I apply?
A: To apply for an internship, please visit our careers page, where you will find detailed information on our current internship openings and the application process. We encourage you to apply since we’re looking at your skills, experience, and potential, not every requirement! Please note that incomplete applications or attempts to submit outside of the careers page will not be considered. If you make our shortlist, we’ll be in touch for further assessments and interviews. We look forward to receiving your application!
Q: What can I do to make my application stand out from the crowd?
A: To make your application stand out, focus on tailoring your resume to the specific internship role you’re interested in and put together a thoughtful cover letter. Highlight any relevant experience or coursework related to game development and consider including a well-organized portfolio if it showcases your skills effectively. Emphasize your ability to work collaboratively in teams, stay informed about industry trends and the studio’s projects, and ensure your application materials are error-free and professional. If you have references who can vouch for your skills, consider including them. Lastly, closely follow application instructions and be thoroughly prepared for interviews, demonstrating your passion and suitability for the role.
Q: Do I need a degree?
A: At Crystal Dynamics, we value diverse backgrounds, including various levels of education and experience. Having a university degree is not a strict requirement for all of our regular full-time positions. However, if you’re interested in our internship program, eligibility is as follows:
Spring 2027 Internship
- Recent college or university graduates from Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter 2026 with a relevant degree.
Q: Is there a possibility for an intern to become a full-time employee?
A: We value the impact our interns bring to the teams and projects. Our goal is to give interns the experience they need to be successful after schooling is complete. These opportunities are limited and depend entirely on business needs at the time. Interns are encouraged to make the most of their internship and explore future opportunities with us as they become available.
Q: What perks and benefits does Crystal Dynamics offer to interns?
A: Interns at Crystal Dynamics enjoy a range of perks and benefits. These include competitive compensation, access to industry professionals, networking opportunities, and a supportive learning environment. Additionally, interns will be eligible for medical, dental, and vision benefits and have access to unlimited snacks in the office! Detailed information about these perks and benefits will be provided to successful candidates during the onboarding process.
Q: If I’m not eligible for the program at this time, can I be considered for any future internship programs?
A: If you are not eligible for the program at this time, we encourage you to keep an eye on our future internship opportunities. We regularly assess our needs and welcome talented individuals to apply when suitable positions become available.
The pay for this internship role includes the base hourly rate, and does not include the medical, dental and vision benefits package that interns will also be eligible for. Your recruiter will be able to share more information about total compensation.
INTERNSHIP PAY RATE (UNITED STATES)
$21—$24 USD
Not sure if you are qualified? We hope that you will still choose to apply so we may review your application!
Please be advised that our company is aware of scammers impersonating us, and we assure you that all legitimate communication will come from the official Crystal Dynamics email address domain "@crystald.com" or will be an automated response from our applicant tracking system using "no-reply@us.greenhouse-mail.io". If you have any concerns about the validity of a message from our staff, feel free to contact us.
For more information on how to avoid scams like this please see our Jobs Scams & Phishing Attempts help page, or visit the FTC website .
EEO STATEMENT
Crystal Dynamics is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to identifying and implementing positive and persistent measures to ensure equal opportunity in the recruitment, hiring, development, training, promotion and compensation of a diverse team employee group. This includes persons of different race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identity or gender expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding or medical conditions related to breastfeeding, genetic characteristic, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, medical condition, political affiliation, age, veteran status, uniform service member status, marital status, physical or mental disability, or citizenship, as well as any other classifications protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. Crystal Dynamics is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in accordance with applicable laws. If you require any accommodations, please notify us at your earliest convenience during the interview process.
By submitting an application, you acknowledge that you have read and understand Crystal Dynamics's Privacy Notice.
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Find JobsEntry Level Independent Game Developer Job Market
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Education
- Technology & Software
- Gaming & Esports
Entry Level Independent Game Developer Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get an entry level independent game developer job?
Start by building a portfolio of small, completed games you can show employers, even if they were personal or academic projects. Studios hiring at the entry level want to see that you can ship something, so game jams, open-source contributions, or a polished itch.io page all help. Tailoring your resume to show specific engines and tools, like Unity or Unreal, gives you a concrete edge over candidates with generic applications.
Which companies hire entry level independent game developers?
Companies hiring entry level independent game developers right now include IGT, Worldscape, and Crystal Dynamics, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. At this level, hiring comes from a wide range of employers, including small indie studios, mobile game publishers, and larger game companies running dedicated junior developer programs.
Are there remote entry level independent game developer jobs?
Yes, though the mix varies. About 29% of entry level independent game developer openings are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, with on-site roles still common at studios that run collaborative production pipelines. Remote-friendly postings often come from smaller indie teams and mobile-focused companies that have built distributed workflows.
Are these new grad independent game developer jobs?
Yes, these listings include new grad, recent graduate, and junior independent game developer roles. A new grad friendly posting typically welcomes zero to two years of experience and treats internships, game jam projects, or a strong portfolio as qualifying credentials in place of a long work history. If a posting asks for a demo reel or shipped title rather than years on the job, that is a strong signal it is open to new grads.
Which industries hire the most entry level independent game developers?
Entry Level independent game developer roles concentrate in Education, Technology & Software, and Gaming & Esports, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Those sectors drive entry level hiring because they maintain active development pipelines and regularly bring on junior talent to support production, QA integration, and feature work on existing titles.