WE’RE READY TO PLAY
ForthStar is a unique games company based in Manchester, UK, on a mission to make big free-to-play hits. Established in 2023 by Playdemic Founders, Paul Gouge and Alex Rigby, and a team of exceptionally talented industry veterans, ForthStar's core belief is that the best games are made by highly accomplished teams with freedom for creative innovation.
EPIC PLAY, EVERY DAY
Our mission is clear: to create great games that millions of people love to play every day for years. We take pride in our commitment to building exceptional, mass-appeal games with highly engaging core mechanics that captivate our players and become essential daily entertainment.
OUR WAY OF WINNING
We believe in excellence, creative thinking, and have a culture that promotes collaboration, innovation, and the continuous pursuit of better. We support each other to make ForthStar not just a workplace, but a space for inspiration, creativity and professional growth. We are driven by our commitment to the service of our players and to each other.
A TRUSTED PLAY IN GAMING
ForthStar is a privately owned company funded by its founders and Griffin Gaming Partners, one of the world's largest venture funds focused exclusively on gaming.
Together the founders and Griffin have invested $10 million in ForthStar, providing secure foundations for the business.
AN AWARD WINNING team
CAREERS
We prioritise fostering a culture that inspires and empowers every member of the team in the pursuit of our shared mission: to make great games that millions of people love to play every day for years.
Great people do great things in great workplaces. As a result, we invest in making our working environments the best they can be, cultivating collaboration and high levels of autonomy, and committing to an anti-crunch philosophy.
From day one, we’ve embraced a 4 day work week because we believe this output-focused approach enables our team to deliver their best work, optimising productivity while also improving their overall wellbeing.
Just as our games are designed for everyone, so is our workplace. We act ethically towards each other, our players, suppliers and the environment. Our ongoing commitment is to build an increasingly diverse, inclusive team that reflects our audiences and the wider society we engage with.
In addition to a competitive salary, you can expect some excellent perks and benefits: generous holidays, private medical insurance, life assurance, enhanced family leave, a robust pension plan and opportunities for growth and development. Our profit-related bonus scheme rewards excellent performance, and our employee assistance programme and 24/7 virtual health service prioritise your wellbeing.
We offer flexible hybrid working and provide complimentary parking to make those days in the studio hassle-free, and regular team socials to keep the fun times coming.
We have ambitious growth plans and are seeking incredibly talented individuals capable of excellence. If you believe you have what it takes to become our next superstar, we'd love to hear from you. Please get in touch at superstars@forthstar.com
OPEN ROLES
Technical Designer
Description
The Technical Designer will be self-driven and a critical linchpin in our game development process, fostering seamless integration between the design and programming teams. Their primary responsibilities include crafting and iterating upon gameplay systems and mechanics with a relentless focus on fun, engagement, and innovation.
We are looking for an exceptional individual to join our incredibly talented team, we welcome applications from technical designers of all experience levels, from young self-taught talent with diverse skills to seasoned professionals who can bring a wealth of industry experience to the table.
Responsibilities
- Collaborate with both the design and programming teams to prototype and implement innovative, yet intuitive, gameplay mechanics.
- Use scripting languages to develop gameplay features and user interface systems.
- Work closely with other disciplines to ensure that gameplay systems work harmoniously with other game elements.
- Playtest and iterate on gameplay systems to ensure a high level of polish and balance.
- Assist in debugging and problem-solving game-related issues.
- Create and maintain technical documentation.
- Analyse and break down art and design requirements into defined tasks.
Essential Skills
- Experience in a similar role within the game industry or personal projects.
- Must possess keen attention to detail and ambition for perfection.
- Proficiency in scripting languages such as C#, C++ or Python.
- Strong problem-solving skills.
- Enjoys team collaboration and subscribes to the iterative creative process.
Desirable Skills
- Hands-on experience and proficiency with Unity or Unreal.
- Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical team members.
- Familiarity with vectors and 3D math.
- Strong knowledge of game design principles and player psychology.
- A passion for games and a deep understanding of what makes them fun.
Salary
£35-£60k, depending on experience
If you’re an excellent fit for this role, send your CV and salary expectations to superstars@forthstar.com, outlining why you’d be a great new addition to the ForthStar team.
NO AGENCIES PLEASE
Gameplay Programmer
Description
The Gameplay Programmer will collaborate with our design and art teams to craft gameplay systems, mechanics and control schemes. We are at an early stage of design and development, so you will be engaged in rapid in-engine prototyping with a huge opportunity to shape and iterate upon gameplay experiences with a highly skilled and experienced team.
We are looking for an exceptional individual to join our incredibly talented team, we welcome applications from developers of all experience levels, from young self-taught talent with diverse skills to seasoned professionals who can bring a wealth of industry experience to the table.
Responsibilities
- Collaborate with both the design and art teams to prototype and implement innovative, yet intuitive, gameplay mechanics.
- Drive excellence in code-driven aesthetics, such as transitions, integration of animations and visual polish.
- Develop gameplay features and user interface systems.
- Work with server-side developers to ensure your gameplay code is efficient for network play.
- Work closely with other disciplines to ensure that gameplay systems work harmoniously with other game elements.
- Playtest and iterate on gameplay systems to ensure a high level of polish and balance.
- Assist in debugging and problem-solving game-related issues.
- Create and maintain technical documentation.
- Analyse and break down art and design requirements into defined code tasks.
Essential Skills
- Experience in a similar role within the game industry or personal projects.
- Ability to seamlessly integrate polished visuals, animations, and transitions with flavour and flair.
- Must possess keen attention to detail and ambition for perfection.
- Excellent working knowledge of either C/C++/C# or similar languages.
- Enjoys team collaboration and subscribes to the iterative creative process.
Desirable Skills
- Hands-on experience and proficiency with Unity.
- Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical team members.
- Strong 3D math, engineering and problem-solving skills.
- Good understanding of physics simulation code.
- Passion for games and an understanding of what makes them fun.
- Degree with notable coding element.
Salary
£35-£60k, depending on experience
If you’re an excellent fit for this role, send your CV and salary expectations to superstars@forthstar.com, outlining why you’d be a great new addition to the ForthStar team.
NO AGENCIES PLEASE
