School of Communication - Game Designer for Dentistry Game

Job Title: Game Designer for Dentistry Game Department: School of Communication Supervisor: Kristina Bell, Brian Heagney, & Michelle Devlin Starting Rate of Pay:$10.00 Length of Time: Eligible for rehire on a semester basis. Department Description: Game Design and the Workman School of Dental Medicine are launching a multi-year, funded initiative to build an original educational game platform for graduate healthcare education. We will design and prototype an interactive, multiplayer learning platform to support dental students in clinical preparedness, adaptive learning, and case-based decision-making. Job Description: Summer 2026 students will work on:

• Game Design Document (GDD) development
• Interactive quizzes and mini-games
• Collaborative/competitive challenges
• Early concept prototypes

Paid summer position with interdisciplinary collaboration. Commitment

• Summer 2026 (8 weeks)
• 10–20 hours/week
• Virtual meetings required

Job Location/ Hours Required: The candidate will perform most/all job duties virtually. Hours may vary depending on the job requirements; however, the total number of hours a student employee may work per week is 20 hours. This position requires up to 20 hours per week. Responsibilities:

• Translate learning objectives into gameplay mechanics (with faculty and student teammates).
• Draft and update GDD sections (core loop, progression, rules, UX flow, quiz/assessment integration).
• Prototype, playtest, and iterate on quizzes, mini-games, and challenges.
• Define visual direction and collaborate on concept art; refine based on stakeholder feedback.

Required Qualifications:

• Currently enrolled student (undergraduate or graduate) in Game Design or related field.
• Strong writing skills; can document design decisions clearly.
• Demonstrated game design work (portfolio, class projects, or equivalent experience).
• Reliable, deadline-oriented, and comfortable with virtual collaboration.

Desired Skills:

• GDDs, systems design, character design, and/or level design experience.
• Familiarity with prototyping tools (e.g., Miro, Twine) and/or engines (e.g., Godot, Unreal).
• Interest in educational games and working with healthcare/dentistry subject-matter experts.