Berlin/remote | Freelance EN
Game Designer (m/f/d)
Video Game x Interactive Installation (Prototype Phase)
Publication date: February 16, 2026
Application deadline: March 09, 2026
Start: March 2026
End: May 2026
Location: EU-based (Berlin preferred), onsite & remote
Workload: approx. 1–2 days/week
Fee: Paid position, fee by agreement
"Can we learn to care for the ocean by playing as it?"
We are looking for a freelance game designer to collaborate on shaping and testing the core gameplay experience as we are currently in the design and prototyping phase. Ideally someone who enjoys working in early, ambiguous stages of a project and feels excited by inventing mechanics.
We are creating a video game and interactive installation that engages with the deep sea as a space of imagination, relational knowledge, and collective presence. Rather than presenting the ocean as an object to be extracted or explained, the project asks how gameplay can generate a sense of interconnection with ocean systems, and how alternative ways of knowing can emerge through play.
About the project
Format: Video game, presented in a physical installation
Aesthetic: Dreamy, poetic, immersive
Core idea: Becoming the ocean rather than playing as a human character
Key themes: Imagination and authorship, Relational experience with ocean systems, Counter-mapping and alternative knowledge systems, Against extraction / deep-sea mining
The game is grounded in ocean science, but moves beyond factual learning toward embodied, relational understanding through play.
What you'll work on
Co-creating and exploring simple, balanced, expressive game mechanics
Translating narrative ideas (e.g. currents as NPCs, layered maps, ocean memory) into gameplay and actively shaping gameplay concepts
Experimenting with how rules, interaction, and physical context influence player behaviour and meaning in an installation setting
Iterating on ideas through hands-on prototyping, playtesting, and reflection, in close collaboration with our User Testing team
Who we're looking for
You might be a strong fit if you:
Are a game designer with experience in prototyping and early-stage design
Enjoy working with casual game mechanics that leave space for interpretation
Hands-on experience working with real-time game engines (e.g., Unity or Unreal Engine).
Experience with game installations, exhibitions, or experimental formats is a plus, but not a requirement.
Language requirements
English: required
German: nice to have, but not required
Who we are
Interactive Media Foundation gGmbH is a non-profit creative lab for pioneering media projects. We are an award-winning and internationally active organization combining storytelling, media technology, art, science, and civic engagement into a unique mix.
How we work
We are proud of our diverse team, which approaches meaningful, impact-driven projects with creativity and openness. Teamwork and active participation are central to how we operate. Our daily work culture is shaped by mutual respect, flat hierarchies, and the opportunity for everyone to contribute their ideas.
How to apply
Please send the following materials to career@interactivemedia-foundation.com:
Portfolio
CV
And your short responses to two questions:
What does the ocean mean to you?
Have you ever played a game as part of an exhibition or installation? What worked, or didn’t?
Creativity, innovation, and the success of our organization and projects are driven by the diversity of perspectives within our teams. We celebrate diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all people with suitable qualifications – regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic or social background, religion or belief, disability, age, or sexual orientation and identity.