Level Up Shanghai – Apply Now!

Level Up is designed to bring together the brightest minds and upcoming talent in the mobile gaming industry. This program offers six game developers-to-be a unique opportunity to make games the Supercell way.

Level Up Shanghai is for students who are passionate about making mobile games. Successful applicants are welcomed to the right environment to make free-to-play games during this period of six months.

“Tell me more!”

While not a traditional internship, game jam or academy, you will learn how we make mobile games – and hopefully, we'll also learn from you! Starting in November 2023, you can think of it as a paid internship where we provide everything you need to make a mobile game the Supercell way: equipment, workspace, your dream team and support from some of the best game developers in the industry. You will need to work together as a team to make one (or multiple) free-to-play mobile games that Supercell employees will try out and give feedback on. And it will all happen at our beautiful office in Shanghai.

“Cool! But why are you doing this?”

By offering students in game development the chance to see how we make games and try it themselves, we hope it will benefit not just them but the local mobile games industry as a whole.

“I’m interested! Where do I sign up?”

You can apply to be a part of the team of the Supercell Level Up Program. Doesn’t matter if you code, draw, design – game developers come in all shapes and sizes and we welcome them all. Send your application to the program on October 31, 2023, at the latest. See below for more information.

Read before applying

Level Up brings together a team of six people who want to make mobile games. Together you will be just like any other game team at Supercell: you’ll have your own team space and equipment, and you get a front-row seat to see how global mobile games are made. 

Applicants should have a sufficient level of knowledge and skills in their own discipline. In other words, we won't teach you how to code, draw or design. What we will do is show you how games are made at Supercell and give you the opportunity to work together as a team to make decisions such as which stack to use, what game you want to develop and everything that comes with it.

You won't be on your own, though, as we have created a dedicated team of game developers who are here to support you. As part of the program, you'll have six months to deliver at least one company playable to all of Supercell’s employees – and get feedback from arguably the best mobile game developers in the world and insights into how we think about data, marketing and players. Just as with any other team at Supercell, YOU make the decisions, but you need to do it as part of a team. Excited already? We are!

Requirements

• Undergraduate or graduate student who can work full-time for six months in Shanghai: citizenship, visa, local bank account, etc.

• Experience in making games – at home, school, university or your friend’s aunt’s garage

• We expect you can at least have one of the skills as your superpower:

  • Programmers: C++, C#, Java or other programming

  • Artists: concept art /UIUX design and/or 3D art and animation

  • Others: gameplay design, system design, game economics or audio design, etc.

• Passion or interest in mobile games

• Experience working in a team environment

• Communication skills

• English skills

How to apply

• Send your application through this application page

• Your application should include a CV/resume where we can see what your level of experience is, what projects and games you have worked on, and what technical skills you have, including what tech stack you are familiar with (e.g. Unity, Unreal)

• Send us examples of your work – anything from finished games to concepts or WIP

• Fill in any other information requested in the application form

The application deadline is Tuesday, October 31th, 2023, at 23:59 CST. After that, we will let you know whether you have been chosen for follow-up interviews. We aim to respond to everyone who has submitted a real genuine application. Final decisions on who will be selected for the program will be made by the end of November.

FAQ

What skills will these positions require?

• Experience in making games - at home, school, university or at your friend’s aunt’s garage - it doesn’t matter where

• Technically sufficient skills with code (C++, C#,  java), art (concept, 2D, and/or 3D) or design (game design, balancing, game economics) to independently work on your craft

• Passion or interest in mobile games

• Experience working in a team environment

• Communication skills

• English skills

Check the application page for more on the requirements.

I’m not a student. Can I still apply?

Sorry, this time, we will only accept students.

How many intern positions will there be? How many participants will you hire for the program?

We are looking to hire up to six people to join the program.

Will the participants get paid during the program?

Yes, they will, and the daily gross salary will be 500 RMB. On top of that, there will be some great employee benefits, like housing subsidies, free breakfast and lunch.

I would like to apply, but I don't live in the Shanghai region. Will you be able to offer accommodation and relocation support?

Selected participants will need to secure and pay for their own accommodation. In certain situations, we may be able to assist with finding a place to live, but it's not something we can guarantee.

Unfortunately, we can't offer relocation support from other countries, as this program is open only for applicants with the necessary permits to live and work in China.

Are the start and end dates for the program fixed, or are they negotiable?

The dates are fixed. This program is based on a 6-month team effort that brings together a number of people with a variety of skills, and we believe all selected interns will be an indispensable part of the team. That's why we ask that only people who can commit for the full duration of the program apply.

Can I work part-time, or is this only a full-time gig?

This is a full-time commitment. Since you will work in a tightly-knit team, it would be challenging to accommodate different team members whose working hours don’t align.

Do I need to have professional experience to be considered?

No. However, we hope that your application includes examples of anything that you have done – in a job, at school, or in your spare time – that showcases your skills and talent to help us determine if this program might be right for you.

Are there any age limits to applying? Who is this program internship for?

We expect applicants will be students at the end of their studies.

Can I get study credits for joining this program?

You need to speak to your teacher or educational institution. We can help provide any necessary information to help with that.

Can I join the program remotely?

This is not a remote program. We expect everyone to work together in person, but given your possible school duties, we will provide you. 

I don’t have an online portfolio. What do I do?

You can easily showcase your work on a free online platform. Eg, artists use artstation.com a lot. If you don’t want to do that, you can also just compile a little “mood board” of examples of your work, save it as a pdf, and send it with your application through the website

I’ve never written a CV and I don’t really have any experience to add to it anyway. Help?!

We don’t expect you to have a ton of professional experience. Instead, you can add whatever projects, games, and teams you’ve been working with at school or with your friends. Any other work experience such as summer jobs can be added too, as well as your hobbies, language skills, and education. please feel free to use any CV template you like. The internet is full of them!

Woop, I got through to the next round of the application process! How should I prepare for the next steps?

Please be prepared for 1 to 3 rounds of interviews. The first round will be with a Supercell recruiter, and the next one will be with some game developers from Supercell. For example, if you’re interested in being an artist on the Level Up team, you will be interviewed by a couple of our game artists in the Level Up mentor’s group.

When will I know if my application has been successful or not?

We accept applications until October 31st, 2023, and you can expect to hear back from us the latest the beginning of November.