Note: This contract is fully remote.

Overview

ThePlanarDanse game studio is seeking a collaborative and determined Game Designer & Artist to join our newly formed team.

Creators that would excel in this position at TPD are those with a passion for bringing captivating worlds to life, providing 3D level art, 2D graphic design for UI, and engaging level design with a mind for player interaction, all for use in our upcoming release on PC. You will be responsible for many design features, various environment tiles & props, all 2D art, and QA/bug testing. All roles provide much freedom to create and innovate to improve the value & quality of our games, overall.

ThePlanarDanse is a game studio and IP. TPD has published two games and one book within its IP, and is now seeking to expand with greater budget and size. TPD is a worker-owned, worker-ran game studio, with its day-to-day operations self-managed with flexible hours by its developers, rather than accepting requirements laid down by shareholders that do not know the intricacies of game development or what players desire. With three years full employment, a worker will become a full owner alongside all others.

The games that TPD makes are those with intricate, serious, and/or dark themes. These can be morbid and gothic, such as in Skulltide; they can be magic-punk and steeped in fantasy realism; they can be surreal and based in human experience. If these such genres and aesthetics are your interest and specialty, and you are looking for a contract with the opportunity for longer employment, send your resume our way!

Duties

Utilize existing art assets and create new high-quality 3D assets both for the level design and environment design. You will be responsible for the playable area from a UX perspective.

Create high-quality 2D graphics, including UI for abilities and menus, while following the aesthetic and art direction of the lead artist. The destination of these assets is Unreal Engine 5.

Collaborate with the wider team to complete all project milestones in a realistic timeframe without unnecessary crunch.

Maintain a QA profile of the game, testing it for bugs regularly and reporting those to the larger team, specifically the Game Engineer.

Innovate upon the game design as a Game Designer to provide the player with maximum value and entertainment, while ensuring maximum delivery of the core "anchors" of the given games genre.

Participate in brainstorming sessions to contribute creative ideas and solutions.

Ensure all artwork meets technical specifications for integration into UE5 with acceptable performance.

Stay updated on industry trends and techniques to continually improve skills and contribute innovative ideas.

Extra Duties (Nice-to-haves)

Create high-quality 3D VFX inside Unreal Engine 5

Create & program a responsive UI within Unreal Engine 5, with an appropriate art style to the game.

Have experience working in horizontally-managed teams and/or self-managed work environments.

Sound design experience another bonus!

Requirements

Work under previous finished game projects with commercial intent and indie success, (III-AA) or equivalent experience.

Peak communication skills and an eye for error and UX, so as to ensure a polished game at the end of development.

Use of Unreal Engine in an artistic capacity with an eye for the performance budget.

Experience using Unreal for asset integration is highly desirable.

Strong illustration skills with a keen eye for detail and aesthetics. Previous experience coordinating art direction for a project, be that a game, an animation, or a similar example from portfolio, is highly desirable.

Proficiency in digital art creation with experience in tools such as Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and 3D modeling & animation software.

Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment while managing multiple tasks effectively without

A portfolio showcasing your artistic and game skills, including examples of UI/UX assets, game flow, or previous GDD you authored.

Join us in creating visually stunning experiences that engage users and expand The Planar Danse as a cooperative studio under developer management!

Mission Statement of TPD:

"To create a worker-owned, developer-ran gamut of studios whose goal is job preservation--not maximum return on capital--through the creation of unique and narrative-driven games and aided by the efficiencies of self-determination, games which focus on providing value to players rather than extracting value from them. Here, all workers participate in profit sharing and manage the company collectively, which carries through to daily organization of studio tasks. Here, Workers are Owners."