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Contract Indie Game Artist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Epoch Games

Lead 3D Game Artist

Winston Salem, NC

LoA:SO is an in-development indie open-world RPG set in an original fantasy world. The game is ... Ability to manage others, especially 3D Game Artists * Ability to work with and provide ...

Studio Wildcard

Sr. VFX Artist

Bellevue, WA · On-site

Senior VFX Artist We're Studio Wildcard, developers of the smash indie hit ARK: Survival Evolved -- one of the most popular and original video games in recent years. Despite our massive success, we ...

Studio Wildcard

Technical Artist - Remote or On Site

Redmond, WA · On-site +1

$142K - $170K/yr

Technical Artist We're Studio Wildcard, developers of the smash indie hit ARK: Survival Evolved -- one of the most popular and original video games in recent years. Despite our massive success, we've ...

Studio Wildcard

Sr. VFX Artist

Bellevue, WA · On-site

Senior VFX Artist _____ We're Studio Wildcard, developers of the smash indie hit ARK: Survival Evolved -- one of the most popular and original video games in recent years. Despite our massive success ...

Absurd Ventures

Lead Game UX/UI Designer

Santa Monica, CA · On-site

$150K - $190K/yr

Collaborate with game designers, artists, and engineers to ensure UI/UX meets project requirements ... Previous work on AAA titles or high-profile indie games. Description * Full-time job with benefits.

Upliftgames

Gameplay Engineer (Full-Time)

Dallas, TX · On-site

$70 - $90/hr

Collaborate with your cross-disciplinary peers (artists, QA testers, producers, game designers ... A game or experience you designed and built yourself (indie game, Roblox experience, game jam entry ...

Absurd Ventures

Lead Game UX/UI Designer

Santa Monica, CA · On-site

$150K - $190K/yr

Collaborate with game designers, artists, and engineers to ensure UI/UX meets project requirements ... Previous work on AAA titles or high-profile indie games. Description * Full-time job with benefits.

Elsewhere

Art Lead (San Francisco)

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$140K - $147K/yr

We're a venture-backed indie studio working on a surreal card game set inside your own dreaming ... Eventually, you'll also help manage more junior artists to work within that style. Our game ...

DePaul

Adjunct Faculty in Game Design

Chicago, IL · On-site

Throughout the program, students collaborate on interdisciplinary teams with programmers, artists ... indie games, to art games, and games for change on established and experimental platforms. In ...

Mxdwn

Games Writer Intern (Unpaid)

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

... Electronic Arts to the Kickstarter-fueled Indie scene. If you're looking to jumpstart a career in game journalism, mxdwn Games is a great place to begin. If interested, email your resume and a ...

mxdwn

Games Writer Intern (Unpaid)

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

... Electronic Arts to the Kickstarter-fueled Indie scene. If you're looking to jumpstart a career in game journalism, mxdwn Games is a great place to begin. If interested, email your resume and a ...

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Contract Indie Game Artist information

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$37K

$123.1K

$196K

How much do contract indie game artist jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 23, 2026, the average yearly pay for contract indie game artist in the United States is $123,136.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $79,000.00 and $170,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a contract indie game artist?

Contract indie game artists are creative professionals who work on a freelance or temporary basis to provide artwork for independent video game projects. They may be hired to design characters, environments, UI elements, animations, or promotional materials, depending on the needs of the game developers. Unlike full-time studio artists, contract indie game artists typically work remotely and juggle multiple projects for different clients. Their flexibility allows indie studios or solo developers to access high-quality art without the commitment of a permanent hire.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a contract indie game artist?

To thrive as a Contract Indie Game Artist, you need strong artistic skills in character, environment, and asset design, along with a well-developed portfolio demonstrating your style and versatility. Proficiency in digital art software such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and game engines like Unity or Unreal Engine is commonly required. Creativity, effective communication, and the ability to work independently or within small teams are valuable soft skills in this role. These competencies ensure you can deliver high-quality, original artwork that meets diverse project needs and tight deadlines in the dynamic indie game industry.

What are some common challenges faced by contract indie game artists when working with remote teams?

Contract indie game artists often work with remote teams, which can present challenges such as coordinating across different time zones, ensuring clear communication of artistic vision, and integrating assets into the game's pipeline efficiently. To overcome these obstacles, artists should establish regular check-ins with team members, use collaborative tools like Slack or Trello, and maintain detailed documentation of their work. Being proactive about feedback and maintaining flexibility in their workflow can greatly enhance productivity and help build strong professional relationships within the team.

What is the difference between Contract Indie Game Artist vs Contract Mobile Game Artist?

AspectContract Indie Game ArtistContract Mobile Game Artist
CredentialsPortfolio, artistic skills, possibly some game development experiencePortfolio, artistic skills, experience with mobile platforms
Work EnvironmentIndependent projects, small teams, freelance or contract basisMobile game studios, freelance, or contract roles for mobile app companies
Industry UsageIndie game development, small studios, personal projectsMobile gaming industry, app stores, casual and hyper-casual games

Contract Indie Game Artists focus on creating art for independent games, often working in small teams or solo, with a broad range of styles. Contract Mobile Game Artists specialize in art for mobile platforms, emphasizing optimization for small screens and touch controls. While both roles require strong artistic skills and portfolios, their work environments and industry focus differ significantly.

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Contract Indie Game Artist jobs near you
Infographic showing various Contract Indie Game Artist job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 66% Full Time, 22% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 11% Contract. Highlights an 84% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 15% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $123,136 per year, or $59.2 per hour.

Lead 3D Game Artist

Epoch Games

Winston Salem, NC

Full-time

Re-posted 5 days ago

Job description

Company Description

Epoch Games is a volunteer-based, all-online, global game development team. We have no centrally-located headquarters and are unincorporated at this time. Most of the original founding members were modders developing the total conversion Middle Earth Roleplaying Project (MERP) mod for the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim:
http://www.moddb.com/mods/merp-middle-earth-roleplaying-project
Currently Epoch Games is developing The Lays of Althas: Sundered Order (LoA:SO). LoA:SO is an in-development indie open-world RPG set in an original fantasy world. The game is being developed using Epic Games' Unreal Engine 4 (UE4):
https://www.unrealengine.com/
For more information about the game, please check out our IndieDb page:
http://www.indiedb.com/games/the-lays-of-althas-sundered-order
NOTE: The address listed is our central office, but we are working as a completely remote development team at this time. No relocation is necessary.

Job Description

In this volunteer position you will be managing, and review the 3D work of, a team of other talented 3D Artist who work on a variety of high-quality, textured 3D assets for the The Lays of Althas: Sundered Order (LoA:SO), a PC Game in development for PC. We are looking for someone knowledgeable with creating 3D Models and Textures and a good eye for critique.

Communication is key to a smooth and efficient pipeline. You must be able to communicate clearly and effectively with other team-members and not be afraid to ask should any problems arise. We are an English-speaking team, so English fluency is a must.

Other duties include following team policies (given through team orientation as upon acceptance to the team) as well as attending meetings through Slack (our instant message program that we use to communicate)

This is a volunteer position, so no monetary compensation is being offered. We also cannot offer any work visas. We are only looking for spare-time hours.

At this time, we are having to rely upon free (or previously licensed) software. Please refer to the applications listed below for guidelines. We do not endorse piracy in any shape or form.

Qualifications

  • Good Communication and Team-collaboration skills is a must

  • Ability to manage others, especially 3D Game Artists

  • Ability to work with and provide constructive criticism and feedback to 3D Models and Textures

  • Knowledge of Physically-based Rendering (PBR) experience for game modeling/sculpting required.

  • Knowledge of working with low-poly/game-ready assets required.

  • Knowledge of Texturing (Diffuse, Normal, Displacement etc).

  • A passion for game development

Additional Information

Recommended 3D Modeling Software (1 or more):

  • Autodesk 3DS Max / Maya

  • Blender

  • Pixologic ZBrush / Mudbox

Recommended 2D Image Software (either or both):

  • Photoshop (CS4 and up)
  • GIMP

If you are missing any, we can help provide you with software.

Also recommended experience with Unreal Engine

Apply