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Freelance Game Designer Jobs in Michigan (NOW HIRING)

Freelance Game Designer information

See Michigan salary details

$12

$41

$115

How much do freelance game designer jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 4, 2026, the average hourly pay for freelance game designer in Michigan is $41.58, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $21.15 and $53.85 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a freelance game designer?

A Freelance Game Designer is a self-employed professional who creates game concepts, mechanics, and structures for video or tabletop games. Unlike in-house designers, they work on a contract basis for various clients, including game studios, indie developers, or even non-gaming industries. Their tasks may involve designing gameplay systems, writing documentation, and collaborating with artists and programmers. Freelancers often juggle multiple projects, requiring strong time management and creative problem-solving skills.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a freelance game designer?

To thrive as a Freelance Game Designer, you need proficiency in game design principles, creativity, and a solid understanding of interactive storytelling and user experience. Familiarity with industry-standard tools like Unity, Unreal Engine, Adobe Creative Suite, and some programming knowledge (such as C# or Blueprint scripting) is highly valuable. Strong communication, self-motivation, and time management skills are crucial for working with clients and collaborating remotely with other team members. These abilities help ensure the successful delivery of innovative, engaging games while meeting clients' expectations and deadlines.

What are common challenges faced by freelance game designers, and how can they be managed?

Freelance game designers often face challenges such as securing consistent projects, managing multiple client expectations, and staying updated with rapidly evolving technologies and design trends. Effective time management, setting clear communication guidelines with clients, and building a diverse professional network can help overcome these hurdles. Additionally, investing in continuous learning through online courses, communities, and industry events can keep your skills relevant and open up new opportunities. Being proactive about portfolio updates and client feedback also helps build a strong reputation and leads to more steady work.

What are the most commonly searched types of Game Designer jobs in Michigan?

The most popular types of Game Designer jobs in Michigan are:

What job categories do people searching Freelance Game Designer jobs in Michigan look for?

The top searched job categories for Freelance Game Designer jobs in Michigan are:

What cities in Michigan are hiring for Freelance Game Designer jobs?

Cities in Michigan with the most Freelance Game Designer job openings:

Infographic showing various Freelance Game Designer job openings in Michigan as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 55% Full Time, 18% Part Time, 4% Temporary, and 23% Contract. Highlights an 63% In-person, 11% Hybrid, and 26% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $86,489 per year, or $41.6 per hour.

Creative Lead/Instructional Design Manager

Stellantis

Auburn Hills, MI • On-site

Full-time

Posted 28 days ago


Key responsibilities

  • Manage the instructional development process from needs analysis to implementation and measurement.

  • Provide leadership, oversight, and mentoring for contract developers and freelance personnel.

  • Collaborate with project teams and stakeholders to create and deliver effective learning solutions.


Stellantis rating

7.5

Company rating: 7.5 out of 10

Based on 131 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

13th of 45 rated automakers


Job description

The Creative Lead/Instructional Design Manager guides the creative development of learning and performance support materials created by Stellantis Performance Institute for an audience of Stellantis dealership personnel with an emphasis on Sales and After Sales students (non-technical)
This is a full-time, on-site position with Stellantis' Performance Institute in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
This position is responsible for managing the creation of learning solutions that meet and exceed Stellantis Performance Institute expectations for improving retail performance. These learning solutions include a variety of media (e.g., web, print, live, games, animations, mobile and video) that communicate a clear, relevant message to all our external and internal audiences -- including our internal Performance Institute staff, trainers, and the end users in dealerships throughout the NAFTA region.
This role also collaborates with project managers, subject matter experts, instructional designers/writers, vendors and Performance Institute's internal teams to ensure effective and engaging learning experiences. In addition, this role designs and develops learning interventions.
Job Responsibilities include but not limited to:
  • Manage the instructional development process, from needs analysis/concept to implementation and measurement, including creating/updates templates and processes, curriculum and course design, writing/development and editing
  • Provide leadership, process support and general oversight/mentoring for contract developers and freelance personnel as required, including keeping track of how well people are doing in order to make improvements
  • Problem Solving - including proactive solutions to achieve improved effectiveness and efficiency
  • Maintain records and files of work and revisions, per departmental standards
  • Produce/edit product and skills-related creative deliverables with minimal supervision
  • Participate in status meetings, provide project updates, conduct/assist with presentations, delegate projects and manage developer workload as required
  • Benchmark other manufacturer's training and extract best practices for consideration within our strategies
  • Work with key Performance Institute leaders to ideate and implement learning solutions
  • Create presentations and supporting materials for executives to optimize their messaging
  • Attend skills-related training events (i.e., new Skills train the trainer sessions), video shoots and narrative voice-over recording sessions as required to ensure performance objectives and creative vision are maintained
  • Support management of ISD team, freelance staff and vendor partners utilized for a variety of projects

Basic Requirements
  • Minimum of Undergraduate degree; BA or BS in Behavioral Psychology, Technical Writing, Journalism, English, Instructional Design, Communications, or related field
  • Minimum 7 years of experience designing/developing training and performance improvement materials, with an emphasis on retail automotive (Sales/After Sales), in a professional environment
  • Demonstrated application of adult learning principles, performance improvement strategies and associated adult learning models and theories
  • Demonstrated familiarity with general automotive knowledge, systems, components and related technologies
  • Proven ability to provide, present and explain work samples during interview process
  • Proven experience managing a small team of instructional designers
  • Proven experience collaborating with project team members and various internal departments/disciplines to produce learning solutions and provide project status updates
  • Excellent and demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills
  • Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Word and Power Point. Minimum intermediate knowledge of Excel
  • Experience assisting training facilitators as required to prepare/facilitate courseware
  • Experience presenting to and working with executives
  • Excellent and demonstrated writing skills, e.g., creative, journalistic, marketing/copy, technical
  • Ability to work in-person at World Headquarters in Auburn Hills (in office 5 days a week)

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