Senior 2D Artist / Animator

Our client is developing a unique 2D mobile game that teaches Chinese characters through play. The experience scales from a tactile, physics-based "sticker" sandbox for young learners into a full-fledged tactical anime RPG.

We are looking for a versatile 2D Artist & Animator to join our agile team. You will work closely with our Lead Engineer and Lead Artist to breathe life into everything from playful sticker-style toys to a massive roster of tactical RPG heroes.

Core Responsibilities

• Character Concept: Design approachable, highly collectible, anime-style RPG heroes.
• Visual Combat Design: Visually communicate a character's combat role through their design (e.g., a single-stroke character like "一" as a swift assassin; a dense character like "龍" as a heavy tank).
• Animation & VFX: Create playful, tactile visual feedback for physics-driven sandbox interactions (squashing, bouncing), as well as high-impact 2D/2.5D combat VFX (elemental bursts, hit-stops, screen-clearing ultimates).
• Environments & UI: Design immersive 2D sandbox canvases, magical UI elements, exploration maps, and restored cityscapes for the player's hub.

Requirements

• Experience: 3–5+ years in 2D game art/animation with shipped mobile titles (casual and/or mid-core RPGs).
• Aesthetic Versatility: Exceptional portfolio demonstrating the ability to pivot between clean, kid-friendly character appeal and top-tier Anime/ACG aesthetics.
• Animation Fluency: Highly proficient in Spine 2D or frame-by-frame animation.
• Technical Collaboration: Comfortable working with artists and engineers to optimize rendering performance, physics interactions, and animation timing (down to the 0.1-second frame).
• Embrace AIGC: Experience using AI generation tools (Stable Diffusion, Midjourney) for rapid concepting.
• Chinese Knowledge: Deep understanding of Chinese typography, calligraphy structures, traditional ink-wash aesthetics, or Eastern fantasy.

Who You Are

• A Visual Storyteller: You don't just draw static images; you understand animation principles and exactly how art serves the gameplay loop, whether it's for a child learning a character or a hardcore gamer clearing a dungeon.
• A Collaborative Creator: You can accurately interpret world-building briefs and are comfortable having rational, technically grounded discussions with Engineers regarding rendering performance, physics interactions, and asset hand-offs.
• A Passionate Gamer: You understand how a perfectly timed magical sparkle triggers a sense of wonder, and exactly how a perfectly timed critical hit effect triggers player dopamine. You are willing to tweak a single animation frame by 0.1 seconds to get it exactly right.