2D Character Animator

Important Details Project: Unannounced 2D action-metroidvania (Godot 4.7, PC + console) Type: Independent contractor, part-time, ongoing Rate: $30–$60/hr or per-animation-set flat rate — negotiable based on experience Commitment: ~10–15 hours/week, flexible scheduling Location: Fully remote Start: Immediate About the Project I'm a solo developer building a commercial 2D metroidvania in Godot. The core movement and combat systems are built and playable — double jump, a state-machine-driven traversal kit, hitbox/hurtbox combat, custom shader work. A contracted character artist is already delivering high-resolution frame art. What I need now is someone who can make that art move like a first-tier action platformer. The project is pre-reveal, so specifics stay behind an NDA until the trailer. I can share build footage and art with candidates. What You'll Do Punch up existing animations. The current player and enemy animations are functional placeholders and rough passes. I want them reworked for weight, anticipation, follow-through, and readable arcs — the kind of polish that makes a jump feel like it has mass and an attack feel like it lands. Create new animation sets going forward. New abilities, enemies, NPCs, and traversal states ship on a rolling basis. Expect to take a character sheet or base pose from concept to a complete, engine-ready set. Animate for game feel, not for a reel. Startup, active, and recovery frames need to line up with hitbox timings and cancel windows. Loops need to be seamless. Transitions need to hold up when a player mashes inputs. I'll give you frame-data targets; I need you to hit them without the animation looking mechanical. Deliver engine-ready assets. Frame sequences or sprite sheets that drop cleanly into AnimatedSprite2D / SpriteFrames, named and organized to a consistent convention. Requirements A portfolio with shipped or in-development game animation is preferred but not required — Gameplay clips would be amazing, but reels will also be considered Strong frame-by-frame 2D animation fundamentals: timing, spacing, squash/stretch, smears, arcs Demonstrated understanding of how animation serves responsiveness — you know why a 3-frame startup reads differently from a 6-frame one Comfortable working from another artist's character sheets and matching their style Raster/frame-based workflow (Aseprite, Photoshop, Procreate, Toon Boom, Krita — your call). Some rigged animation using bones/skeletons may be considered, but only for specific characters. Reliable async communication and the ability to self-manage against milestones Willing to sign an NDA and a work-for-hire agreement assigning IP to the project Nice to Have Godot experience, especially importing and configuring SpriteFrames yourself Familiarity with action-platformer and metroidvania animation conventions (Hollow Knight, Dead Cells, Blasphemous, Ori as reference vocabulary) Awareness of memory/VRAM constraints on console targets — atlas packing, frame-count discipline, resolution budgeting Basic VFX animation (impact flashes, dust, trails) to accompany character actions Terms Independent contractor (1099 for US-based); you invoice, I pay on [Net 15] per milestone Work-for-hire — all delivered assets and IP assign to the project on payment NDA required before receiving builds or unreleased art Portfolio use permitted after public reveal, with credit; the game credits you either way How to Apply Email me with the subject line "Character Animator — [Your Name]" and include: Portfolio link — timestamp or call out the 2–3 pieces you're proudest of and say why Your rate and availability, structured however you prefer to be paid Tools you work in and your typical delivery format Two or three sentences on an animation in a released game you think is exceptional, and what specifically makes it work Paid test: Shortlisted candidates get one paid animation set — a single character action, scoped to a few hours — before we commit to ongoing work. I pay for it regardless of the outcome.