I'll start with a bit of information about myself. My name is Robert, and I started as a hobbyist game developer far too many years ago. I've been extremely fortunate in that I've been able to pursue independent game development full time. My most recent (and successful) project is Timber and Stone (more info at www.timberandstonegame.com, although the many videos on You-Tube might be more informative). While I continue to focus most of my time to the continued development of that game, I've become very passionate about another project. Because of that, and my limited proficiency with pixel art, I've decided to hire pixel artists to help start the new project.

I'll go ahead and post my plans for the (currently unnamed) game. I was lucky enough to grow up in what I consider the golden age, playing fantastic games like Mega Man, Metroid, Ghosts & Goblins, Gunstar Heroes, and Castlevania, even now when I play these games again, I find them greatly inspiring. And that's the basis for the type of game I wish to eventually create. I do however wish to expand on the 2d platforming style of gameplay that those examples provide by implementing features usually associated with WRPGs. Fantasy setting, stat based combat, questing (no emphasis on grinding though, loath it), inventory, and a game-world filled with towns and dungeons. The player character will progress by gaining levels, which will enhance his abilities with weapons, magic, crafting, and mobility. Platforming, exploration and combat will still be a major focus, of course, staying true to the roots of the genre. The controls will be designed with a gamepad in mind, and the target platform will be Steam initially, but there might be a push toward PSN & XBLA depending on the game's success.

I suppose this would be a good time to describe what I'm looking for in terms of graphics. I'm aiming for visuals comparable to SNES/CPS2/NEOGEO. The game will run at 426x240 resolution with 3x scaling, with human characters needing to be around 48 pixels tall. I'll post a few images to demonstrate what I'm looking for in terms of both style and quality:







I'm hoping to find artists who can provide this sort of work. I'll be needing everything, environment graphics, character & enemy animations, and GUI components. If you specialize only in character animating, or perhaps you only do environment art, that's fine.

I've always felt that a game's visuals can be of primary importance, so I've set aside a large budget for the game's graphics (I'd rather not post the exact amount in the forum). I'd prefer to pay flat rates for pixel art on a freelance basis, but I might be willing to pay hourly for the right artist(s). I can give more information on budget and amount of work via email.

If you have any interest, please send your resume and rates to robert @ timberandstonegame (dot) com

Thanks and hope to hear back from you.

Edited by RobertR - 21 May 2013 at 10:47pm