Call Out For 3D Artists For Retool

Retool is at a stage where the core gameplay is implemented and the game can be played (and hopefully enjoyed). Now I can’t endure to look at its art, especially as it was created by my limited art skillset. Therefore, to improve the game a further 43%, I have decided it is time to hire a professional 3D artist. Read on if you are interested.

This will be the first time I am hiring a freelancer so I might get some of this wrong (please let me know if there are any mistakes). Here is what I am offering the artist:

• Money – I will be paying per hour so let me know how much you charge as I do have a limited budget.
• Flexible schedule – I have not got any deadlines set for this game yet so you have flexible hours to work on the art.
• Creative Freedom – nothing is set in stone in the game. I have got ideas how I want the game to look but I am willing to listen if you think your idea is better.
• No experience needed

Here is a basic overview about Retool so you can have an idea of what type of art I am looking for.

About Retool
Retool is a puzzle game about hacking into computers to rewire outputs of electronics. The game will be set on a dark alien world in the 22nd century. The electronics will be based alien technology and each level will be set inside an alien building. The goal of each level will be to get to the exit, which will be a teleporter, and to complete any additional objectives such as saving someone, stealing something, or destroying or killing something or someone.

You can download Retool from GameJolt to get a better idea of how it works.

Art Style
I am going with a cel-shaded look with the game. You can see that in some of the recent screenshots I have posted on Twitter or the embedded screenshots below with what I mean by cel-shading. I want the style to look similar to a cartoon but darker and bloodier. The look I am going for is a mixture of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker mixed with Borderlands. So imagine Zelda but set in a futuristic, dark alien world. I hope that makes sense.

Setting
As I said earlier, each level will be set in an alien building. What I have I got in mind is something similar to inside the Covenant ships in Halo (purple, dark, and full of alien technology). What I will be looking for with the assets created for the levels is to have a 3D modular kit with wall and floor prefabs, so that I can create the levels by dragging and dropping them in the correct position. The modular kit needs to be designed so that I can bring the 3D assets into the game engine (Unity) and just place them without needing to resize them. As a guide, I am using one Unity unit as one meter. Therefore, a human will be around 1.8 Unity units.

Player
The player will be an engineer (or scientist). What I got in mind is something similar to Gordon Freeman but having less armor. I have not decided what the sex of the player is but should be decided before the work commences.

Characters
Other main characters in the game will be:

• Human soldier
• Alien guard
• Alien guard (heavy) – this will be similar to alien guard but have more armor and look more fused with technology
• General (human) – leads the army for humans (and is the player’s boss)
• General/President (alien) – the main bad guy in the game

I have not decided yet how I want them to look, but as with the player, I shall decide before the work commences. I might add one or two characters to the list (scientist, prisoner) but all of this will be decided before work commences.

Electronics and Weapons
All the electronics in the game will be simple stuff (such as switches, cameras, doors, etc.) but with an alien vibe. I am still creating the full list of electronics.

As for the weapons, there will be a hammer, pistol (alien), and rifle (human). I might add a few more weapons but it does not seem likely.

Application
If you are interested in this position, then check that you meet the requirements below:

• You are at least 18 years old
• You have a bank account and can receive money from England or have a PayPal account
• Reply in a timely manner via Email, Skype, Slack, or whatever your preferred method of communication is
• Willing to make changes to your work as I am sure that I will be asking you to make some changes to your work as we go along. This is just part of the process so that I am happy with the final 3D asset that is going to be in the game, so if you do not like to listen to feedback on your work, then you most likely do not meet this requirement
• You are located somewhere on Earth (sorry astronauts)

If you meet all the requirements, then send me the following information to lovepreet@hut90.com:

• How much you charge per hour
• Sample(s) of your work that relates to Retool (you can either create something for Retool or something you have done prior for another project)
• How long it took you to create the sample(s) of work

The sample(s) can be anything from a character to a weapon. Feel free to email me if you got any further questions that I have not answered.

The deadline for applications is August 24th 2015. After the deadline, it will take me until around September to have made my final choice.

Want to know when the game is out? Then subscribe to the Hut 90 mailing list.

Update: People have asked me about animation and rigging via email so I will answer it here. You do NOT need to know how to do animation and/or rigging.

Update 2: I am reminding everyone to include the information I have asked above to be included in the emails you send me due to the overwhelming amount of applicants who are emailing me without the required information. Failure to do so will automatically make me put your email in the trash and not consider you for this position.