Game Art Lead

Midnite; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A cutting-edge gaming company in the UK is seeking a Game Art Lead to own the visual language for free-to-play (F2P) games. You will define the overall style, ensuring high-quality 2D art, UI, and animations that enhance gameplay. The ideal candidate has over 5 years of experience in game art and a strong portfolio demonstrating rich visuals. This role offers flexibility, comprehensive health coverage, and opportunities for professional growth in an inclusive environment.

Benefits

Comprehensive health coverage

Flexible working

25 paid holidays a year

Nursery salary sacrifice scheme

Internal and external learning opportunities

Exclusive perks on discounts

Qualifications

• 5+ years experience in game art, interactive design, or real-time visual production for games, casino or visually-rich experiences.
• Proven ability to both define art direction and execute hands-on.
• Comfortable working closely with engineers in a code-driven environment.

Responsibilities

• Define the overall visual style for F2P games, including UI, in-game art, animation, and FX.
• Design and create high-quality 2D game art and UI.
• Act as the visual owner for F2P games.

Skills

Game Art Design

Interactive Design

Real-time Visual Production

Animation Principles

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Illustrator

Figma

Tools

After Effects

Blender

Maya

Job description

Must be based in the UK.

Salary: £55,000 – £75,000, depending on experience

Overview

Midnite is a next-generation betting platform that is built for today's fandom. We are a collective of engineers and designers who all share a passion for building the best sportsbook & casino experience possible, allowing our fans to feel closer to the games they love through the rush of winning money.

Unlike the alternatives, Midnite doesn't feel like a website built two decades ago. Instead, it's a cutting-edge creation, designed and constructed from the ground up with the latest technologies. Crafting an experience that's truly intuitive, immersive, and immediately understandable is no walk in the park, but we thrive on the challenge. We believe we're on the brink of creating something truly awesome.

About the role

We’re looking for a Game Art Lead to define and own the visual language for a growing suite of F2P / instant games. This is a rare opportunity to shape the look, feel, and motion of a brand-new games vertical from the ground up — setting the visual bar for everything we ship.

You’ll bring deep experience designing beautiful, expressive gameplay visuals — from rich game UI and animations to moment-to-moment feedback that makes games feel satisfying, responsive, and premium.

This role sits at the intersection of art direction and execution. You’ll set the quality bar, define how our games look and feel, and remain deeply involved in hands-on production, working closely with product and engineering to ensure every game feels polished, coherent, and high quality.

This is not a large team-management role — it’s about creative ownership, taste, and delivery.

What you’ll be responsible for

Visual direction & quality

• Define the overall visual style for F2P games, including UI, in-game art, animation, and FX
• Establish a clear, scalable visual language across multiple game types
• Set and maintain quality standards for:
• Colour, lighting, composition
• Animation feel and timing
• Clarity and player focus

Hands-on art & motion

• Design and create high-quality 2D game art and UI
• Produce and guide:
• Animations and transitions
• Win/lose states and prize reveals
• Micro-interactions and feedback
• Work with engineers to implement visuals cleanly and efficiently in-game

Collaboration & pipeline

• Partner closely with:
• Product (to align visuals with mechanics and player experience)
• Engineering (Phaser / Pixi / WebGL)
• Define and maintain:
• Asset pipelines
• Sprite sheet / atlas standards
• Optimisation guidelines for mobile and web

Ownership & leadership

• Act as the visual owner for F2P games
• Review work from freelancers or future hires
• Raise the visual bar as the portfolio grows

What we’re looking for

• 5+ years experience in game art, interactive design, or real-time visual production for games, casino or visually-rich experiences.
• A strong portfolio demonstrating:
• High quality 2D game visuals and UI.
• Ideally also motion and interaction design
• Proven ability to both define art direction and execute it hands-on
• Good understanding of:
• Animation principles (timing, easing, anticipation)
• Player feedback and game feel
• Experience designing for mobile & web products
• Comfortable working closely with engineers in a code-driven environment
• Familiarity working with WebGL or performance constraints in games (nice to have)

Tools

• Strong experience with tools such as:
• Photoshop, Illustrator, Figma
• Motion tools (e.g. After Effects) a plus
• Experience with 3D software (Blender, Maya etc) nice to have, but not required.

Why this role matters

This role directly shapes how players perceive and trust our games.

You’ll define the look, feel, and motion language that sets the quality bar for our F2P experiences — and ensures they feel premium, cohesive, and enjoyable as the portfolio grows.

What’s in it for you:

• Shape our future: Play a key role in our team\'s success, where your voice matters, and you\'ll have a direct impact on shaping Midnite\'s future.
• Connect and unwind: Take part in our quarterly gatherings where our community comes together to bond and have fun.
• Comprehensive health coverage: Look after your well-being with our outstanding zero-excess health insurance plan, which includes optical and dental coverage.
• Income Protection: A great plan for looking after your income and providing peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
• Simplify life: Take advantage of our nursery salary sacrifice scheme, allowing you to conveniently pay your child\'s nursery fees straight from your paycheck.
• Work-life balance: Enjoy 25 paid holidays a year, plus generous paid maternity, paternity, and adoption leave, supporting you during life's most important moments.
• Productive home office: We provide everything you need for a comfortable and ergonomic home setup, ensuring you\'re as productive as possible.
• Flexible working: We embrace flexible working, allowing you to adjust your schedule when life\'s unexpected moments arise.
• Latest tech made easy: With our salary sacrifice schemes, you can upgrade to the latest gadgets, household items, and mobile tech without the upfront cost.
• Exclusive perks: Enjoy a wide range of discounts on retailers, groceries, and subscriptions, making life a little more affordable.
• Grow with us: Expand your skills through internal and external learning opportunities while benefiting from access to mentorship programs that support your development.
• Transparent compensation: We provide competitive pay with clear team bandings and salary grids, ensuring that salary discussions are simple and fair.
• Constructive feedback: We foster a transparent culture, encouraging individual feedback and review sessions to help everyone improve.

At Midnite, we\'re committed to creating equal opportunities for everyone. We actively strive to build balanced teams that reflect the diversity of our communities, including ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, the LGBTQIA+ community, and all genders.

We aim to provide an inclusive and supportive interview experience for all candidates. If you require any reasonable adjustments, please let us know in advance so we can ensure you feel comfortable and set up for success.