3D Game Environment Artist

Nex; United States; Remote; USD 83,000 - 124,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Flexible hours & vacation

Growth culture

Hands-on with cutting edge tech

Job summary

Nex Playground is seeking a freelance environment artist to design and optimize vibrant game environments for mobile-rich experiences. You will work on a sports-themed title under the Nex Playground brand, translating anime-inspired aesthetics into compelling, performant spaces.

The role offers fully remote or Hong Kong office onsite options, with flexible hours and a focus on mobile performance. Collaboration across time zones is expected to deliver high-quality visuals.

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of the full 3D environment art production pipeline, from blockout to final in-engine implementation.
• Hands-on experience with Unity.
• Ability to create high-quality environment assets while meeting mobile-level performance budgets.
• Familiarity with mobile platform optimization and performance-conscious workflows.
• Experience optimizing environments for lower-spec hardware is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Create high-quality environment assets for Nex Playground projects.
• Optimize assets to meet mobile performance budgets across devices.
• Collaborate with art director and team to translate anime-inspired aesthetics into compelling environments.

Skills

3D environment art

Unity

Mobile optimization

Performance budgets

Anime-inspired art direction

Tools

Unity

Job description

Nex is on a mission to help families rediscover the joy of movement. Created by parents for parents, Nex combines technology and play to deliver fun, social, and interactive experiences powered by natural body motion, encouraging kids and adults to move more, play more, and have fun together. Nex Playground, the company’s award-winning active play system, is purpose-built to get families moving year-round, with safety and privacy as core considerations in its intentional design. It is certified kidSAFE+ COPPA compliant and built to support healthy, active play for all ages and abilities.

Nex Playground features a growing library of 50+ experiences, including motion and dance games, fitness and educational experiences, and Nex Originals. Content includes collaborations with partners like Hasbro, Sesame Workshop, and NBCUniversal. Nex has been recognized by Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, TIME’s Best Inventions, and Parents’ Best Entertainment System for Families, and has earned Red Dot, IDEA, and Core77 international design awards. We encourage you to explore Have Funand Is Motion Gaming Back?, as they offer a deeper look into our culture, values, and explain how our approach to motion gaming differs from previous generations.

Team: Metaverse Cell
Location: Hong Kong or Remote (Preferred: UTC +6 to UTC +10 – works well with Hong Kong hours)
Reports to: Art Director

Work Arrangement

• Freelance / contractor role
• Fully remote, or onsite at our Hong Kong office
• Preferred start date: as soon as possible

Project Overview

• Sports game title for Nex Playground
• Anime-inspired sports game visual style
• Experience with, or a strong interest in, sports games is a plus

Key Requirements

• Strong understanding of the full 3D environment art production pipeline , from blockout to final in-engine implementation
• Hands-on experience working with Unity
• Ability to create high-quality environment assets while meeting mobile-level performance budgets
• Familiarity with mobile platform optimization, efficient asset creation, and performance-conscious workflows
• Experience optimizing environments for lower-spec hardware is highly desirable
• Strong understanding of anime-inspired or stylized art direction, including shape language, color, lighting, and composition
• Ability to translate anime aesthetics into compelling environment design through modeling, texturing, lighting, and overall scene presentation

Nice to Have

• Experience shipping mobile games or other performance-sensitive titles
• Passion for anime, stylized visuals, and expressive game environments
• Interest in sports-related games or interactive sports experiences

We Offer

• Competitive compensation package.
• Flexible working hours and vacation policy.
• Product-driven culture that treasures talents and individual growth.
• Front-row seat and hands-on experience with cutting edge technologies in the evolving gaming field

Nex is located in San Jose, California, USA and HongKong. Learn more about us atnex.inc/who-we-are.

We encourage applications even if you don’t meet more than 50% of the requirements — we believe that experience comes in many forms!

Nex is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. This policy applies to all individuals at every stage of the employment relationship, including all current and prospective employees, and covers all employment decisions including recruitment, hiring, job assignment, promotion, compensation, benefits, training, discipline and termination.

We are committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination and harassment and to fostering an inclusive environment for all employees.