3D Environment Artist / Technical Artist
Project: GrimRail
Company: Infinite Loop Studios LTD
Location: Remote / Vancouver-based studio
Position Type: Independent Contractor
Compensation: Revenue share during demo period, with potential for paid monthly contract after publisher funding
About GrimRail
GrimRail is a first-person psychological horror game set aboard a decaying luxury train drifting through a surreal afterlife. The game blends environmental storytelling, body-cam-style immersion, analogue horror, dreamcore imagery, puzzle exploration, and reactive horror systems.
We are currently in the vertical slice stage and are in conversations with several publishers. Nothing is guaranteed, but the project has active publisher interest and a clear short-term demo goal.
We are looking for a strong 3D Environment Artist / Technical Artist to help push the visual quality of the vertical slice, especially across interiors, props, lighting, materials, VFX, and environmental polish.
Role Overview
This role is ideal for someone who can create high-quality horror environments and hard-surface assets while also understanding how those assets function inside Unreal Engine.
You will be working closely with the creative director, art director, and development team to build, improve, and polish environments for GrimRail’s vertical slice. The focus will be on modular interior assets, mechanical props, environmental storytelling, lighting, texturing, and technical polish inside Unreal Engine.
Because GrimRail is an indie project, cross-disciplinary interest is a major plus. We are especially interested in artists who enjoy horror, surreal environments, and collaborative creative problem-solving.
Responsibilities
- Create modular environment assets for interior spaces.
- Model hard-surface objects such as furniture, train components, mechanical pieces, and props.
- Build props and environmental details that support storytelling and atmosphere.
- Work inside Unreal Engine to place, light, and polish scenes.
- Assist with environmental composition, mood, and visual focus.
- Help improve scene quality through materials, lighting, set dressing, and atmospheric details.
- Collaborate with directors and developers to revise work based on feedback.
- Participate in creative brainstorming and visual ideation.
- Document ideas, references, and design thoughts for director review, including through tools such as Miro.
- Work independently through a task-based system while meeting deadlines reliably.
- Attend 1–2 team meetings per week.
Required Skills
- Strong 3D modelling skills for hard-surface assets.
- Experience with modular asset design for interiors.
- Ability to create believable props, furniture, mechanical objects, and architectural pieces.
- Strong understanding of environmental storytelling.
- Comfort working with horror themes, including disturbing subject matter and gore.
- Unreal Engine familiarity.
- Lighting proficiency in Unreal Engine.
- Ability to take critique and rework assets based on feedback.
- Interest in collaborative ideation and game design.
- Reliable communication and accountability with deadlines.
Strong Advantages
- Previous game development experience.
- Experience on a released game, especially a horror title.
- Horror portfolio work or a strong personal interest in offbeat horror, analogue horror, dreamcore, liminal spaces, or surreal horror.
- Experience with trim sheets and material workflows.
- Organic texturing experience.
- Familiarity with Unreal Engine material systems, including master materials, child materials, ORM workflows, bump maps, and distortion maps.
- Experience with game engine optimization, including LODs and efficient material setup.
- Comfort with light baking, reflection captures, and scene optimization.
- VFX experience, especially overlay materials and Niagara systems.
- Basic environmental animation experience.
- Ability to build full rooms or scenes with strong composition and clear visual focus.
- Blueprint familiarity.
- Technical art experience with shader systems in Unreal Engine.
- Experience creating atmospheric polish for gameplay abilities, UI overlays, or environmental effects.
- Familiarity with version control, especially Git or Git Bash.
Bonus Cross-Discipline Skills
These are not required, but they are valuable for our team:
- Interest in game design principles, either through self-education or formal study.
- Ability to collaborate with developers on designer-friendly tools.
- Familiarity with Blueprints, child Blueprint systems, SOPs, or component-based workflows.
- VFX support for gameplay abilities or screen effects.
- Experience with FMOD or game audio implementation.
- Understanding of optimization and build troubleshooting in Unreal Engine.
- Experience with environmental manipulation mechanics.
- UI or widget Blueprint familiarity.
Project Stage and Compensation
GrimRail is currently in vertical slice development. We are aiming to complete the next major demo milestone within approximately 2–3 months.
For the initial demo period, this role would be compensated through revenue share. We are currently considering approximately 2.5% revenue share, capped at $20,000, in exchange for initial investment of time into the demo period.
After the demo stage, if publisher funding is secured, the role may transition into a paid monthly independent contractor position at competitive indie rates. Continued work would likely involve at least 5 months of production per episode or major content phase.
Please note that publisher funding is not guaranteed. We want to be transparent about the current stage of the project and the risk involved.
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate is someone who:
- Loves horror games and atmospheric storytelling.
- Can create strong environmental assets and scenes, not just isolated props.
- Understands how art functions inside a game engine.
- Enjoys collaborative brainstorming and creative iteration.
- Can take feedback without ego and improve work through playtest-driven revision.
- Is comfortable working in an indie environment with changing priorities.
- Can work independently, communicate clearly, and meet deadlines.
- Wants to help shape a distinctive horror game with strong visual identity.
Portfolio Requirements
Please include a portfolio showing relevant work. Strong applications will include examples of:
- 3D environments.
- Interior scenes.
- Hard-surface props.
- Horror, surreal, abandoned, industrial, medical, train, or liminal environments.
- Unreal Engine lighting or scene work.
- Material, shader, VFX, or technical art examples, if available.
- Any released game work or playable projects.
How to Apply
Please send:
- Your portfolio.
- A short introduction.
- Your relevant game development or Unreal Engine experience.
- Your availability over the next 2–3 months.
- Any horror games, films, or visual references that inspire your work.
- Whether you are comfortable with the initial revenue-share structure.
We are especially interested in applicants who can help elevate the visual polish, horror atmosphere, and technical quality of GrimRail’s vertical slice.
Job Types: Full-time, Part-time
Pay: $60,000.00 - $65,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Application Question(s):
- Please add a link to your portfolio and demo reel if available.
Work Location: Remote
