VFX Artist match-3 | Mobile | Remote

About the Role We are partnering with an established mobile games studio to find a highly skilled and visionary Senior VFX Artist specializing in Match-3 animation to help shape the visual identity of their upcoming and live mobile titles.

In this role, you will serve as a cornerstone of the art team, balancing hands-on VFX and animation creation with high-level style exploration.

You will partner closely with the Creative Director to define the look-development and motion feel for core Match-3 gameplay elements, characters, and environments, translating creative visions into clear, actionable documentation for internal and external teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead VFX and animation look-development, iterating on diverse stylized art directions to establish a cohesive, satisfying aesthetic for new and live Match-3 and casual mobile titles.
• Produce high-quality 2D and real-time VFX, animated sprite sheets, booster effects, and color/lighting keys for core gameplay elements, environments, and characters to set the visual benchmark for the project.
• Draft comprehensive VFX design briefs, animation style guides, and technical breakdown documents that clearly define rendering techniques, lighting, timing, and shape language.
• Establish and maintain project design and animation review boards using digital whiteboarding platforms such as FigJam or Miro to streamline the review pipeline and facilitate cross-discipline alignment.
• Provide actionable artistic feedback and ensure all visual effects and animated assets align with established visual pillars, small-screen readability, and Match-3 mobile gameplay mechanics.

Requirements

• 4+ years of VFX and animation experience in the gaming industry, with a shipped portfolio demonstrating Senior-level work specifically in mobile games (Casual, Match-3, or Merge game experience is a strong plus).
• Demonstrated ability to explore and adapt to various art styles, with a deep understanding of mobile readability, color theory, animation timing, and small-screen constraints.
• Proven experience creating visual guides, VFX/animation breakdown documents, and asset briefs that can be easily interpreted by 3D modelers, UI artists, and external outsourcing partners.
• Mastery of Photoshop or equivalent digital painting and animation software for crafting hand-drawn/stylized FX textures and flipbooks, alongside comfort with visual collaboration tools (Miro, FigJam) for organizing references and feedback.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate artistic choices and advocate for visual quality.

Bonus Qualifications

• Familiarity with 3D software (such as Blender, Maya, or ZBrush) for creating 3D FX meshes, base block-outs, paintovers, or assisting in the transition from 2D concepts to the 3D production pipeline.
• Professional proficiency or fluency in Mandarin Chinese to facilitate seamless communication with the internal team.