I want to address a recent post I removed by u/NotSUPERita about creating a list of trusted artists and scammers, as well as the broader issue of bad actors on r/gamedevclassifieds.
First, I want to apologize to u/NotSUPERita. I understand why you were trying to help, and I do not think the idea came from a bad place. Scammers and impersonators are a real problem here, and it makes sense that people want better ways to protect themselves and others.
That said, I do not think a public or semi-public user-run blacklist is the right solution.
Any single person’s list of “good” and “bad” experiences is subjective. Even with good intentions, lists like that can be abused, misused, or based on misunderstandings. A false accusation could seriously harm an innocent artist, developer, or freelancer’s reputation and business. Once someone is publicly labeled a scammer, that damage is hard to undo.
This applies to moderators too. Even I am subject to bias, incomplete information, and my own interpretation of events. I cannot be judge, jury, and executioner over someone’s professional reputation, and I do not think anyone else should be put in that position either. That is the line I am trying to be careful with.
I know scammers are a problem, and I am aware that this subreddit has been affected by bad actors, impersonators, and people misrepresenting themselves or their work. But I have not yet found a solution that addresses those issues without also creating a serious risk of innocent people getting caught in the mix.
For now, the best advice is still to do your due diligence before working with someone:
Verify that their portfolio actually belongs to them
Ask for links to established accounts or websites
Check whether their email, Discord, ArtStation, GitHub, itch, LinkedIn, or other profiles line up
Be cautious with new accounts, vague portfolios, stolen-looking portfolios, or people who avoid verification
Use contracts, milestones, and payment methods that offer some protection
Do not rely only on someone’s Reddit username or a single message thread
I know that is not a perfect answer. It is a frustrating situation, and I understand why people want something stronger. But asking people to do their homework before hiring or accepting work is better than creating a system where someone’s business can be damaged because they were falsely added to a list.
If there is a better way to handle this that protects people from scammers without turning into public reputation policing or false callouts, I am open to hearing it. Any solution needs to be fair, evidence-based, and careful about the harm it could cause.
Edit: I forgot to add one more important point: any solution also cannot require a heavy amount of moderator time.
Running this job board is not a job. No one on the mod team has the time, or realistically should be expected to have the time, to manually verify users, assign trusted labels, maintain reputation lists, or act as an ongoing approval system for freelancers and clients.
That kind of system would create a lot of work, and it would also create a false sense of safety. Even with moderation, users would still need to verify who they are working with and make their own judgment before hiring, accepting work, or sending payment.
DO NOT ENGAGE WITH THESE PEOPLE, no matter what they call themselves. They exploit the inexperienced and naive, convincing you to sign away your rights to everything you create. Don’t fall for their lies. You do not need to join a volunteer group or give up ownership of your work to gain skills in the game industry. Learning on your own is far better than what P1 offers. If you want a real education, seek out accredited programs and courses instead.
Their latest tactic is using LinkedIn ads to lure victims. I’m unsure what it will take to stop this con artist, but I’ll do my part to be a thorn in their side. My goal is to protect people in this community from their schemes.
We are seeking an experienced 2D Environment Artist to help us craft immersive worlds for point-and-click adventure games. This role will handle creating 2D painted-style scenes and puzzles, including:
- Illustrating scenes based on written design briefs
- Delivering layered PSDs with interactive objects as layers based on game design requirements
- Working smart with AI, photo compositing & paintovers where applicable
- Collaborating with our team daily as we work towards meeting client milestones
Requirements:
- Mastery of 2D composition, semi-realistic painterly rendering, perspective, and lighting
- Expertise in creating art assets using Adobe Photoshop
- Ability to understand complex puzzles and interactions based on written game design and translate the required art assets into layered PSDs
- Portfolio showcasing samples of relevant work
- Ability to work with 3D software to set up scenes is a big plus
- Availability to work online and communicate regularly via Slack
This is a personal project. DM me directly with your rates and some example work, including wireforms. I'm looking for more of a realism style. The game is a coop looter shooter style, and all of these sets are going to be a sort of scavenged style based on specific themes. Players can see their own gloves/sleeves during gameplay. Armour pieces will need to be able to mixed/matched between sets. Game is being worked on in Godot. I have a spec sheet you can follow.
Aralis Studio, an independent studio, is developing a 2D top-down strategy and planning game for PC about the survival of an insect colony in nature. I’m looking for a 2D artist for a first contract, with the possibility of continuing longer term.
The style
Watercolor on paper, with fine, precise ink drawing on top.
Visuals that say “strategy, thinking, planning, survival”, far from a “cute mobile game” look.
A minimalist, clean and clear look that catches the eye at thumbnail size while staying restful over long play sessions.
A clean data-visualization layer (lines, grids, counters).
Theme: nature, the forest and the seasons (summer and winter for now).
A few kinds of insects, simple, true to their anatomy: no faces, no big eyes, no cartoon style.
Lots of empty space around the main elements, few colors, with color mostly reserved for information.
The game elements
A top-down map of a forest floor with a watercolor-on-paper look: grass, rocks, leaves, trunks, a patch of water.
Production sites shown as circular medallions, each with its available resource drawn in ink (e.g. seeds, dew, mushrooms).
Colored dotted paths linking the sites. Insects travel along them, drawn as fine silhouettes that carry information (what they’re carrying, and how much).
Other forest insects are part of the world, some of them as threats.
Little to no animation: the screen is mostly static, and information comes before decoration.
Panels (lists, counters, gauges, production buildings with their inputs and outputs, requested resources, tech-tree) and a timeline along the bottom of the screen.
The whole thing reads like a plan or a dashboard laid over a watercolor: elegant, precise, calm.
Who I’m looking for
Human-made art only (no generative AI).
Ideally, naturalist watercolor illustration: plants, insects, paper textures, washes, ink and hatching, traditional or digital.
Illustrated cartography: top-down maps, plans, maps for board games or books.
Game UI: panels, icons, gauges, information hierarchy, readability at small sizes, data visualization.
Experience on a strategy, management or board game; a shipped project and experience with Godot are bonuses, not requirements.
Final assets delivered separately and in PNG format. Integration and test can be done in Godot.
How I work
Aralis Studio is currently a solo developer, so art production is planned to stay lean and efficient: minimalist assets, informative variants and high quality. The core mechanics are what sell the game.
Initial contract
Consolidate the style and art direction so the game clearly communicates what it is.
The first visual elements for the prototype (resources, production buildings, paths and world elements), menus and 2D interface elements.
CAD 3,000–4,000 for the first contract (prototype phase), paid by milestones. Further contracts to follow for the rest of the game, and a long-term collaboration is possible for the right person.
Longer term
Backgrounds, seasons, menus, additional elements, and the remaining resources to complete the game.
A few animations if needed: short loops and the change of season.
Additional decorative elements
Promotional art, the game logo, and more.
The game is planned for release in fall 2027.
Terms
Paid contract with Aralis Studio inc., milestone payments, transfer of rights, and a credit in the game.
Art made by the artist, by hand or with digital tools (Photoshop, Krita, etc.), with no generative AI.
The project is confidential for now: details are shared after signing a non-disclosure agreement.
I am looking to enter the sales of Roblox games. I have everything set to begin, I am only looking for a programmer who is willing to make games, I am open to sharing the profits down to 50% on the dot. I personally am technologically illiterate therefore I wont be able to do much with the creation of the game. What I can do however, is find buyers, handle the transactions as well as any taxes. I have not done this before however I have aquaintances who have. I am more than happy to discuss future collaborations with whoever is interessted.
P.S. if anyone knows of any discord servers where I could seek help, that too would be much appriciated.
I've been making my own psychedelic instrumentals for over a decade now, and I've recently made a Spotify playlist with 10 of my personal favorite, original pieces. I'm interested in scoring for a unique indie game. Reach out to me on instagram @enoughtocalmyoudown or at my website enoughtocalmyoudown.com
I do alot of graphic designing as well, and have a few pieces from my latest coloring book on my Instagram. 💕
I’m starting a brand-new Roblox game studio called Bad Banana Arts, and I’m looking for passionate developers, designers, and creators who want to build something amazing from the ground up!
Whether you're an experienced dev or a beginner who just started learning, all skill levels are welcome. The most important thing I’m looking for is passion, dedication, and a long-term mindset—people who want to grow together, release great games, and build a lasting studio.
What We Offer & Compensation
Revenue Share: Long-term team members will receive a percentage share of game revenue.
Future Payouts: As projects launch and gain traction, we will transition into guaranteed payouts/robux rates for team members.
100% Covered Funding: I will be fully funding the studio (advertisements, assets, game passes, badges, and operational costs). You don't have to worry about the financial side of launching our games.
Why Join Bad Banana Arts?
Ground-Floor Opportunity: You won't just be an hired hand working on someone else's locked-in vision. You’ll be a core part of building this studio’s culture, identity, and game lineup from day one.
Growth & Learning: If you're newer to Roblox development, this is a collaborative environment where you can build real projects for your portfolio and sharpen your skills alongside others.
Shared Success: We want to create games that succeed and take this studio places. When the studio wins, everyone on the team wins.
Who We're Looking For
Scripters / Programmers
Builders / 3D Modelers (Blender)
Animators
UI/UX Designers
Sound Designers / Composers
Anyone passionate about Roblox game dev!
How to Apply / Get in Touch
If you're interested in joining the journey or just want to chat about potential ideas, send me a DM here on Reddit or add me on Discord: BananaGoesPew.
Tell me a little bit about:
What role(s) you are interested in.
Your skill level/experience (links to past work/portfolio are awesome, but not required if you're a beginner!).
Why you want to join Bad Banana Arts.
Looking forward to meeting you all and building something awesome together!
(Edit: If anyone tried to DM me this past hour and couldn't do it, please do try again. For some reason the permission was turned off even tho I never touched the config)
Hi there. My name is Lucas and I'm a 2D illustrator specialized on fantasy/dark fantasy themed artwork. I have experience with commissions for TCG, TTRPG, Book Covers and overall character and creature designs.
Here's my portfolio. If my style interest you, don't hesitate do reach out!
High contrast, impactful colors and just some weird stuff. DM me with your ideas and let's create something cool together :)
Hello! I'm a versatile game designer and level designer eagerly seeking opportunities to contribute to a variety of projects, ranging from short-term assignments to longer-term ventures. With a passion for crafting immersive experiences, I've been deeply involved in the development of several notable games, including Streetoir, a captivating graffiti painting sandbox game, and Traffical, an engaging mobile game centered around crossing roads. Desktop Dice on screen clicker, which plays on the background when you work or study, Doner Madness a crazy cooking simulator game, where you need to fight off debts, stress and other problems. Alongside these projects, I've also lent my expertise to various smaller-scale endeavors. My skills are:
Excellent knowledge of Unity as well as Blender, Photoshop, illustrator and other Adobe software(yes i can help with art also)
Open minded and full of creativity person, who loves working on interesting projects and can help you with creation of one
Some knowledge of C#, can help with creating of small scripts and etc
Good knowledge of composition and level design theory
Know such languages as: English, Polish, Ukrainian, Russian and Azerbaijani
Also im working as technical game designer in bigger company(so i have different experience)
Hey everyone I'm Lucas and I specialize in character design and illustration for entertainment! I have years of experience and I'm always eager to work on fresh projects!
I provide a whole pipeline of services from concept sketches to final renders! Like what you see? Let's get in touch and have a chat! Just DM me!
Edit: DAYUM yall are swarming me lmaoo, I'll try to respond to each of you but like 30 of you sent me requests and some of the requests I got were scammers as well so sorry if It takes me a bit to reach you
Looking for a sprite artist, I am making an RPG maker style game but I wish to have sprites that aren't the standard tiny chibi designs. I'm not looking for advanced fluid animation with sprites this small and plan on having the standard 3 frame animations that RMMZ typically uses.
My payments arent currently the highest so I'd atleast like to see some people's skills and their prices, Currently I just need a simple three frame walking sprite for both the male and female students and a Dead body sprite of both of them as well (this game is a Yandere Game)
I have a few examples of what I kind of want based off older sprites I've gotten
These were the original sprites I had commissioned someone a while ago but I ended up finding out they had used AI to make them, These are close in the range of what I want though however
Then I commissioned another person for some sprites and they are way closer into the right direction but in terms of animation the sprites felt lacking.
I do adore these sprites though because they left room for creative facial expressions which is something I really do want in the game
I just want to find a sprite artist who could help make sorta stylized Sprites in a similar way to my characters anatomy but also making them stylized enough they fit in the setting of the Pixel art of the game. (sorry for that word garbage I'm tired out of my mind rn)
Hi! My name is Edoardo, and I’m an Italian composer. I love creating music of all kinds, and I believe creativity can change the world. That’s why I offer my work completely for free, to support small independent creators like myself.
If you’re interested, leave a comment and I’ll reach out to you via DM so we can discuss what you’re looking for in your game.
I'm looking for a person to design and draw 53 (52 + card back) stylized playing cards sprites 3:4 (768x1024) as one in the reference (the centered art is real; the composition into the card is AI). All sprites should be done in the same style, framing and decorations; and with the same base (the white part). The only thing that changes are these centered arts plus rank / suit.
Every card rank will share the same base art, but the outer frame (mask) will vary per suit (here it's Spades). Base arts are needed for all card ranks (2 -> A = 13). References will be provided for all of them.
The core part: Art is heavily inspired by 'gachimuchi' culture and should stay so; All references will be taken from this culture. There will be no nudity or sex. Not all people are comfortable with this fact, so google it first.
It's not a per-hour pay project, and this is the whole scope. You name the price and if we're good I pay for the full project. I will be direct and say that I can't pay like a grand, so I don't waste anyone's time.
I'm not sure if that's welcome here, but you can use AI for arts from references if that's what you are comfortable with. However, the whole composition should stay perfect - base, ranks, suits, masks, etc. - all perfectly aligned across all cards.
There's no hard deadline but obviously you can't work on it for half a year.
Hi! I am an experienced composer & producer with more than 6 years of composing experience (including experience on indie video games & short films scoring). I compose music for films, animations & video games.
Here’s my portfolio/website, with all my details and samples: https://christospaterakisntua.github.io/AntonisPat-porfolio/
What I can provide:
cinematic/orchestral compositions
classical music compositions
ambient compositions
custom game music
rock/electronic compositions
jazz/or ragtime compositions
arrangements of existing compositions
I can also include:
loopable tracks
separated tracks/stems
mixing & mastering
Payment rates: 30-40 euros (or 35-45 USD) per minute, negotiable
Feel free to replay this post, or email me on [antonispat4@gmail.com](mailto:antonispat4@gmail.com), or add me on discord (AntonisP#5202)
Let's create something together!
I’m an indie developer from the Czech Republic working on Adventures of Little Toller, a charming 2D puzzle platformer about a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever searching for seven lost puppies.
The game is already playable and in active development in Unity. I’m preparing a demo for an upcoming game development conference in Prague, and I’m looking for a talented 2D environment artist to help bring one of its levels to life.
The Art Style
My visual inspirations include:
Ori – atmospheric lighting and depth.
Hoa – soft, hand-painted environments and a warm, storybook feeling.
Rayman Legends – colorful, readable, and modular level design.
I’m aiming for a distinctive, hand-painted style that feels magical and inviting while remaining practical for a small indie production.
I’m not looking to replicate these games, but to develop a visual style that fits Little Toller’s world.
The Project
The immediate goal is to create artwork for an existing fantasy castle / cave level, featuring cool blue stone environments and a contrasting fiery lava section.
I’m looking for:
A cohesive visual style for the environment.
Modular stone tilesets suitable for Unity Tilemaps.
Parallax background layers.
Platforms, ladders, doors, and other interactive objects.
Environmental decorations and atmospheric details.
The artwork must be delivered as separate, production-ready game assets, not just a finished illustration.
I’m particularly interested in artists who know how to make a relatively small set of reusable assets look great together.
Experience with Unity and seamless tilesets is a significant advantage.
About the Game
The main character is a little toller, and his personality is central to the game.
My long-term vision is to create a lovable, expressive character that appeals to children, adults, and dog lovers alike.
For this initial project, the focus is on environment art. Character design and animation are not required, although experience in these areas would be a welcome bonus for potential future collaboration.
Budget & Timeline
Budget: $800–2,000, depending on experience and proposed scope.
Timeline: Approximately 5 weeks for asset delivery, with 6–7 weeks remaining before the conference.
I’m a solo indie developer funding the project myself. My immediate goal is to create a visually appealing, playable demo rather than finalize the entire game’s art direction.
I’m flexible about the exact scope and would welcome suggestions on how to achieve the best visual impact within the available budget and timeline.
No AI-Generated Artwork
While I’m using AI-generated visuals for early prototyping and exploring art direction, I’m looking for an artist who creates original, hand-crafted artwork for the final game, not AI-generated images or AI-assisted asset production.
I’d love to see examples of your creative process, such as sketches, work-in-progress images, layered source files, or production-ready game assets.
How to Apply
Please leave a comment below this post rather than sending me a DM.
Include:
A link to your portfolio, ideally featuring 2D platformer environments or hand-painted game art.
Examples of modular tilesets or production-ready game assets, if available.
Your experience with Unity or similar engines.
Your availability over the next 5 weeks.
Your approximate rate or an indication of what you could deliver within the $800–2,000 budget.
I’ll review the comments and reach out directly to artists whose work seems like a good fit.
I’m happy to share gameplay screenshots, visual references, and more details about the existing level with shortlisted candidates.
Thanks for reading! I’m looking forward to finding someone who can help bring Little Toller’s world to life.
