Spine Animator (Freelance / Contract)

Company Description

GameFuel is a bootstrap startup dedicated to delivering top-quality game art content by blending world-class talent with efficient processes. Working closely with game development studios, we ensure seamless collaboration and minimal client overhead. Our team empowers artists to become well-rounded professionals who understand the influence of their work on the final product. Guided by experienced game art and production experts, GameFuel creates a nurturing environment for creativity and professional growth, setting new benchmarks in game art services.

Role Description

As a Spine Animator, you will be responsible for creating high-quality 2D skeletal animations for mobile, casual, and mid-core games. You will translate static artwork into fluid, expressive animations optimized for in-game performance and production pipelines.

Key Responsibilities

1. Create high-quality 2D skeletal animations using Spine
2. Animate characters, UI elements, VFX, props, and environment elements
3. Collaborate with illustrators to ensure assets are animation-ready (proper layer separation and rigging setup)
4. Set up bones, meshes, IK constraints, and animation states efficiently
5. Optimize animations for performance in Unity or other game engines
6. Export and integrate animations into Unity (or coordinate with developers for integration)
7. Maintain consistency in animation style, timing, and polish across projects
8. Follow technical guidelines and production pipelines
9. Iterate on animations based on internal and client feedback
10. Maintain organized project files and version control standards

Required Skills & Qualifications

1. 2–5+ years of experience in 2D game animation
2. Strong proficiency in Spine (Esoteric Software)
3. Solid understanding of animation principles (timing, squash & stretch, anticipation, weight, etc.)
4. Experience animating characters for mobile or casual games
5. Knowledge of rigging techniques in 2D skeletal animation
6. Experience working with Unity animation pipeline
7. Ability to optimize assets for performance
8. Strong understanding of anatomy, motion, and character acting
9. Good communication and collaboration skills
10. Ability to work within production timelines

Why Join Gamefuel

• Work with global game studios
• Exposure to diverse art styles and genres
• Collaborative, fast-paced creative environment
• Opportunity to build a strong animation portfolio across shipped titles

Skills Required
Unity, spine