Senior World Artist at Jackbox Games

Chicago, Illinois, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

22 Jan, 26

Salary

119177.0

Posted On

24 Oct, 25

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

World Building Skills, Composition, Architecture, Strong Modeling, Surfaces, Lighting, VFX, Color Theory, Engine, Real-Time Performance, Modern Tools/Techniques

Industry

Computer Games

Description

Who are We? Jackbox is a small game studio (~80 people) best known for our Jackbox Party Pack franchise: a set of five social party games released every fall. Since 2014, our games--like Quiplash, Drawful, and Trivia Murder Party-- have been featured on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, by Polygon, and in living rooms and finished basements across the world. In 2020, we had over 200 million users. And we have hard evidence that one of those users was Academy Award-winner Charlize Theron. You can learn everything you ever wanted to know about how our games work (spoiler: your phone is the controller!) and who we are and what we make at Jackbox Games. What’s the Job? We are actively seeking a highly skilled and passionate Senior World Artist to join our team. This role will be instrumental in the reimagining of memorable and iconic locations within the iconic 'camp slasher horror' genre. The ideal candidate will possess a deep understanding of environmental storytelling, a keen eye for atmospheric detail, and a commitment to delivering visually stunning and immersive player experiences. This is a hands-on world-building position that demands a blend of artistic vision and technical proficiency in the Unreal Engine. The Senior World Artist will be responsible for overseeing the entire asset creation pipeline, from prototyping to final implementation. This includes establishing performance and pipeline standards, ensuring that all environmental assets are optimized for both visual fidelity and game performance. Crucially, this role will be deeply informed by a player-centric approach. The successful candidate will constantly consider how environments influence player experience, contribute to narrative flow, and enhance overall level design. A strong understanding of level flow principles and how art can guide players through compelling spaces is essential. This individual will collaborate closely with design, art, and engineering teams to translate creative concepts into unforgettable game worlds. What You’ll Be Responsible for: Collaborating on content goals Establishing benchmark assets Modeling key locations Recommending pipeline and performance standards Approving and integrating assets developed externally Polishing final shipping assets Required Qualifications: World building skills: Informed by player experience, level flow. Sky boxes and finishing details. Composition: skilled at leading the players eye, utilizing visual hierarchies and strong instinct on where to let the player’s eye rest Architecture: Knowledgeable in a wide variety of architectural styles (Vernacular, Romanesque, Googie etc.) Strong Modeling: Skills in multiple toolsets Surfaces: Strong understanding of the materials system in Unreal Lighting: Experienced setting up real time lighting and can recommend strong lighting strategies VFX: Comfortable adding World FX to complete the immersive vision Color theory: practiced in strong color theory Engine: Well versed in Unreal Real-time Performance: skilled at making environments performant Modern Tools/Techniques: Comfortable in a variety of tools such as Blender, 3D coat, Substance etc. Insight for when to use which for tool for the right effect End result: Must be able to pull all the above into a compelling end result that enhances the game for players in an immersive experience. We value kind, motivated, and creative people. Jackbox Games is a group effort and you must work collaboratively. Everyone here is committed to excellence and desires to work in a comfortable, friendly atmosphere. Jackbox Games is committed to providing opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, ancestry, age, veteran status, or disability. Okay, but what are the perks? Pay range: $91,659 - $119,177. Please note: individual compensation packages are based on factors unique to each candidate and position, including (but not limited to) skill set, experience, and qualifications. 401(k) with matching and various medical plans. We pay 100% of the cost of premiums for dental, vision, disability, and life insurance for our employees. We also cover a really nice chunk of the cost of premiums for spouse/partner/dependent medical, dental, and vision insurance. Flexible work schedule and environment. Currently, our employees are encouraged to work where they feel the safest and most productive. Our office in Lincoln Park in Chicago is open (and fully stocked with snacks) for folks who prefer to work in the office. We also offer remote work in the following states: California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. Flexible PTO. Take time off when you need to recharge, take a trip, or just catch up on life. Annual stipends for therapy, growth, wellness, and home office equipment to encourage our employees’ lifelong learning pursuits and support mental and physical health. Creative work environment. We are lucky to work in a place that is full of talented and innovative folks. Most of the day, the place is pretty quiet (we’re a focused bunch), but this is punctuated with hilarious outbursts and general merriment. Free food either virtually or in the office. We stock our kitchen with snacks as well as offer doordash credits quite frequently. Interested? Great, we look forward to reading your application. Please include: Your resume. A cover letter. You don't need to be a professional writer for this job (we have those) but communication is important so we weigh cover letters heavily. We would love to hear a bit about why you are interested in working at Jackbox Games. Links to your professional work. *(personal website/portfolio, Art station linked to your work or equivalent. ) Notice something that doesn't quite make sense--great. We want artists that think critically and understand the nuances of job postings in this day and age. On the fence? If you're interested in the job but worried you aren't qualified, we encourage you to err on the side of applying. We'd hate to miss out on great candidates just because they're worried they don't check every box on the job description. We know it is a time commitment to prepare an application and we respect that effort by thoughtfully reviewing every complete application and responding one way or the other. But that kind of thoughtful review means that it sometimes takes us a while to get back to applicants, so please be patient with us and no phone calls. Thanks for your interest in Jackbox Games!

Responsibilities

The Senior World Artist will oversee the entire asset creation pipeline, from prototyping to final implementation, ensuring that all environmental assets are optimized for visual fidelity and game performance. This role requires collaboration with design, art, and engineering teams to create immersive game worlds that enhance player experience.