itch.io

Hey Rojatzo! I'm open to either pen and paper or 2d software. I'm not looking for that shiny flash animation vibe, I want something that looks more like cult of the lamb, cuphead, or even a more paper mario kind of look. At this stage i've put most of my effort into designing and building out the actual code and gameplay systems,  when I see some art I love I'll have found the perfect style.  Show me your style, and lets see if it fits! :) 

Hello! I’m Timothy, the designer/programmer working on Survive the Geckos, a deck-builder action roguelite where you play as a feeder cricket trapped in a hostile terrarium, fighting geckos and other predators to survive… or maybe escape and battle your biggest foe yet... whoever put you in that terrarium in the first place. 

Gameplay is a fast-paced mix of Lost Kingdoms-style card combat (GameCube) and Brotato-style wave survival. Visually, the game is 2.5D with a presentation style similar to Cult of the Lamb. 

🎥 View our trailer: www.SurvivetheGeckos.com (All gameplay footage currently contains placeholder art.)

What I’m Looking For

Talented 2D artists who can create drawn character animations for:

• Enemies (geckos, frogs, and other critters)
• NPCs (crickets, ladybugs,)
• Player character (cricket)
• Ability cards
• Environmental elements (stones, plants, vines, etc.)
• Effects

Animation scope: Being a roguelite, animations will be relatively limited — walk, attack, damage cycles for each enemy; walk/talk for NPCs; and a few extra emotes for the player.  Only the player character needs 8 way animations, keeping scope limited. This is not a narrative-heavy game, but it will have story and lore moments. 

Art style: Not pixel art — aiming for a more hand-drawn, expressive look that stands out in screenshots. Think Cult of the Lamb’s 2.5D vibe, but with our own unique twist. While our scale is much smaller than something like Cuphead, I want animation that gives the world life and personality. 

The game will have a duality to its style, with dark scary geckos prowling at night, and a brighter cheery village to decorate and visit during the day. 

Compensation

Compensation is negotiable. I'm open to paying per work, or rev share depending on the volume of work you contribute. The game is already deep in development with most core systems implemented. We’ll agree on a fair price or revenue share percentage based on your contribution level. I want my success to be your success, and your success to be mine. Together, let’s make this game a smash hit. Initial launch on Steam, Itch, and our website. Current plans are to self publish for initial release, so the team keeps the maximum revenue.

• Planned Kickstarter campaign once we have enough art to showcase — funds split among the team.
• Targeting steam deck. Game already tested to perform well on the deck hitting above 60fps! Huge market and this game is the perfect pick up and play for a few minutes type of game that works well on deck.
• Potential console release after PC launch.
• Full in-game credit for your work.

Why Join This Project?

• Creative freedom to help shape the game’s visual identity.
• A dedicated, full-time developer partner (me). This is a passion project, with the goal of creating a profitable product. 
• Clear, direct communication — a perk and a requirement.
• Strong gameplay hook with proven player base. The live action in the trailer is just different enough to stand out in a sea of pixel art games. Your beautiful artwork will hook them double when they see the gameplay. 
• Most gameplay systems are in place; art is the main missing piece. I still have plenty of content to add, but the game is in a playable state. 
• Already 60+ ability cards and 60+ “JOKER” cards (think Balatro) designed.
• Potential for future collaborations. 

Timeline

I’m working on this full time, and would like to have it finished in a few months. Most systems are in place and working, we need art and polish! Also plenty of balance testing to come. My biggest roadblock to release is having the beautiful art assets I need. 

Next Steps

I have a playable build you can try before committing, so you can see the game’s current state and feel the gameplay loop, and get an idea for what kind of characters you can draw. 

If you’re interested: Please send me:

• Samples of your work, particularly 2d animated characters. 
• Your preferred contact info

Want to help with sound design, ui design, or have some other really cool ideas to share? Lets chat! 

You can contact me here or via the survivethegeckos.com website. 

Let’s build something fun together! 

-Timothy

Hey Zakkujo! 

I'm in development on my game Survive the Geckos, check out the trailer on the website, and let me know if you might be interested in the project, and we can discuss details. It's going to be a deckbuilder action roguelike survival game with dark corners of a terrarium to explore filled with non stop action and danger, I think your metal and rock vibe would fit well. I've got an alpha build I can share, and the trailer will give you a great idea what the game is about. All the art and music right now is placeholder till we find the perfect composer and artist.  www.survivethegeckos.com