Lead Gameplay Animator

Who We Are Bevmax Games is a small indie studio focused on creating memorable, personality-driven games. Our current title, MECHSHELL, is a fast-paced, chaotic multiplayer action game where players defend the Overgrown Realms as S.H.E.L.L., a weaponized snail. Players customize their shell, unlock wild abilities, and battle through lush, trap-filled biomes alongside friends. We’re building MECHSHELL with a tight-knit, collaborative team that values creativity, transparency, and hands-on ownership. We believe great games come from empowering passionate developers to shape the experience—and that includes giving our animators a real voice in how the game feels. The Opportunity We’re looking for a Lead Gameplay Animator to own and define the moment-to-moment animation experience of MECHSHELL. This role is ideal for an animator who is comfortable taking responsibility for gameplay animation from concept through implementation and who wants to influence animation style, pacing, and responsiveness at a foundational level. You’ll work closely with design, art, and engineering to ensure animations clearly communicate gameplay intent, feel satisfying to play, and reinforce the game’s personality and tone. Who You Are You’re a gameplay-first animator who understands how motion affects readability, timing, and player feedback. You think beyond individual animations and consider how systems, transitions, and responsiveness shape the overall feel of the game. You enjoy stylized, expressive animation and are excited by the idea of shaping an animation style guide rather than just executing tasks. You want your work fully implemented, iterated on, and played—not just sitting on a reel. Responsibilities • Own and create gameplay animations for characters, creatures, and abilities • Animate locomotion, combat actions, reactions, idles, and expressive moments • Define and maintain animation style, pacing, and personality for MECHSHELL • Collaborate closely with designers to ensure animations support gameplay clarity, timing, and feedback • Iterate on animations based on playtesting, feedback, and gameplay needs • Prepare and optimize animations for in-engine implementation and testing • Work with artists and developers to maintain visual and tonal consistency across the game • Help establish animation workflows and best practices as the project grows Requirements • Strong foundational animation skills (timing, spacing, weight, exaggeration) • Experience creating gameplay-focused animations • Familiarity with Blender, Maya, or similar animation tools • Understanding of animation principles for real-time games • Ability to take ownership, manage your own tasks, and communicate progress clearly • Comfortable working remotely and collaborating with a small indie team • A demo reel or animation samples (personal projects welcome) Professional studio experience is not required—skill, follow-through, and gameplay sensibility matter more than credentials. Bonus / Nice-to-Have • Experience with stylized, creature-based, or comedic animation • Familiarity with Unreal Engine or real-time animation pipelines • Basic rigging, skinning, or animation blueprint knowledge • Experience working on action or multiplayer games • Interest in shaping animation systems, transitions, or state-driven animation Compensation • Deferred compensation • Scope, responsibilities, and expectations will be clearly defined to ensure fairness and transparency • This role is best suited for animators who believe in the project and want meaningful creative ownership while growing alongside the studio What You’ll Get • Portfolio-ready gameplay animations implemented in a shipped game • Official Lead Gameplay Animator credit on MECHSHELL • Hands-on indie development experience with real production ownership • Direct collaboration with designers, artists, and engineers • Constructive feedback and creative input on a live project • Strong resume and credit for future studio or freelance work Time Commitment Flexible and part-time, typically 10–20 hours per week, depending on availability and agreed-upon scope. Deliverables will be clearly defined to keep work focused and manageable. To Apply Send a short introduction and a link to your demo reel or animation samples to: [email protected] Tell us what excites you about MECHSHELL, the kind of gameplay animation you enjoy creating, and what you’re hoping to gain from contributing to a shipped indie game. Apply tot his job