Cartoonish 2D Sprites for Unity

Job ID: 40196781

Budget: $30 – $250 USD

2D Game Artist Needed — Modular Block Assets, UI and Limited VFX
Grid-Based, Unity-Ready, Puzzle Game (Block Out–Inspired)
Project Overview

I am developing a mobile puzzle game inspired by the Block Out style, based on grid-aligned, tetris-like block placement mechanics.
The project requires a modular and systematic visual asset pipeline that integrates cleanly with Unity.

I am looking for a 2D Game Artist who understands grid-based design, modular asset production, and Unity workflows, and who can deliver consistent, reusable assets rather than one-off illustrations.

Core Design Principles (Mandatory)
Grid-Based Asset Logic

The entire game is built on a cell-based grid system

Each asset occupies one or more grid cells

Asset dimensions must always be exact multiples of a single base cell

Multi-cell assets must be constructed by extending this base cell horizontally and/or vertically

Examples:

Single-cell assets

Two-cell horizontal or vertical assets

Larger shapes composed of multiple cells

Rules:

No arbitrary scaling

No stretching

No extra transparent padding

All edges must align perfectly to the grid

Color & Style Rules

All block-related assets must be delivered in neutral grayscale

Shading, lighting, and depth must be baked into the artwork

Final colors will be applied inside Unity via tinting

No separate color variants of blocks are required

UI assets may contain light color usage if needed, but visual consistency is required.

Unity Compatibility

Assets must be prepared specifically for use in Unity:

Transparent PNG exports

Clean pivots and consistent margins

Sprite slicing–friendly layouts

Organized naming and folder structure

Source files included (PSD, AI, or layered formats)

A) Block Asset System
Base Cell

One base block tile that defines the visual language

Neutral grayscale

Soft depth or bevel for readability

Used as the reference for all other blocks

Overlay / Patch System

A set of overlay elements designed to stack on top of a single cell to create variation.

Overlays include:

Edge highlights

Corner highlights

Subtle surface textures

Optional light wear or crack details

Optional soft glow rim

All overlays must align perfectly with the base cell.

Multi-Cell Block Shapes

Block shapes composed of multiple cells, all sharing the same visual style.

Required shapes include:

Single-cell blocks

Linear blocks of varying lengths

Square blocks

L, T, S, and Z shapes in all rotations

All multi-cell shapes must:

Follow exact grid alignment

Have clean joins between cells

Match the base cell style precisely

B) Block Animations

Block animations must be delivered as PNG sequences or sprite sheets.

Required animation types:

Spawn / appear

Place / drop

Clear / destroy

Highlight / selection (loopable)

Animation frames must follow the same grid-based sizing logic as the blocks themselves, with no cropping or scaling between frames.

C) Board and Gameplay Backgrounds

Gameplay environments must be built using modular grid-aligned tiles.

Deliverables include:

Board background tiles

Board frame or border pieces

Optional shadow layers for depth

Large backgrounds must be assembled from smaller grid-aligned pieces rather than single large images.

D) UI Assets

UI must follow the same modular philosophy and be easy to assemble inside Unity.

Main Menu

Background elements

Play, settings, and shop buttons

Panels and containers

In-Game UI

Score and level displays

Pause controls

Reward or currency panels

Reusable popup bases

End Screens

Win screen UI

Lose screen UI

Action buttons (continue, retry, home)

UI Components

Button states (normal, pressed, disabled)

Icons (home, restart, pause, settings, sound, close)

Frames and decorative elements

Complex UI layouts should be composed from reusable modular pieces.

E) Visual Effects (Limited Scope)

Only two visual effects are required, delivered as frame-based animations (PNG sequence or sprite sheet).
Unity Particle System is not required.

Required effects:

Reward collection effect (satisfying, celebratory)

Piece entrance or “door” effect when new blocks appear

Effects must be clean, readable, and consistent with the overall visual style.

Style Direction

Casual / hyper-casual friendly

Clean and polished

Slightly cartoonish

High readability

Not realistic

Not visually cluttered