Lead Art Director (VR) · Squido Studio
We're looking for a Lead Art Director to own the visual and audio identity of our next premium VR title, a hand-crafted, VR-first action-adventure roguelite now in production, and to lead the artists and audio team who bring it to life.
Who we are
Squido Studio is a small, remote-first Québec studio of unapologetic game lovers and VR believers. We've shipped titles like No More Rainbows, DigiGods, and Wizherd, and we run a flat, no-BS shop where transparency is our #1 value, we say things as they are, we don't do ego or politics, and everyone's ideas get heard. We're gameplay-first, Nintendo-obsessed, and aggressively curious about new tools (yes, including AI in our pipeline).
The art vision
We want a Breath of the Wild-inspired art style, vibrant, stylized, cel-shaded, and timeless. Strong readable silhouettes, saturated painterly palettes, soft atmospheric depth, charming character and creature design, and a fully zero-UI, diegetic presentation where the world tells the story. The catch that makes this role special: it all has to look gorgeous and run flawlessly at 72/90fps on standalone VR. In VR, performance is part of the art, and nailing a BotW-caliber look within that budget is exactly the challenge we're hiring for.
What you'll own
- The visual vision. Define and champion the art direction end-to-end, style, color, lighting, character/creature design, environments, VFX, and the zero-UI diegetic language. Build and maintain the art bible the whole team rallies around.
- The audio vision. Direct music and sound design (in-house and with our audio partners) so the game sounds as intentional as it looks, spatial audio is core to our zero-UI design.
- Leading the team. Grow and lead a cross-disciplinary art + audio team (concept, 3D environment/character/enemy, VFX, technical art, animation, UI, audio). Set the bar, give sharp and generous feedback, and create an environment where artists do their best work.
- Beauty within budget. Partner with our Technical Director to hit a stylized visual benchmark that survives standalone-VR constraints, silhouette clarity, stepped toon shading, rim lighting, painterly albedo, baked GI, LODs, and draw-call discipline.
- Cross-functional partnership. Work hand-in-hand with the Lead Game Designer and engineering to take features from graybox to final quality, and defend a cohesive visual identity across the whole game.
- Iterate relentlessly. Use playtest feedback to sharpen readability, comfort, and impact, and kill your darlings when the game needs it.
What you bring
- 6+ years in game art, with shipped titles and real time leading/directing an art team.
- A portfolio that proves strong stylized / non-photorealistic art direction, you can define a cohesive, readable, characterful look (cel-shading, toon/NPR, painterly stylization à la BotW) and hold a team to it.
- Deep understanding of real-time art performance, you think in draw calls, overdraw, LODs, baked vs. dynamic lighting, and shader cost, not just pretty frames.
- Leadership people actually want to follow, clear direction, generous feedback, zero ego. You lift the team up rather than gatekeeping.
- Hands-on fluency, you can jump into the engine/DCC tools to prototype a look, set up a shader/lighting pass, and show rather than just tell.
- Comfort directing audio (or a strong track record collaborating closely with audio leads/composers).
- Fluent, clear communication in a collaborative, remote team.
Bonus points
- VR / XR shipped experience (Quest or PCVR) and an instinct for VR comfort, scale, and legibility.
- Experience with Unity and stylized/NPR rendering pipelines (URP, custom toon shaders, Application SpaceWarp).
- A love of the Nintendo of art direction, timeless over trendy, clarity over clutter.
- Enthusiasm for AI-assisted workflows as a force multiplier (we lean into them).
- Understand and/or speaking french.
How we work & what we offer
- 100% remote (work from anywhere, you must remain an official Québec resident for our tax-credit eligibility), with a beautiful optional office at Indie Asylum (160 St-Viateur Est, Montréal) whenever you want it.
- Flexible schedule, we trust adults; work when you're at your best, show up for the few meetings that matter.
- Salary: $80,000–$120,000 CAD, commensurate with experience.
- Stock options, you share in the upside as we grow (and if we're acquired).
- Group insurance, 3 weeks vacation + paid studio closure between Christmas and New Year's.
One honest note: we're a Québec-based studio, so French comes up in meetings and on Discord. You don't need to speak or write French, but understanding it (translation tools are totally fine) is a big plus, and as a lead, you'll help make sure every teammate, including those less comfortable in English, feels heard.
How to apply
Send us your portfolio / demo reel (this is the most important thing), a short note on an art-direction challenge you're proud of, and your résumé/LinkedIn. Tell us about a game whose art you wish you'd made, and why. We read everything, and we'll be transparent with you throughout.
Important: you need to be based in the province of Québec, for tax credits purposes.
Pay: $80,000.00-$120,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental care
- Flexible schedule
- Paid time off
- Stock options
- Work from home
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Quebec Province
