Mobile Game Art Lead

At YallaPlay, We are a rapidly growing startup mobile gaming studio on a mission to bring people together through play, we create exciting mobile games that bring joy to millions of players worldwide. Founded in Austin, Texas, we’ve since expanded to Brazil and the UAE, growing our diverse and talented team of creators. We pride ourselves on a fun and collaborative work environment, with a remote-friendly culture and a dedication to producing high-quality, engaging games. Our current titles, including “Spades Masters” (iOS/Android), have been enjoyed by millions of players globally. 

Our passion lies in reinventing card games infusing them with fresh mechanics, beautiful design, and social features that spark connection and excitement. As we continue to scale, we’re looking for creative, driven individuals who are excited to help shape the future of multiplayer mobile gaming in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

Join us and be part of building something big from the ground up.

This is a management position that blends hands-on creativity with team leadership and art direction. As Art Lead, you will report to the Producer / Production Lead and work closely with designers, animators, and developers to ensure top-tier visual execution across all areas of our games—from UI and game art assets to environments and animations.

You will serve as the creative bridge between product vision and art team, leading both internal and external artists while being ready to jump in and contribute directly when needed. Ensuring consistency with brand and gameplay aesthetics.

We’re looking for someone with a strong sense of visual storytelling and background in UI/UX, capable of crafting interfaces that elevate the player experience while maintaining consistency with our brand and gameplay aesthetics.

This position can be remote or based at our state-of-the-art offices in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

• Define and drive the visual direction for new and existing mobile game titles.
• Work closely with the Product Lead and design team to translate game vision and goals into compelling visual assets.
• Lead, mentor, and inspire a cross-functional art team, including 2D artists, UI/UX designers, animators, and 3D artists.
• Provide hands-on contribution when needed such as creating assets, polishing visuals, and ensuring visual consistency.
• Supervise both in-house and outsourced art production, ensuring high-quality delivery on time and within scope.
• Own the evolution of visual styles for game assets, UI elements, environments, and characters.
• Conduct regular art reviews and provide clear, actionable feedback to team members.
• Collaborate with developers and technical artists to ensure seamless integration of art into the game.
• Drive asset optimization and performance best practices for mobile platforms.
• Maintain art documentation, style guides, and workflows to ensure scalable and consistent production processes.

What you need to have:

• 10+ years of experience in game art production with at least 2 years in a leadership or lead artist role.
• Strong portfolio showcasing mobile game art—preferably from the casual, card, or top-table game genres.
• Proficiency in 2D and/or 3D game art creation with the ability to contribute directly as needed.
• Excellent artistic skills with a strong sense of color theory, lighting, composition, and visual storytelling.
• Experience creating or overseeing UI/UX art and layouts for mobile games (preferred).
• Solid understanding of asset pipelines, optimization, and Unity integration.
• Strong ability to manage time, prioritize work, and lead artists toward high-output, efficient delivery.
• Hands-on experience with tools such as Photoshop, Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Spine, and Unity.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and team leadership skills.
• Passion for mobile gaming and a player-first design mindset.
• Fluent in English; ability to work with multicultural teams across different time zones.

Nice to have:

• Experience in art direction for real-time multiplayer or card-based games.
• UI/UX experience, particularly for mobile games, to help elevate interface quality and player interaction.
• Familiarity with motion graphics and video production software (e.g., After Effects, Premiere).
  

What You Get

• Creative Freedom – We trust you to take the lead, bring your ideas to life, and help shape our games and our company.
• Real Impact – You’ll work on meaningful projects that reach a global audience.
• Collaborative Culture – Small team, big ambition. We keep things fun, respectful, and feedback-driven.

Benefits & Perks

• Competitive salary
• Remote-first and flexible schedule- Digital nomad friendly
• Generous paid time off
• Paid birthdays off
• UAE visa sponsorship (if applicable)
• Growth opportunities and access to learning resources
• A team that actually loves games—and each other

Ready to join the team? We’d love to hear from you!

• Apply 
• A portfolio showcasing a range of high-quality work—including shipped titles and, ideally, examples of team-driven projects

We review every application carefully and will be in touch if there’s a fit. Good luck!