I am seeking a passionate, dedicated Godot 3D Programmer to co-found and build the core gameplay framework for The War We Built Inside. We are working toward a strict public demo release deadline of March 13th, 2027.This is a 100% original indie title built from scratch. We are completely bypassing premade store assets to build a raw, deeply unsettling, claustrophobic atmosphere modeled after classic retro/PS1-era survival horror.Current Project State (What’s Already Built):You will not be starting from a blank page. I am actively working inside the engine every day and have already implemented:The complete 3D player controller physics framework (working walking and jumping mechanics).The foundational structural map architecture and layouts for Sector 1.What You Will Be Doing:Your job will be to take the wheel on our custom GDScript codebase and implement the primary interaction systems for Sector 1. Your core focus will be:Threatening Enemy AI: Using Godot’s navigation meshes to code custom behavior patterns. We need a visible monster (a grotesque military/biological hybrid) that moves with a disturbing, erratic stop-motion jitter and actively stalks the player rather than just chasing them blindly.Survival Systems: Programming standard atmospheric interaction logic, including player flashlight tracking, triggering retro text-box dialogue systems, and managing custom scene transitions.Optimization: Ensuring the 3D performance stays stable under dynamic or flashing lighting environments.
Hey Tibaverus,Thanks for asking! I want to be 100% transparent about the budget up front. Right now, I am funding this out of pocket, so the upfront budget is $0. However, I am offering a guaranteed $100 cash payment immediately upon the successful completion and launch of the Sector 1 Demo.Once the demo drops on March 13th, 2027, we are using it to launch our commercial pipeline (crowdfunding/publishers). When funded, the role transitions into a paid position with a minimum baseline of $35/hour based on milestones.I’ve already built the player physics and the first map walls. If you’re interested in a partnership to get this demo out, let me know what your background is
Sounds like you’re expecting this prospective dev to take on all the risk for you, what kind of work are you expecting and how much unpaid work are you expecting until the entirely hypothetical pittance of $100? From the hourly pay when (hypothetically) funded that’s under 3 hours, is that actually what would be expected? Just getting familiar with your codebase and problem specification would take more than that I’d argue, not to mention the actual work.
Also sounds like the $100 is meant to cover all that unpaid work regardless of funding, the minimum pay aside how many hours of guaranteed work is there upon that transition?
Unfortunately I can no longer accept “We’ll pay you later” positions. I’ve been a part of one too many teams that promised pay after release or close to release, then the whole project either got cancelled, or in 2 months the game sold like 20 copies and I was paid nothing.
I think it might be a good idea to include this in the post (editing it) so people know what to expect right away.
To be clear I’m not interested in this, even without the “we’ll maybe pay you later” part, but I’d suggest the following information to evaluate if this is actually a good offer:
How many hours total are you guaranteeing, i.e. is this just a temporary thing or a long term prospect, how much total can someone expect out of this
How many hours a week/month? Are we talking a part-time position at 10% or a full-time position?
Are there any special clauses and conditions for this position like an NDA or a non-compete clause? That would matter a lot to evaluate how valuable the actual position is for the hours, i.e. would someone getting this position and only working 10 hours a week at it be able to find other work in the same field or not at the same time to cover their needs
This is the reality for indie developers and small companies. Even if people are completely sincere, there is no guarantee of success. And you must always keep that in mind.