Guide
Freelancer, big agency or small studio?
Three common ways to get game art made outside your team, compared honestly. Each one is the right answer for someone. Here is how to tell which one fits your project.
| Freelancer | Large outsourcing company | Small studio (like OXODI) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Getting started | Fast: post a job, pick a profile | Slow: sales calls, scoping, minimums | One small test asset in 3 business days |
| Who you talk to | The artist | An account or project manager | The founder, who is responsible for your project |
| Skills covered | Usually one discipline | Everything, at scale | Modeling, texturing, rigging, 2D concept via a vetted roster |
| Quality control | Depends on the person | Internal review layers | Every asset reviewed against one style sheet before delivery |
| Visibility | Messages when the artist replies | Weekly reports | A live tracking page for every order |
| Best for | Small one-off tasks on a tight budget | Large productions with big budgets | Indie and mid-size teams that need reliable extra hands |
When a freelancer is the right call
You need one asset or a short list, you can write a precise brief, and you have time to review and give feedback yourself. Pick someone whose portfolio already looks like your game, and pay for a small test first.
When a large company is the right call
You are producing hundreds of assets on a fixed schedule, need many disciplines in parallel and have the budget and production staff to manage a vendor relationship.
When a small studio is the right call
You are an indie or mid-size team, you need more than one person's worth of work but not an army, and you want one accountable contact who keeps the style consistent. That is the gap OXODI was built for.
Questions teams ask
Is a freelancer or a studio better for game art?
A freelancer is often fine for a single, well-defined asset. Once you need several disciplines (modeling, texturing, rigging), a consistent style across many assets, or someone accountable for deadlines, a studio is usually the safer choice.
Why not just use a large outsourcing company?
Large companies are built for big productions. Small teams often hit minimum order sizes, long onboarding and several layers between them and the artists. A small studio can be a better fit when you need a few dozen assets, not a few thousand.
How do I test an outsourcing partner?
Ask for one small test from your own backlog, with your real specs. Judge the result in your engine and lighting, and judge how they communicated along the way. At OXODI the test asset is free if you continue with a package (until 31 December 2026).
Try us with one small test asset.
Tell us about your project and get a free estimate within one business day.