How to get started in voice acting or 2D art for indie games

Updated November 1, 2026 · 9 minute read

Getting started in indie game voice acting or 2D game art comes down to the same four steps: start with free tools, practice the small pieces games actually use, show a tiny portfolio that looks like a game, and get your first credit from a game jam. You don't need a booth or an expensive tablet to begin.

A new member found IndieGuild after asking an AI chatbot how to get started on voice acting or 2D development. So here's the full answer I'd give them. I founded IndieGuild, so keep that in mind when I mention it.

Getting started in game voice acting

1. Set up for free

Find the quietest spot you have, away from fans, fridges and windows, and surround yourself with soft things. A closet full of clothes works great. Record into Audacity, which is free and open source. A decent USB mic is plenty to start, and fixing your room does more for your sound than a pricier mic.

Do a quick noise check: record a few seconds of silence, turn your headphones up and listen. If you hear hum or traffic, fix that first.

2. Practice what games need

Game voice work is mostly characters, not narration. Practice these every day, even for ten minutes:

• A few distinct characters. A hero, a villain, a creature and a shopkeeper. Change pitch, pace and attitude so each one sounds like a different person.
• Efforts and barks. Battle cries, hits, a death, a quick "Over here!" Games use lots of these. Go easy on your voice and warm up first.
• Short lines with a clear feeling. Write ten lines for a character and read each one three different ways.

Listen back to everything. You'll hear what to fix faster than any course will tell you.

3. Make a one minute game reel

Once you have a handful of characters you like, cut your best bits into about a minute. Put your strongest character first, use lines you wrote yourself, and keep a dry clip with no music or effects so a dev can hear your real room. My voice acting work guide goes deeper on reels.

4. Audition and get first credits

Casting Call Club is free to join and audition, and has a page of video game roles. Visual novels and jam games are great first credits, because they're story-heavy and you get real acting for your reel. Follow each brief exactly: the lines they asked for, named the way they asked.

Getting started in 2D game art

1. Pick one lane first

"2D game art" covers a lot. Pick one to start, so your first portfolio looks focused:

• Pixel art: sprites, tilesets and animation. Great if you love retro games, and you can start with just a mouse.
• Character art: portraits and character designs. Visual novels and RPGs need a lot of these.
• Environments and backgrounds: painted scenes, parallax layers and tilesets.
• UI and icons: buttons, menus, item and skill icons. Every game needs them, and fewer artists show them.

2. Set up for free

Krita is a free, open source painting program that's great for character and background art. For pixel art, LibreSprite is free, and Aseprite is the paid tool a lot of pixel artists use. Lospec has palettes and pixel art tutorials. A basic drawing tablet is the first thing worth buying if you paint, but you don't need one for pixel art.

3. Practice game-sized pieces

• A character sprite with a short idle or walk cycle.
• A small tileset that tiles cleanly, like grass, a path and a wall.
• A few icons at the size a game would use them.
• One character portrait with two or three expressions.

Keep the same style and palette across all of them. Devs hire for a style that fits their game, so consistency matters more than range when you start.

4. Show it like a game

Put your pieces together in a mock game screen: your character standing on your tiles, with your icons in a little HUD. That one image tells a dev you understand how game art works together. Add a GIF of the animation. My game art work guide covers what a portfolio needs as you grow.

Get your first credit at a game jam

For both voice and art, a game jam is the fastest way to a real credit. itch.io jams run all the time, most last a few days, and teams post the roles they need in each jam's community tab. Story jams like visual novel jams are perfect for voice, and almost every jam needs art. At the end you have a finished game with your work in it, a clip or screenshot for your portfolio, and a dev who's seen you deliver. On IndieGuild, tap "I'm in" on a jam with Jam Crew so teams can find you.

Land your first paid gig

• Make a profile devs can find. On IndieGuild, a free profile shows your voice clips or art right on the page, with tags like Hobby projects OK or Rev share OK while you build credits. When a dev posts a role that fits you, it lands in your inbox.
• Pitch small games you'd love to work on. One line about their game, your one most relevant piece, and your rate. My guide to pitching a game dev has a first message you can adapt.
• Know how pricing works. Voice is often per line, per word or per hour, and art per asset or per hour. Here's how voice acting is priced and what game art costs.
• Put it in writing. Pay, deadline, revisions, where your work can be used, and an AI clause. Even for a hobby project.

Red flags for beginners

• Paying to audition or to apply. You shouldn't pay for a chance at a role.
• A full job as the "test". A test is a few lines or one small asset. A whole script or sprite sheet for free is the job.
• Vague about AI. Ask for a written promise that your voice or art won't be used to train AI.
• "Exposure" for commercial work. Hobby projects are your call. A game that will sell should pay you, or share revenue in writing.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get started in voice acting for games?

Start with a quiet corner and the mic you have, record short character reads every day in free software like Audacity, then audition on Casting Call Club and join itch.io game jams that need voices. After a few weeks, cut your best characters and efforts into a one minute game reel and put it on a free IndieGuild profile.

How do I get started in 2D art for games?

Pick one lane first, such as pixel art, character portraits or UI. Use a free program like Krita or LibreSprite, practice small game assets like a character sprite, a tileset and an icon, and show them working together in a mock game screen. Then join a game jam to get your first credit and make a free IndieGuild profile so devs can find you.

Do I need expensive equipment to start?

No. For voice, the room matters more than the mic, and a decent USB mic plus a closet full of clothes is enough for auditions. For 2D art, a mouse works fine for pixel art, and a basic drawing tablet is the first upgrade for painted art. Krita, LibreSprite and Audacity are all free.

How long does it take to get my first gig?

It depends on your practice time and the work you can show, so I won't guess a number. The fastest way to a first credit is usually a game jam, because jams are short and finish in days, and jam games give you a real clip or screenshot for your portfolio.

Should I work for free when I'm starting out?

Jam games and hobby projects are a good way to get first credits, as long as you choose them. Get the terms in writing either way, and move to paid work once you have a few pieces that show you can deliver.

Is IndieGuild free for beginners?

Yes. Making a profile is free, and I don't take a cut of your gigs. You can tag yourself Hobby projects OK or Rev share OK if you're open to those while you build credits.

More guides

• How to find voice acting work for indie games
• How to find game art work as an indie artist
• How to find work as an indie game developer
• How to pitch a game dev (for creators)
• Where to find an indie game dev community