I'm getting back to a project I started in 2024 but got to pause it (couldn't find anyone to help me). It's called SuperTux Smasher (formerly SuperTuxBattleMelee), a platform fighter featuring Tux and other mascots in the open source community
So far, we are three people working on it (the other two just joined very recently) and they even get to do a logo for the game. There's also a sample design of the main screen, and we're working on the menu and a stage
We're also looking for other potential people interested. Just note that it's likely going to be a pixel art game, so if you know how to use Aseprite or Libresprite, that would be awesome. Otherwise, you can go as composer or programmer. You'll just need to know how to use C++ and Squirrel (it's like Lua, but with a true object-oriented paradigm), the latter will be used for modding support
If you're interested, the source code is here on Codeberg: https://codeberg.org/SuperTuxSmasher/sts-game
I forwarded to someone I know who loves fighting style games, and has experience developing games. It sounds like a lot of people are willing to help with a varying level of topics.
My recommendation would be now to try to orchestrate everyone. If someone is offering help with artwork for example, have something they can work on; you may be able to get a full 3D model game if enough interest, I agree though that initially scoping for pixel art is a safe bet (maybe pixel art vs 3d model depends on device capabilities, or is an option you can toggle between). Make it collaborative so if multiple people for example have ideas about how to do the skill balancing (attack, defence, speed), they can all contribute to come together for the best implementation.
Good luck. Would love to see it on Apple/Android TV, Switch, and x86_64/ARM/RISC-V GNU/Linux. Make sure you figure out the right game architecture ahead of time to avoid issues later on (e.g. confirm if C++, C, Rust, or the Godot language is best for the project)