“Don’t judge a book by its cover”- We all might have heard this famous line at some point in our lives. It is true, but not in certain cases. The video game is one such exception wherein people judge the game by its graphics and visual elements. We bet the first opinions you make is by its video game art style no matter how you proceed further after testing the gameplay and the features of the video game. It is natural that you build the likeability towards the particular game after judging its visual appearance.
Renowned and artistic video games are the perfect amalgamation of both graphics and game mechanics. The art factor defines the true essence of the game. From cartoon-style visuals to the user-friendly interface and out-of-the-box characters; game art styles are something that a video game developer should prioritize. There are different types of video game art styles available out there in the market, and choosing an ideal one can be overwhelming!
In light of the above, here we have created a guide related to video game styles, including all the concepts like why and how to choose the right art style, different video game art styles, and so on.
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Video game art styles are key cornerstones to the success of any game application. In simple words, it is a visual representation of the game concept and storyline which narrates the true essence of a particular game. Game styles are particularly made according to the target audience, genre and the type of gaming project you are currently working on.
It is of utmost importance that the visual elements like characters, environments, and props must match with the game concept or storyline, otherwise, it might lose you some of your loyal users. Elements like assets, background, design, animation, colour palette, and so on must be well taken care of. It takes a lot of effort, time and energy to create an unmatched and attractive video game. And therefore, it is very crucial to choose the best video game art styles and aesthetics that suit your game type, genre and target audience.
Game art is one of the most crucial aspects of the game that should not be ignored by developers to grab the attention of players worldwide. It is that component that can make or break the overall performance of the game. Here we have created a list of factors that makes choosing the right video game art style an unignorable task for business owners.
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Games with unique art styles stand out in the Market. From 2D game art styles to 3D game art styles; there are different game art styles available out there in the market, however, choosing an ideal one can be a daunting task! Here are some of the most common issues you might face while defining the best art style for your game.
People often run into extremes and focus on just the visual appearance of the game and not the mechanics. This is the stage where they fail. Therefore, one must always believe in consistent and harmonized approaches that derive from the main art video game. So instead of running into extremes, one must look for cohesive and well-integrated artistic video games that offer users all-inclusive gaming experiences.
One must avoid falling into the trap of subjectivism, which means avoiding pondering over things that you can’t control. You must know what you are doing and for whom you are doing it. It is impossible to balance out all the objective and subjective aspects of artistic video games. Make sure to stick to the main idea, and video game style and explore your audience to provide them with exactly the same without losing the true essence of your video game.
It is obvious and very natural to have confusion about the selected art styles. You might be stressing over toxic questions like- is this art style suitable for my game, or should I choose any other option for my visual video games, etc. Here, your approach is not correct, you must be very clear in your mind that the synergy of all the gaming components is essential and once you have selected an art style there is no going back. It must be well aligned with the game theme, concept and genre.
By now you might have understood the seriousness of choosing the right art style for video games. Here is the list of things that you must check out when selecting an ideal game set style:
From cartoon, hand-drawn, and pixel art to 3D rendered; there are different video game art styles available out there in the market. Therefore, a good amount of research never goes in vain when it comes to selecting the best art style for games. Make sure to know the features and technical aspects of each of the potential art styles associated with your video game. The art style depends on different aspects like budget, needs and specifications of your project.
After doing the optimum amount of research, it is time to select the right and ideal one according to your business needs, requirements and budget. It should blend well with the concept and storyline of the game, otherwise, people will shift to the other video gaming platform.
It is always suggested that business owners must align the best video game art styles with the player’s experience. Apart from keeping demographic factors in mind, make sure to keep player experience generally in mind to provide them with a hint of playfulness and user-friendliness. For instance, Neopets is an immersive cartoon-based game that strongly conveys the Pokemon game art style. The game consists of immersive and stylized drawings that look appealing to children, creating a solid bond between the players and the game.
The lore of the game should highly align with the art and narrative of the game. People won’t find a video game authentic if its story doesn’t set a feeling or atmosphere of the gameplay. Suppose, if a kid cartoon-based game includes elements of Batman Arkham Knight, which is a game that revolves around crimes, inequality, and other nightly and scary elements, then the game concept is good for nothing. Therefore, the best art video games must have accurate lore and narrative so that players feel the storyline and concept as they play the game.
You might have noticed that budget is the main constraint when focusing on quality over quantity. However, there is always an escape from that by creating a balance between the two so as to provide users with convenient and good-enough gameplay. Sometimes video game art style conveys main gameplay features and functions while assisting in navigating through user-friendly interfaces and menus. Even if you don’t have the budget to create expensively high definition games, you can develop the best art-style games with significant visual elements.
A dedicated video game art styles guide is necessary when it comes to developing games with unique art styles. It clearly defines the instructions of the game designing characters, elements, environments and other elements. The guide in general also consists of crucial information such as colour palette, animation, typography, layout, etc. In a Nutshell, game assets should look cohesive and must have synergy to offer users integrated and impressive experiences.
As there are different types of game art styles available in the market, here are some of the common art styles based on their characteristics, use cases, genres, etc.
Do you remember the time when we played our first computer game made of poor detail, graphics and simple shapes? We all have been there! However, today the advent of technology and rising capabilities of software and hardware, has resulted in a large multitude of game art styles 2D, including
As the name suggests, pixel art is made up of tiny and small boxes of pixels, making up an object, character or environment on a digital screen. Most people today see 2D pixel art style games as one of the ancient and easy game art styles used for early video games and arcades. However, that’s not the reality as most modern 2D games like Fez, To the Moon, Owlboy and Undertale have used 2D pixels as the basic foundation of their game.
Being one of the unique game art styles, it does not split the images into pixels, instead, it relies on mathematical algorithms, storing the data in polygons, lines, dots and color-filled objects. Vector art can be stored in individual styles, and can be used to develop high-definition games depicting acute quality and resolution.
As the name suggests, cutout art is one of the best video game art styles which duplicates images on paper that are the small cutouts imported on a digital screen. The cutout image remains in status but it shows motion by instantly being replaced by another cutout in a matter of a blink, showcasing a smooth motion. It is basically used for creating animations, and best art video games.
Cel Shading is one of the 2D game art styles recently launched with a concept to bring forth an innovation wherein objects look flat, paper-like and extremely real. The video game silhouettes made by such art style look like 3D but are plain. In a nutshell, it helps objects and characters of the game maintain a level of supremacy and detailing.
This is one of the most unique art-style video games, which has limited shades of colour palette, majorly one or two. All the elements, characters, and environments of these games are defined by the shades of black, and white and their lighter and darker shade ranges. Limbo, white lands, inside, etc., are one of the major examples of best art games made by the monochromatic art style.
Doodles are hand-drawn art styles which are used for cool video game drawings of uncommon and asymmetrical objects that are strange, unrelated and taking a shape in a space. People are more drawn towards hand-drawn video games to gain an immersive and interactive gameplay experience that is hard to find.
Creating games art is not everyone’s cup of tea. Some games take inspiration from notebook-based drawings or real-life characters that are popular among people across the globe. Thus, anyone who wants to create 2D game art must have to spend a lot of time brainstorming and researching the game concept, elements and characters of the game that offer users enhanced experiences.
You will require the most crucial 2D game art software to design creative character models, interfaces, and backgrounds. Here is the top 2D game design software you can use to create the best video game graphics:
3D video game art styles are the most common game styles, used for many projects from animation, and architectural design to cartoon design, and interior design. There are a lot of 3D games which appeal to a broad audience and generate a high level of revenue. Game art styles 3D create an immersive world within the game environment, offering users thrilling and unmatched experiences.
Here are some of the most popular types of 3d game art styles that are used in most of the complex and high-value visual video games.
The trend of using this art style is relatively new but is becoming viral day by day. Being of the best 3d video game art styles, everything inside the game is made of geometrical shape that is polygons. It is one of the complex styles which requires a relatively higher amount of effort, and energy as all the elements are created separately in precision. In many games, the number of polygons also exceeds millions, which makes it a very time-consuming and very hard game art style.
If you are looking to invest in games like adventure, mystery or puzzle, this is one of the best 3D video game art styles 3D which you can use to provide your users with unusual and unmatched experiences. Astroneer is the perfect example of low poly as the game offers users with a high level of supremacy while playing.
As the name suggests, realism is one of the best 3D video game art styles which transfers the real world to the digital screen, bridging the gap between the physical and digital worlds. This cool gaming art style is used in almost all triple-A projects as it offers users enhanced and maximized gameplay experiences.
Simulators, shooters, strategy games and other types of games are developed using this art style. Besides that, realism is also used in racing, horror and survival games, wherein it is of paramount importance to create an aura of threat and fear, making players engaged throughout the gameplay.
Movements like driving and action are the most complex elements of the game, and to make them highly realistic, it is important to use such a game art style that not may it look life full of life but also make it engaging and attractive. Fantasy realism is one such game art style 3d that developers use to create realistic worlds involving the role of aliens, supernatural creatures, unusual elements, etc. Artists produce such environments that look vibrant, colourful and have unusual and unique structures or physics. It is most commonly used in consoles, AR, VR, PC or MR-based games.
Being one of the most flexible video game art styles in 3D, fantastic realism is used to create fictional creatures, environments, sci-fi and other fantasy world characters that have no link with the real world. Moreover, it can be used to create high graphics video games or extended reality games that are hard to find. Cyberpunk 2077, and Warframe are one of the best 3D fantastic realism games.
Video games with unique art styles stand out in the market. Hand painting is one of the most preferable and widely popular art styles, which can help you beHi, please let me know if you need any assistance regarding our services ?at the competition and differentiate in the market. Freehand texture painting is the core pillar of this video game art style 3D.
Here, artists focus on drawing all the textures, characters and small details without using geometry. This is mainly used in fantasy and strategy-based games like Rise of Industry. It consists of natural content, making games highly organic, engaging and realistic.
Taking realism to the extremes and to the extent where no one can define any difference between the real and digital world is what we call photorealism. The main objective of this 3d video game art style is to make assets and models lifelike as much as possible to provide users with augmented and unmatched gameplay experiences.
Sometimes artists use real pictures to create realistic textures. Microsoft Flight Simulator and Red Dead Redemption 2 are some of the best games with great art style 3D.
It is one of the popular video game art styles 3D, which might lack a clear definition, but it offers users a unique, and aesthetically pleasing environment that is the perfect mix of realism and other types of game art styles.
Pixar animated movies are the perfect example to define the use case of stylized 3D video game art style. This is generally used in adventure and casual games, making it a great success for artists worldwide. Crash Bandicoot Series and Overwatch 2 are interesting games with the best art style.
Games with anime art styles look highly appealing, interactive and engaging. This type of 3d video game art style is also known as Japanese style video game art as it includes exaggerated facial expressions, big eyes, and physical features. The unique visuals and characters are best suited for creating fighting, gacha and fantasy 3D games of different genres like Soul, blade and visual novels. Some of the exaggerated art styles in games include Street Fighter and Genshin Impact.
Cartoon art style games are the perfect amalgamation of both low poly and hand-painted options. It is majorly and commonly applied in the development of educational, hyper-casual online, adventure and other puzzle games. It is the most flexible art style which allows artists to make unusual, creative and out-of-the-box atmospheres and in-game environments. The features of this art style are an exaggeration of accents, colorfulness, simplicity, and non-standard proportions. Cartoon 3D video game art style is broadly classified into three categories:
Cartoon art style games are extremely simple, attractive and engaging for kids as they include basic features, shapes and characters that are easily understandable.
As the name speaks for itself, collage 3D video game art style is the combination of different techniques and approaches. Here artists use different art elements like ink, paper, cardboard, and much more to produce creative, attractive, and meaningful visual characters or environments. It is a perfect solution for those who want to create indie, educational, casual, side-scrollers, and puzzle-based games and animations.
As we have earlier mentioned, creating the most realistic video game graphics in 3D is quite a time-consuming, lengthy, and complex task, which requires a lot of effort from the artist’s end. To create thrilling, unmatched and realistic user experiences, one must use top-notch software and technologies. There are different software and technologies available out there in the market, but make sure to choose wisely according to the game type, genre, features, and game art objective.
Here is the list of 3D game art style software that you can use to create 3D graphics video games:
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The role of art in video games is immense. There are a plethora of games available out there with attractive and unique art styles that are unmatched and differentiated.
Having more CRT pixel art makes this game highly interactive and fun of all times. The game basically allows players to create their own map, creating artistic pieces by placing different areas according to their will. It is pleasant to see how players build lovely cities, mountains, lakes and other environments within the game.
Limbo is a puzzle-platform video game with the best art style. Many people see this video game as art. Having minimal shadows like backdrops and figures make this game highly interactive and attractive. Most people also compare this game to film noir movies as they actually feel like they are crossing through limbo. There are a lot of lighting effects used to provide users with an unmatched experience.
Being the best game for graphics, borderlands’ style resembles a comic book and that’s the reason why it is unique and aesthetically pleasing. From different types of enemies to the design of the terrain around the players; this game keeps players hooked for a prolonged period of time, allowing them to explore new areas that are pleasing to the eyes.
It is one of the most popular games with cool art styles that packs itself with colours to create astonishing visuals. The game incorporates a lot of fights that are artistically sound and includes the use of the brush as an attack.
Super Mario Sunshine sets a tropical island theme, representing a top-notch, vibrant and fun outlook, making the player’s screen real-world lifelike. The main objective of the players is to clean up paint before and after opposite player clutter around. The game art style guide of super mario sunshine is extremely specific and includes visually appealing graphics, characters, and other visual elements.
When it comes to harmonized and cohesive game content, dark souls is the best art-style game, offering players an unparalleled user experience. The adventure level of this game augments with its medieval romanticism art style theme and melancholic styles. The graphics are good but the atmosphere the game offers is something unignorable and unimaginable.
The most unique thing about this game is that it has a futurism style that is accompanied by a perfect mix of 2D game art styles and 3D video game art styles. Every area of this game is designed in precision and offers a lifelike look that grabs and retains the interest of the users for a prolonged period of time. Players can switch from a 2D to a 3D environment in a matter of a blink, and that’s what makes it special.
Being one of the best games with a cute art style and horrific creatures, it confuses players as to whether to hug the creators or run away from them. It is one of the most popular indie games with unique art styles, developed by indie developer Massive Monster. The game offers users a real value and immersive gameplay experience because of the unmatched, unique and visually-appealing graphics and features.
The video game art styles used in this game are very unique as the colour palette of this constantly changes, creating a different emotional feel and theme every time. Overall the concept of this game is unique and eye-pleasing to players across the globe.
The art style of this video game is appreciated by all as it has a very beautiful rubber hose style, which is a 1930s cartoon aesthetic that was placed into the game’s artistic atmosphere. The background of this game is made up of watercolours, and the best part is all the frames of the game are hand-drawn and then linked to the place in the game.
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By now, you might have received all the information and crucial insights regarding the video game art styles which are the most crucial component of video game development. Whether it is a 2D video game art style or a 3D video game art style; it is always important to outline the requirements and objectives of your project before making a final decision.
Working with 3D game art is not an overnight task and hence requires professional knowledge and expertise in artistic skills about combinations, objects and characters.
These types of art styles are made using the latest tools, technologies, out-of-the-box graphics, and appealing features.
2D game art style design is a hard nut to crack and requires a lot of brainstorming, planning and analysis. With the implementation of top-notch features, graphics, and robust design methodologies, artists can bring forth visually realistic, lifelike 2D games that are of high value and offer users enhanced gameplay experiences.
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Being the best video game development company, we strive to create the best-in-class and creative art style that matches the type, genre and specification of your game. We create games with unique art styles that can keep players engaged and hooked on the platform for long hours. This ultimately increases the screen time of the users, increases the reach of the video game applications and the revenue generation of the entrepreneurs. Choose us to get:
Read Blog: How Much Does it Cost to Develop a Video Game App
By now you might have understood the significance of choosing the art styles for games and different types of art styles that are revamping the whole outlook and gameplay experience of the users in general. From basic 2D game art styles to complex 3D and AAA-based video game styles; at BR Softech we have got you all covered! Our company has been developing and designing video games since 2012, and you can trust our unmatched services and solutions. We can help you select the right game styles for your project. We also customize it according to your budget, specifications, and features.
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1. An eye-catching art style for games not only makes it engaging but also keeps players engaged on the platform for a longer duration.
2. Unique game styles also increase revenue generation by enhancing the reach.
3. It augments the brand visibility of the game app.
On average, it costs around $15k to $20k for simple features, design and functionalities. However, the cost may shoot up to $25k and even more depending on various factors like the complexity of the features, graphics, sound effects, and animation.
The top art styles of video games are:
1. pixel art-style games
2. pokemon game art style
3. riot games art style
4. sable game art style
5. telltale games art style
6. the walking dead game art style
7. scorn game art style
8. Untitled Goose game art style
