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3D Prop & Object Art Costs in 2025 Explained

September 17, 2025

Recent surveys by MoldStud show that more than 74% of players say environmental detail significantly improves their enjoyment of a game. That makes props and objects far from secondary — they’re crucial building blocks of immersion. For studios, this means the 3D Prop & Object Art cost is no small line item but a central part of production planning.

Well-crafted props add character, help guide player movement and make spaces feel authentic. Poorly built ones — with obvious tiling, weak silhouettes or broken materials — can shatter immersion instantly. As games push toward higher fidelity with engines like Unreal Engine 5 and Unity HDRP, the standard for props has never been higher. That’s why understanding the 3D prop & object art price and planning a clear budget is essential in 2025.

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Understanding 3D Prop & Object Art Price

A crafting table we made for No Way Out, our internal project | Artwork by RocketBrush Studio

The 3D prop & object art price depends on complexity, purpose and style. In production, props are often grouped into tiers:

  • Simple props: Barrels, bottles, crates or furniture. Usually low-poly with either hand-painted or basic PBR textures. These can often be produced in a day or two.
  • Mid-complexity props: Interactive objects like doors, terminals, small machinery or weapons with limited moving parts. Require more detailed modeling, UVs and realistic texturing. These may take 3–5 days each.
  • Hero props: Key objects that appear in cutscenes or close-up gameplay. These demand detailed sculpting, unique texture sets and careful optimization. Hero props often take a full week or more, especially if they require feedback rounds.
  • Environmental sets: Groups of props built together for modular kits — for example, a full set of medieval furniture or futuristic lab equipment. These take longer overall but reduce per-item cost by reusing workflows.

3D Props and Objects Pricing in 2025

Each category has different time and expertise demands, which directly impact 3D prop & object art rates. Please take a look at this comparison table we made for your convenience.

Compare these prices for props and objects:

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3D Props Pricing Overview
Cost ranges for small props, furniture, décor, and complex sets.
3D Props — Cost & Rates

Props pricing depends on scale, detail, and intended usage (casual, realistic, or optimized for performance).

Type Price Range (USD)
Small prop (casual style) $300–600
Medium (furniture, décor) $700–1,500
Complex object set $2,000–3,500

Need a custom quote? Email us at hello@rocketbrush.com with your project details and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Planning your 3D Prop & Object Art Budget

A clear budget prevents surprises during production. Here are factors to consider when allocating funds:

  • Project scale: An indie title may only need 50–100 props to fill levels, while an open-world RPG may require thousands.
  • Level of detail: Stylized assets are quicker to produce, while realistic ones require high-res sculpts, baking and multiple texture maps.
  • Asset reuse: Smart modular design allows one prop to be used across multiple scenes, lowering the budget for 3D prop & object art.
  • Hero vs background props: Not every vase needs hero-level detail. Prioritize fidelity where players will notice.

For example, a mobile puzzle game may spend $5,000–10,000 on props for the entire project, while a mid-tier RPG might budget $30,000–60,000. An AAA RPG could dedicate well over $150,000 for its prop library. The spread highlights why setting a reliable 3D prop & object art cost plan early is critical.

Studios that underestimate the scope often face crunch later when empty spaces demand last-minute prop creation. Planning a realistic budget for 3D prop & object art early avoids these fire drills.

What affects 3D Prop & Object Art Rates

The rates shift depending on hidden production details:

  • Polycount and optimization: Mobile props need strict budgets, while PC and console can afford higher-density meshes.
  • Shader setup: Raw models cost less, but game-ready props with custom shaders add to the final 3D prop & object art cost.
  • Revisions and approvals: Every extra iteration means more artist hours, which raises the 3D prop & object art price.
  • Engine-specific tweaks: Props built for Unreal may require adjustments to work seamlessly in Unity, and vice versa.
  • Animation and interactivity: A static barrel is simple. A destructible one with physics or VFX integration costs far more.
  • Pipeline requirements: Creating multiple LODs, baked texture variants or performance-optimized lightmaps all add hours.

Anticipating these factors helps producers keep their 3D prop & object art budget realistic.

How to stretch your budget for 3D Prop & Object Art

Producing hundreds of props doesn’t have to wreck your finances. Smart planning maximizes efficiency:

  • Bundle orders: Commissioning prop sets reduces per-item costs, since artists can reuse workflows.
  • Use modular kits: Designing props as part of kits lowers the 3D prop & object art cost while keeping levels varied.
  • Prioritize visibility: Hero props deserve more budget than background filler.
  • Outsource strategically: Partnering with specialized studios ensures higher consistency and often better 3D prop & object art rates than keeping everything in-house.

Some studios even use a hybrid approach — keeping a small in-house team for hero props and outsourcing large batches of background items. This lets them balance style consistency with cost efficiency.

Why Props Are a Hidden Game-Changer

Some props we produced for the internal project | Artwork by RocketBrush Studio

Props may seem secondary compared to characters or vehicles, but they play a massive role in immersion and storytelling. Strong 3D prop & object art contributes to:

  • World-building: Props tell silent stories about cultures, history and environments.
  • Gameplay clarity: Interactive props guide players without breaking immersion.
  • Replayability: Detailed environments encourage exploration and discovery.
  • Marketing value: Screenshots filled with polished props look better in promotional material.

Industry examples prove this point. Players praised Skyrim’s lived-in interiors, where cluttered tables and shelves added authenticity. By contrast, early criticism of Cyberpunk 2077 often mentioned repeated props and empty-feeling environments. The difference comes down to how well studios plan their 3D prop & object art budget.

Players often remember the cluttered tavern, the high-tech control panel or the eerie ruins filled with relics. These details carry emotional weight — and they come from properly budgeting for 3D prop & object art cost.

Props Are Silent Storytellers – Invest In Them

Props are often the quiet heroes of game worlds. They don’t speak, but they shape how players interpret space, narrative and even mechanics. Investing wisely in them makes the difference between environments that feel generic and those that feel alive.

If you want an accurate estimate for your project’s 3D prop & object art cost, reach out to our team at hello@rocketbrush.com— we’ll help design a prop strategy that balances quality with budget efficiency.

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