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Different character art styles matter a lot when you draw your characters. It defines the shape, the silhouette, the way it’s going to be perceived by your audience. Choosing the proper style for your characters that suits your project from the start will result in a beautiful blend of artistic integrity, connection with other aspects of your game and overall a unified artistic touch.
Let’s take a look at video game art styles, what makes particular character styles stand differently, explore several possible ways game developers use their character design art styles and see some references in popular videogames.
Here are several principles of character design style that are very important to keep in mind as you work on it:
And now let’s look at some of the most frequently used video game art styles and see what makes them distinct. We will also check out the screenshots of recent and not-so-recent games for each style.
The pixelated style for character and game design gained popularity in the early 00s among video games – it was easier to do for small indie teams and in addition, it brought back childhood memories of fun and wonder developers and players of that generation experienced while playing games on their consoles.
Quickly, pixel style has become a cherished style thanks to that: it quickly established itself as a style that is heavily associated with the indie scene. Nowadays, new generations of players prefer the nostalgic and impressionistic quality of low-poly, but pixel style is still here for those who have an emotional connection to it that is hard to put into words. It’s also very straightforward on a technical level: pixel-style color pallets tend to be limited, designs usually follow particular, blocky shapes, animations are simple. Some artists, however, can go forward and put a lot of effort into pixel style, making it look less than a game from your childhood and more like a real painting.
Perfect for you if: You’re making a game with a retro aesthetic, don’t have a bigger budget for more demanding 2D and 3D styles or just like how special and unique it still manages to look.
Examples:
In 2023, we released our very own game in a pixelated style called The Unliving. It’s a rogue-lite set in a fantasy world, which allows players to build up a great undead army and reach great heights. If you’re planning to create a full-scale game in pixel style, or any other style, you can collaborate with RocketBrush Studio.
RocketBrush Studio has been working since 2016, collaborating with great industry names, such as Supercell, Applovin and Paradox Interactive, along with many more. We provide various types of services: from animation and sound design to full-scale game development.
Our workflow has been proven to be working very well while we worked together with our clients on their projects. You can read our testimonials here.
We also provide not only pixel-style art, but all mentioned in this blog post! Check out our portfolio to see what we can do. Depending on the aesthetic of your choice, we can collaborate with you and help you achieve your ambitions. Feel free to reach out and discuss it in detail.
The realistic style rewards your audience with an incredibly immersive experience, but it’s among the most challenging styles to do. It requires you to follow a lot of strict rules our world imposes on us. Human anatomy, physics, natural depictions of our humane aspects – it’s pretty hard to pin it down. Meticulous modeling, tricky animation, complicated structures require artists to work hard to make sure the final result will feel as organic as technologically possible.
In addition, due to an infamous uncanny valley effect, it takes a lot to make character design art styles look AND feel nice, not like a deadly robot merely pretending to be a human and waiting for a moment to attack. The good news is that artists have developed various techniques to make realistic characters feel more alive than ever. That’s why there are a lot of projects that utilize this particular style successfully and produce a lot of critically acclaimed work.
Perfect for you if: You are making a game for mass audiences of players and the story you’re going to tell requires a realistic approach for character design styles.
Examples:
Of all video game art styles, the stylized technique is particularly great for a unique, artistic vision you have for your characters. You have the option to create exaggerated creatures, making them too big or too small, too narrow or too wide, to achieve the effect of something that can only exist in visual media. A lot of people enjoy this technique, thanks to a certain artsy, “sky is the limit!” feeling it brings, allowing you to get as creative as possible. It also allows artists to create characters that wear their personalities on their sleeves, literally.
Stylized techniques can be used to portray your characters as villains, heroes, sentimental romantics or war criminals – you can back their personality up with great narrative, but artists can easily communicate their traits via the looks when this character design art style
is used.
Perfect for you if: You’re making an artistic game with an emphasis on storytelling that is supposed to stand out among other, more grounded titles.
Examples:
Cartoon style is heavily associated with kids, but it can be actually used in all age categories – some people like the nostalgic effect of it, reminiscing childhood memories, others prefer how inoffensive it can be, while a different category of artists uses it for the exact opposite, making a surprising blend of mature themes and imagery with cartoonish looks create a distinct style on its own.
In comparison to different character styles, the cartoon style is surprisingly versatile and imaginative, full of saturated colors, the cartoon style is a great choice for a game that is all about fantastic creatures, fun and joy.
Perfect for you if: You’re making a children’s game, a game that has roots in animation/based on existing animated series or you want to use a deceptively friendly and simple style to tell a mature story.
Examples:
Anime is also cartoon in a way, but quite different, thanks to the way Japanese artists shaped their unique identity over all these years to make it truly distinct from Western animation. Anime style tends to be very expressionistic: characters in anime-inspired media tend to be very emotional and you can even tell that by the way their eyes and hair look. These characters have very detailed clothing, specific silhouettes and feel very dynamic.
Perfect for you if: You are making a game that should have unusual, expressive characters in a captivating world.
Examples:
Minimalism and abstract style simplify details, limit various things that can be omitted and keep the essential part – usually a silhouette, a shape and colors. It results in captivating imagery that you tend not to forget very quickly. Instead of intricate details, the palette and form tell you everything you need to know about the character.
The perfect example of it in video games is Playdead’s oeuvre – Limbo (2010) and Inside (2016), which both gained popularity and excelled at storytelling without any words – just game mechanics and minimalist/abstract style.
Perfect for you if: You are aiming for an experimental, art game and want your audience to appreciate the subtle nuances.
Examples:
In a way, low-poly is pretty similar to pixel style: it gained great popularity thanks to its simplicity and tastefulness bringing back old memories of fifth-generation consoles. Small amounts of polygons (hence the low-poly name) lead to a distinct look that feels very impressionistic: as if you’re looking at the world without glasses. Which itself leads you to fill the gaps of what is there, based on what you know about the world. To some people, it seems like a technical disadvantage, while others find a specific, artistic beauty in it.
It also has gained popularity among horror fans: they tend to appreciate VHS imperfections because its weird color palette and smeary visuals work so well with creepy films, so it’s natural that a low-poly aesthetic that also has off-putting visuals for modern gamers has also become beloved for the same reasons.
Another great aspect of low-poly is that it’s easy on a technical level. It’s much harder to create a low-poly character that matches the overall style of your game, which should be low-poly as well.
Perfect for you if: You’re making a game that should feel like a love letter to a simple graphic fidelity you grew up with or want a game that should use technical limitations for its own advantage.
Examples:
Your character’s style defines the visual code of the project and creates associations your audience will make, so it’s very important to choose the style that suits everything in your game: from story to gameplay. Creating memorable, unique characters is important if you’re planning to create a resonating game that will haunt your players for years and will be fondly remembered.
As you can see, some of these styles work perfectly well even if you don’t have a big budget. All you need is artistic vision and inspiration. If you’re seeking assistance with creating a special title with a remarkable character design art style, be sure to reach out to RocketBrush Studio! Our expertise in various styles, genres will do our best to help you bring your ambitious goals to life!
