What are Video Game Art Styles & How to Choose a Theme?

As we say, first impression is the last impression; the same goes for the games that we play. At first, we are all attracted to the game’s look, which includes character, lightning, colors, etc. Every game’s look differs from one another. As the gaming world is evolving, it is introducing new video game art styles in the market, which gain traction from players and entrepreneurs as well. The highlight of this blog is different 2D and 3D art styles that captivate the fierce gamers. Let’s check them out.

Why Game Art Styles are Important in Games?

The game art styles play an important role as they represent captivating visuals, the tone of the game, and overall player experience. Below are the points why game art styles are important in your title:

• First Impressions and Visual Identity
• Brief’s Game’s Theme and Story
• Improves Player’s Impression
• Affects Gameplay and Readability
• Practical and Budget Considerations

What are 2D Game Art Styles?

Earlier, with the low graphic capabilities of software, the games couldn’t attract many users. However, with the advancement of technology, game designers can now add endless variety and creativity to the basic game environment. Below is the list of the best 2D game art styles. 

• Hand-Drawn 2D Art 
• Cutout Art
• Pixel Art
• Flat Art
• Doodle Art
• Monochromatic Art
• Cel Shading Art

Hand-Drawn 2D Art

Hand-drawn art gives your game a warm, emotional, and artisanal feel. Every frame looks like it was painted manually, giving the game a storytelling vibe similar to children’s books, animations, and indie films. This style is expressive and adds personality, but it requires skilled illustrators and more production time. 

Suitable For: 

• Narrative-driven games
• Storybook or comic-inspired adventures
• Indie titles focusing on emotion
• Educational and kids’ games

Game Examples: 

• Hollow Knight
• Cuphead
• Ori and the Blind Forest

Cost: 

Medium to High. Depends heavily on the number of animations (frame-by-frame art is expensive). Skilled illustrators raise the cost. 

Cutout Art

Cutout art uses layered pieces of 2D characters or objects that are moved like puppets. Instead of drawing every frame, animators create “body parts” and rig them for motion. It’s visually appealing and cheaper than full hand-drawn animation. 

Suitable For: 

• Adventure games
• Point-and-click games
• Lean-budget indie studios
• Mobile games with light animation

Game Examples: 

• South Park: Stick of Truth
• Don’t Starve
• Paper Mario (mix of 2D cutout aesthetics)

Cost: 

Low to Medium. Costs mostly depend on character rigging and asset variety, not frame count. 

Pixel Art

Pixel art recreates the retro 8-bit or 16-bit feel but with modern details. It’s nostalgic yet flexible. Pixel art can be simple (think early Mario) or extremely detailed (like modern indie RPGs). 

Suitable For: 

• Retro-themed games
• RPGs and Platformers
• Mobile games
• Studios with small budgets

Game Examples: 

• Stardew Valley
• Dead Cells
• Blasphemous
  

Cost: 

Low to Medium. Simple pixel art is cheap. However, high-detail pixel art with fluid animation becomes more expensive. 

Also Read: The Ultimate Guide to Pixel Games

Flat Art

Flat art uses clean shapes, minimal shading, and bold colors. It is easy to read on small screens, making it one of the most popular styles for modern mobile games. 

Suitable For: 

• Hyper-casual and casual games
• Educational apps
• Puzzle games
• UI-heavy mobile titles
  

Game Examples: 

• Monument Valley
• Alto’s Odyssey
• Two Dots

Cost: 

Low. Simple shapes, fewer details, and fewer animations are needed to keep production affordable.

Doodle Art

Playful, irregular, and intentionally ‘imperfect’, doodle art looks like sketches made in a notebook. It adds a quirky, humorous feel and stands out among polished mobile titles. 

Suitable For: 

• Humor-based games
• Casual mobile apps
• Indie games with quirky personalities

Game Examples: 

• Doodle Jump
• Draw a Stickman
• Scribblenauts (mixed-doodle inspired look)

Cost: 

Low. Simple lines and rough sketches keep production costs down. 

Monochromatic Art

This style uses one color or a limited palette (like black and white). It creates a mysterious, dramatic, or minimalist look. Lighting plays a huge role in how the game feels. 

Suitable For: 

• Horror and noir games
• Atmospheric puzzle games
• Art-house indie titles

Game Examples: 

• Limbo 
• Inside
• Minit

Cost: 

Low to Medium. Fewer colors simplify asset creation. But high-quality lighting and animation can raise costs. 

What are 3D Game Art Styles? 

3D game art style provides a realistic environment in the game. The 3D characters and the overall game story look like animated films that are enjoyed by the players. Below is the list of the most used 3D game art styles.

1. Cel-Shading Art

Cel-shading blends 2D comic aesthetics with 3D character models. Think bold outlines, smooth gradients, and a hand-painted visual feel. It gives games a vibrant cartoon look while using 3D pipelines. 

Suitable For: 

• Action and adventure titles
• Anime-inspired games
• Open-world RPGs
• Stylized shooters

Game Examples: 

• Genshin Impact
• Borderlands
• Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Cost: 

Medium to High. Required strong lighting setups, stylized shaders, and high-quality 3D artists, and some of the gaming studios have to be in the queue. 

2. Realistic / Photorealistic Art

As the name says, this art style replicates the real-world environment with high-fidelity textures, accurate lighting, and lifelike proportions. Its main aim is to focus on detailed shading, believable environments, and realistic materials. 

Suitable For:

• FPS and action titles
• Cinematic story-driven games
• Open-world adventures
• Sports and simulation games

Game Examples: 

• Red Dead Redemption 2
• The Last of Us Part II
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

3. Stylized 3D Art 

The USP of stylized 3D art is, it integrates vibrant colors rather than realistic proportions. A perfect blend of cartoon-like elements and visual storytelling, creating a memorable and timeless aesthetic that doesn’t rely on realism. 

Suitable For: 

• Hero shooters
• Family-friendly adventures
• RPGs and fantasy worlds
• Battle royale games

Game Examples: 

• Fortnite
• Overwatch
• Valorant

4. Low-Poly Art

With the use of minimal polygon counts, flat colors, and simple geometry, it believes in providing simplicity, yet provides a captivating world that feels clean and atmospheric. Perfect for indie developers or projects focused on mood rather than detail. 

Suitable For: 

• Indie adventure games
• Mobile games
• Strategy and survival titles
• Atmospheric exploration games

Game Examples: 

• Journey
• Valheim
• Astroneer

5. Hand-Painted 3D Art

If you want to provide a comic-like experience to your game, then hand-painted 3D art can be an appropriate choice for your project. The characters are styled with artistic brushstrokes, soft shading, and fantasy-friendly color palettes.

Suitable For: 

• Fantasy RPGs
• MOBA games
• Adventure and platformers
• Mobile RPGs

Game Examples:

• World of Warcraft
• Dota 2
• Torchlight II

6. Voxel Art 

In voxel art-based games, small cubes like blocks to form characters, environments, and props, giving a blocky yet charming aesthetic look. Despite its simplicity, voxel art allows highly dynamic environments and easy modular building. 

Suitable For: 

• Sandbox games
• Survival and crafting titles
• Casual and mobile games
• Creative building games

Game Examples:

• Minecraft
• Trove
• Voxatron

How to Choose a Game Art Style for Your Game? 

Choosing the right art style can make or break your game in this competitive gaming market. It helps players to understand, feel, and connect with your game. The best styles depend on what type of game you wish to create for your players.  

Decide Your Game Genre And Theme 

Your game’s core idea can decide the type of game environment and style you need for your game. Different games require different art styles. To decide on a theme, ask these three questions:

• What emotional tone do you want?
• Does the world lean toward fantasy realism art styles or exaggerated stylized visuals?
• Will the story or characters benefit more from realism or imagination?

Match Art Style With Your Budget and Team Skill

Each art style costs differently; some may cost reasonably, while others may shake your budget. Satisfying your players with cool themes is good, but budget is also very important. 

Think about:

• Time and cost limitations
• Your artists’ strengths
• Animation complexity
• Technical performance requirements

Follow Latest Video Game Art Styles

Today’s different types of gamers are very savvy; they always prefer the latest art styles and try to incorporate the newest type of art style into their games. The current trends include: 

• Hybrid PBR stylized worlds
• Minimalist and low-poly styles for indie games
• Anime-inspired cel-shading
• High-fidelity realism for AAA titles
• AR/VR-friendly simplified aesthetics

What are the Best Video Games With Unique Art Styles? 

Every game is specific in its own way, but only a few can be on the top list. These games do not even perform well, but also include great art styles. Here is the list of games by which, as an entrepreneur, you will get an idea:

Game Title	Art Style	What Makes It Unique
Cuphead	1930s Cartoon / Hand-Drawn	Fully hand-drawn animation inspired by vintage 1930s cartoons
Journey	Minimalist / Low Poly	Simple shapes with atmospheric lighting and emotional tone
Borderlands	Cel-Shading	Comic-book outlines and stylized characters
Hollow Knight	Gothic 2D	Hand-drawn environments with a dark fantasy mood
Okami	Sumi-e Ink Painting	Brushstroke textures based on Japanese traditional art
Ori and the Blind Forest	Painterly Fantasy	Lush hand-painted scenes with glowing, ethereal lighting
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker	Toon-Shaded 3D	Bright cel-shading with expressive animations
Gris	Watercolor Art	Soft watercolor illustrations blend with storytelling
Hades	Graphic Novel Style	Sharp character designs and bold, high-contrast colors
Inside	Monochrome Minimalism	Dark muted palette with eerie lighting composition
Minecraft	Voxel Art	Block-based world with limitless creativity
Firewatch	Stylized Realism	Painterly national park visuals with warm color schemes
Darkest Dungeon	Gothic Ink 2D	Heavy shadows, ink-stroke textures, and comic-horror vibes
Sea of Thieves	PBR Stylized 3D	Stylized shapes with realistic PBR lighting and oceans
Katamari Damacy	Abstract / Surreal	Bright geometric shapes and whimsical, dreamlike design

Final Words

With the advancement of technologies, the game art styles are also upgrading. The art styles are responsible for increasing the player retention rates. Visuals attract the maximum number of players towards the game. In this blog, you have witnessed the most trending and used game art styles. If you are an entrepreneur and want to integrate any one game art style in your game, then carefully choose a reputable game development company that can efficiently integrate it into your game.

Frequently Asked Questions