Version: 2023.1
Language : English
Game perspectives for 2D games
Initial setup for 2D games

Art styles for 2D games

Decide what art style you want your game to have. The following table describes the main types of 2D art style:

Art style / technique Description
Minimalist Flat colors, clean lines and high readability, for example a mobile puzzle game.
PixelThe smallest unit in a computer image. Pixel size depends on your screen resolution. Pixel lighting is calculated at every screen pixel. More info
See in Glossary
art
Pixelated graphics, for example a retro gaming art style.
Illustrative A cartoon, stylized or realistic art style.
Pre-rendered 3D Use this technique to create 2D art with 3D tools. You create art that is rendered as Sprites or SpriteA 2D graphic objects. If you are used to working in 3D, Sprites are essentially just standard textures but there are special techniques for combining and managing sprite textures for efficiency and convenience during development. More info
See in Glossary
sequences. You can use this technique when you need multiple angles of an asset, for example for the 8- or 4-direction Sprite characters used in retro art.

Most sections of this guide are relevant for games with any art style. However, this guide does not cover working with pre-rendered 3D assets; to learn more about this see 2D or 3D projects: 2D gameplay with 3D graphics.

Examples

Mini Metro, a 2D game made with Unity with a minimalist art style
Mini Metro, a 2D game made with Unity with a minimalist art style

See the Mini Metro site.

Phased, a 2D game made with Unity with a pixel art style
Phased, a 2D game made with Unity with a pixel art style

See the Phased Unity case study.

Flipping Death, a 2D game made with Unity with an illustrative art style
Flipping Death, a 2D game made with Unity with an illustrative art style

See the Flipping Death Unity case study.

Rise of Kingdoms, a game made with Unity with the pre-rendered 3D technique
Rise of Kingdoms, a game made with Unity with the pre-rendered 3D technique

See the Rise of Kingdoms site.

Game perspectives for 2D games
Initial setup for 2D games