April 21, 2024
Modern technology has given us the opportunity to play extremely realistic games with amazing, life-like visuals. Despite this, many players still enjoy playing games with pixel graphics. Pixel art design reminds some of their favorite old-school games and evokes feelings of nostalgia. Others prefer pixel graphics purely because they show an amazing level of craftsmanship and talent. If you fall into either of these categories, take a look at our list of some of the best games with pixel art design.
The rise in popularity of the pixel art style
In the last few years, many amazing indie games in this art style have become extremely popular. This is mainly because of the limited budget and resources indie studios have. Still, pixel art games hold a special place in the hearts of many gamers. They often remind us of our favorite old-school games, usually made in this art style. Today’s pixel art games offer us modern gaming mechanics mixed with the nostalgic imagery from our childhoods. Furthermore, today’s pixel art games aren’t the simple 8-bit games we used to enjoy. Nowadays, fans of this art style can enjoy a plethora of complex, beautifully designed modern games. Here’s our list of some of the best pixel art games.
Blasphemous & Blasphemous II
Blasphemous is an indie game developed by The Game Kitchen. It’s a Metroidvania action-adventure game set in the imaginary region of Cvstodia. Players take on the role of The Penitent One, a silent knight on a pilgrimage. What makes this game particularly unnerving is that it draws heavily from religious iconography. This design choice includes all the levels, enemies, and NPCs. And to perfectly fit the theme, the whole game is made with gruesome yet beautiful pixel graphics. The detail that was put into the making of this game is astounding. However, Blasphemous and Blasphemous II are not only visually stunning. The rich story and the hack-and-slash gameplay have made these games instant classics. This is why this astonishingly detailed grim adventure is sure to win over fans of the classic Castlevania games.
The Last Faith
It’s hard not to think of Metroidvania games when we’re talking about great games with pixel art. Another great game developed by Kumi Souls Games is The Last Faith. Much like Blasphemous, this is a side-scroller action-adventure game that features amazingly detailed pixel art. We play as Eryk, a mysterious man afflicted with a curse. The dark setting of the game and the many formidable enemies work extremely well with the pixel art style. Due to its nonlinear gameplay and difficult combat style, The Last Faith is best described as a blend of metroidvania and souls-like games. This, in addition to its art style, makes this game a great and challenging gaming experience.
Stardew Valley
Moving on from the metroidvania genre, we have a game that has been loved by many ever since its initial release. Stardew Valley is a farm life sim game developed and published by ConcernedApe in 2016. This creative masterpiece is even regarded as one of the best games of all time. This is due to the memorable characters, numerous innovative game mechanics, and charming story. In addition to that, this rich life sim features adorable pixel graphics. The environment is beautifully drawn. Each element of the game (and there are a lot of them) is carefully designed. This, in addition to a captivating story, makes Stardew Valley a brilliant game. This is a game that, even after years of playing, you’ll keep wanting to come back to on a cozy afternoon. If you’re a fan of relaxing games and pixel art, you can’t go wrong with Stardew Valley.
Owlboy
Owlboy is an adventure platformer developed by D-pad Studio. In this adorable game, we play Otis, an owl-like humanoid trying to save his village from a pirate attack. The main objective is to save the village and uncover the secret of the Owls. This game took 10 years to be fully developed. When you look at the amazing pixel art it features, this comes as no surprise. Owlboy offers enchanting visuals and a great story. If you’re a fan of this art style, this game and its design will not disappoint.
Undertale
Undertale is a well-known classic that proves that a deep story can pair very well with cute pixel graphics. This game was developed in 2015 by Tobyfox, and it remains one of the most famous indie games ever created. In this RPG, we play as a child who has fallen into the Underground – a land full of monsters. While exploring the Underground, we meet many NPCs and enemies. What made this game famous was its unique combat style, which lets you spare enemies and befriend bosses. However, the most memorable part of the game are its characters. All of them feature a rich story that the game lets you explore however you want. The character designs are what makes this game truly memorable. The cute art style, however, doesn’t mean that this game doesn’t have its serious moments. If you want to play a story-rich pixel art game with a great visual and sound design, this game is for you.
Even with today’s modern technology and hyper-realistic games, some people still enjoy pixel art. This vintage-looking art style is not only the most efficient to produce but also invokes feelings of nostalgia. Many of us might’ve spent our childhood playing these types of games. This is why pixel art games evoke this sweet feeling of childlike wonder. Modern-day pixel art games can also rely on a greater screen resolution and are, therefore, more detailed. This is exactly why pixel games will never lose their audience.