12 Games With Amazing Art Styles

Video games are an art form. Some games wow you with hyper-realistic visuals, while others create worlds that feel like paintings come to life. We’ve got a list of 12 games with amazing art styles that you need to try. From hand-drawn animation to striking pixel art and immersive environments, these games prove that a unique art style can make a gaming experience unforgettable.

Highlight: Neva

The adventure platformer Neva is one of those rare games that feels like a moving painting. Every frame and every moment is a work of art in motion. Created by the team behind GRIS, it has the same astonishing visual elegance while forging its own unique identity.

You follow Alba and her wolf companion on a deeply emotional journey through a decaying world, their bond evolving as they face both beauty and darkness. The art style moves away from the watercolor aesthetic of GRIS, opting instead for a broader, more vibrant color palette and a striking use of flat tones. Unlike in GRIS, the developers didn’t use black outlines. This makes the world feel more organic and immersive, and the overall look more seamless.

The soundtrack and animation work hand in hand with the visuals to create a hauntingly beautiful experience, making even the simplest moments feel profound. The gameplay is fun, but Neva’s art and emotional storytelling make it stand out. If you loved GRIS, or simply appreciate games with amazing art styles, this is a game you don’t want to miss.

Ori and the Blind Forest & Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Few games are as visually stunning as Ori and the Blind Forest and its sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisps. These emotional action-platformers follow Ori, a small guardian spirit, on a journey to save a dying forest and discover their true destiny. From the moment you step into the world of Nibel, you’re greeted by a dreamlike landscape of lush, hand-painted environments, glowing forests, and ethereal lighting. Moon Studios masterfully blends stunning animation with a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack.

From misty swamps to fiery caves, each area is distinct and has a unique, striking color palette. Will of the Wisps takes this to the next level, introducing a more detailed 3D-rendered world while maintaining the series’ signature painterly aesthetic. Beyond the visuals, Ori’s journey is a deeply touching story of courage, loss, and hope.

💡Tip: If you want a game with great art that has a spring feel to it, check out our Spring Games blog to learn more about Okami!

Spiritfarer

At its core, Spiritfarer is a management game, but with a profoundly moving twist. You play as Stella, a ferrymaster who guides souls to the afterlife by building a boat, exploring a vast world, and forming deep connections with the spirits you meet. Along the way, you’ll farm, cook, craft, and care for your passengers as you prepare for the inevitable moment when you must say goodbye.

The stunning hand-drawn art is one of the things that makes the game so unique. Each frame is filled with fluid animation and soft, dreamlike colors that change with the time of day and the mood of the story. The spirits have visual designs that reflect their personality, like Gwen’s refined elegance and Atul’s joyful energy, all brought to life with charming details. The world itself is whimsical yet poignant, reinforcing the game’s themes of love, loss, and letting go. If you’re looking for a heartfelt game with great art, Spiritfarer is a perfect pick.

Hi-Fi RUSH

The rhythm-based action game Hi-Fi RUSH throws you into a world where everything moves in sync with the soundtrack. Whether you’re dodging attacks, platforming through vibrant cityscapes, or landing a perfectly timed combo, every action feels like a part of the music. It’s a fantastic concept that’s been flawlessly executed. Visually, Hi-Fi RUSH is a feast for the eyes. It mimics the look of a hand-drawn comic come to life, blending cel-shaded characters with bold outlines and colorful environments.

Even the lighting follows this stylized approach, with halftone patterns, cross-hatched shadows, and thick black silhouettes that make the game look like a piece of graphic novel art. Characters move in exaggerated, dramatic poses, which intensifies the game’s vibrant, energetic aesthetic. But beyond the visuals, Hi-Fi RUSH is just fun. It doesn’t need hyper-realistic graphics or massive open worlds to be a memorable experience. It’s packed with humor, great music, and rock-solid gameplay.

ANIMAL WELL

ANIMAL WELL is a mesmerizing blend of retro aesthetics and modern game design, creating an experience that feels both nostalgic and completely new. You hatch from a flower into an intricate world filled with secrets and eerie creatures. Unlike other Metroidvanias, the game doesn’t feature traditional combat. Instead, it focuses on environmental puzzles that encourage you to explore and experiment.

While many games use pixel art for nostalgia, ANIMAL WELL takes it to another level with intricate, glowing textures and a CRT-inspired glow that makes every shadow flicker with mystery. The game’s low-resolution look enhances the surreal, dreamlike atmosphere. The creatures you encounter are designed with minimal detail, leaving just enough room for your imagination to fill in the blanks. If you enjoy atmospheric exploration and games that make you feel truly lost in their world, don’t miss this one.

💡 Tip: If you’re a horror fan, head over to our blog about the best horror games to read more about SIGNALIS, a fantastic sci-fi survival horror game with unique art!

Cuphead

Cuphead is a love letter to 1930s animation, brought to life with an insane level of detail. Every frame is hand-drawn using traditional cel animation techniques, set against watercolor backgrounds, and paired with a lively jazz soundtrack that feels straight out of an old-school cartoon. The result is a game that looks and sounds like a lost classic from the golden age of animation, but plays like a hardcore run-and-gun challenge.

You take control of Cuphead (or his brother Mugman) as they battle bizarre, over-the-top bosses in an attempt to pay back their debt to the devil. The art style makes every battle feel like a chaotic, surreal fever dream, full of bouncing, stretching, and morphing characters. The vibrant colors, exaggerated expressions, and fluid movements give the game a distinct charm that’s unlike anything else out there.

Hollow Knight

Team Cherry’s Souls-like Metroidvania Hollow Knight is a masterpiece of 2D game design that immerses you in the hauntingly beautiful world of Hallownest. This ruined kingdom teems with mystery, danger, and strange insect-like inhabitants. As the small but determined Knight, you’ll explore vast underground caverns, battle sinister creatures, and uncover the secrets buried deep within this forgotten land.

The hand-drawn art style should be displayed in a museum! The game blends simplicity and depth incredibly well, using bold silhouettes and delicate animation to bring its world to life. Each area has its own unique atmosphere, from the bioluminescent glow of Greenpath’s tangled vegetation to the eerie silence of the City of Tears, where rain pours endlessly from the ceiling. The careful use of lighting and shadows adds an incredible sense of depth, making the world feel alive despite its desolate nature.

💡Tip: You’ve already played Hollow Knight, but want something similar with beautiful art? Check out this blog to find out more about Nine Sols!

Sable

If you’re a fan of true, unhurried exploration, Sable is the game for you. In this atmospheric, open-ended game, you play as Sable, a young girl setting out on her Gliding, a rite of passage that will take her across vast deserts and ancient ruins. There are no battles, no looming threats—just you, your hoverbike, and a world full of wonders waiting to be discovered.

Inspired by French comics and classic animated films, the game uses bold outlines, flat colors, and dreamlike minimalism to make every scene feel like a living illustration. The desert landscapes, dotted with the remains of colossal spaceships and ancient architecture, are stunning in their simplicity, proving that beauty doesn’t require hyper-realism. The soundtrack complements the art perfectly, combining soft melodies with atmospheric tunes that make your journey feel personal and profound.

Hades & Hades II

With Hades and Hades II, Supergiant Games has crested roguelike experiences that are as addictive as they are beautiful, pulling you into the depths of Greek mythology with every run. In Hades, you play as Zagreus, the rebellious son of Hades, who must fight his way out of the underworld with the help of the Olympian gods. The hand-painted environments burst with life, from the fiery chaos of Asphodel to the golden serenity of Elysium. The characters are expertly designed with bold lines and rich colors that make them look straight out of a graphic novel.

Hades II builds on this with even more gorgeous visuals and fluid animations. This time, you play as Melinoë, Zagreus’ sister, as she takes on the Titan of Time. The art is sharper, the colors more vibrant, and the environments even more detailed, creating a world that feels both mythical and alive. If you like fast-paced action games with amazing art, these are a must.

Streets of Rage 4

After a 25-year hiatus, Axel, Blaze, and Adam return to clean up the streets once again, delivering satisfying combos against waves of thugs in a crime-ridden city. Streets of Rage 4 takes everything you love about classic beat ’em ups and amps it up with striking graphics and fluid animation. The gameplay stays true to the originals while introducing new mechanics that make every punch, throw, and special move feel better than ever.

The art is hand-drawn by the talented team behind Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap and swaps pixel art for comic-style visuals that bring every fight to life. The neon-lit streets, graffiti-covered back alleys, and towering skyscrapers ooze with atmosphere, making each level feel like a living, breathing part of the city. Character animations are beautifully smooth, adding impact to every attack, while small details—like the way lights bounce off wet pavement—make the world feel more dynamic.