Pixel art games are a popular form of video game art that has been around since the 1980s. They are recognizable for their distinct 8-bit style, and often feature characters and environments made up of large blocks of color. Making a pixel art game can be a fun and rewarding experience for any aspiring game developer.
The first step to making a pixel art game is to decide on the type of game you want to create. Do you want an action-adventure platformer, or a puzzle game?
Do you have an idea for the story, or will you focus more on gameplay? Once you have an idea in mind, it’s time to start planning out the mechanics and visuals.
The next step is to choose the tools that you need to create your project. Popular programs used by pixel artists include Photoshop, Gimp, Aseprite, Paint.NET and Pyxel Edit.
Each of these programs has its own unique features, so it’s important to pick one that best suits your needs. For example, if you plan on creating complex animations in your game, then Aseprite may be the better choice.
Once you’ve chosen the program you want to use, it’s time to start creating your sprites and backgrounds. You can find plenty of resources online for inspiration or guidance in creating pixel art assets. Popular sites include Pixel Joint and Pixel Art Academy. Additionally, there are tutorials available on YouTube that can teach you how to use specific programs.
Finally, once all your assets are ready it’s time to put them together into a playable game.
There are many different tools available for this part of the development process as well such as Unity or Unreal Engine 4. It all depends on what kind of game experience you are aiming for and how much programming knowledge you have.
Conclusion:
When deciding what program to use when making a pixel art game, there is no right or wrong answer as each program has its own unique features that can be used in different ways depending on what kind of game experience is desired. However, some popular programs used by pixel artists include Photoshop, Gimp, Aseprite and Paint.NET which all offer great tools for creating sprites and backgrounds. Additionally there are plenty of tutorials online providing guidance when using these programs as well as other tools needed for putting together a playable game such as Unity or Unreal Engine 4.