The Most Unique Art Style Concepts in Video Games

1-10

Adrian Gerlach

Gaming - July 27th 2025, 15:00 GMT+2

Video game styles Yarn — 1. Yarn and Cloth

Cuddly, cozy and unbelievably cute – when looking at a world that seems like tapestry brought to life, you can't help but reminisce about stereotypical images of knitting grandmas and warm winter sweaters. Especially ongoing video games series – whose previously non-thread-based gameplay is suddenly afforded the creative possibilities that come with constructing a world solely from string – can really surprise players: Be it Kirby using his own body as a whip in *Kirby's Epic Yarn* (2010), stitching your fellow Yoshis back together from yarn bundles in *Yoshi's Woolly World* (2015) or poking enemies with marking pins in Kirby's *Extra Epic Yarn* (2019): A surprising amount of fun can be had in the realm of the textile industry. Special shoutout goes to *Unravel* (2016), where... Well, the name really says it all. | © Nintendo, Electronic Arts

Video game styles Papercraft — 2. Papercraft

Paper-thin but bursting with charm – the papercraft aesthetic transforms flatness into a feature, turning every fold, tear, and crease into a storytelling tool. In the *Paper Mario* series, depending on the game, Mario may need to fold into an airplane, attack with stickers or paint and take on living stationery, providing a direct extension of gameplay through visual design. *Tearaway* (2013) takes things even further, building a tactile world where players manipulate the landscape like a physical craft project – complete with paper waterfalls and handcrafted critters. And then there’s *And Yet It Moves* (2009), which fuses a collage-style world with gravity-twisting mechanics, letting the player literally rotate the entire papery environment to solve puzzles. This way, digital worlds feel handcrafted not just in visuals, but in spirit. | © Nintendo, Sony Computer Entertainment, Broken Rules

Video game styles Film Noir — 3. Film Noir

Dark, dreamy, and drenched in shadow – just like the movies influenced by the Great Depression they were inspired by, these games sport a moody atmosphere that turns even the simplest platforming into brooding, cinematic storytelling. Posterchild *Limbo* (2010) uses its stark black-and-white visuals, haunting silhouettes, and total lack of dialogue to create an eerie world where every moment feels like a quiet threat, enhancing the tension, the pacing, and the emotional weight. *Renoir* (2016) compliments its gloomy 2.5D cityscape steeped in contrast and intrigue with characters and tropes Film Noir movies. Then there’s *Toby: The Secret Mine* (2015), which adds a touch of surrealism while maintaining noir’s signature use of light and darkness to hide dangers and secrets. For indie developers, this style is a perfect match – atmospheric, comparatively resource-friendly, and emotionally resonant. | © Playdead, Fulqrum Publishing, Lukáš Navrátil

Video game styles Impressionism — 4. Impressionist painting

Soft edges, shifting colors, and light that seems to dance across the screen – this is likely the closest thing we'll get to living, breathing canvases. In *11-11: Memories Retold* (2018), this aesthetic is used to stunning emotional effect: Brushstrokes blur the horrors of World War I into a dreamlike haze, allowing players to focus on the human stories underneath the chaos. *The Master’s Pupil* (2023) takes a more literal approach, placing players inside the eye of Claude Monet himself. Over a 7-year-development period, every level was painstakingly painted by hand, resulting in exploration that feels like walking through a gallery that responds to the touch. Impressionist visuals in games open new doors to visual storytelling where mood outweighs realism. It's a bold stylistic choice that makes every frame a brushstroke of meaning. | © Bandai Namco Entertainment, Pat Naoum

Video game styles Crayon — 5. Crayon sketch

Messy, wobbly, and wonderfully whimsical – the crayon sketch aesthetic captures the chaotic creativity of a child’s schoolbook doodles and turns it into visual magic. *Crayon Physics Deluxe* (2009) turns your own drawings into puzzle solutions, letting you scrawl out seesaws, boulders, and bridges that spring to life with satisfying jank. *Kirby’s Dream Land 3* (1997) uses color blending between adjacent pixels to make it look like every cloud looks finger-drawn and every character is colored just outside the lines. *Doodle Jump* (2009) leans fully into the notebook look – complete with graph paper background, sketchy monsters, and a googly-eyed hero that seems ripped straight from the corner of a math test. And for a quick shoutout: the *Drawn to Life* series lets players design their own characters and platforms with tools so limited, they effectively look like crayon as well. | © Petri Purho, Nintendo, Lima Sky

Video game styles Stained Glass — 6. Stained Glass

Elegant, intricate, and full of color – inferring a sense of divine beauty and eerie mystery to games, a look like a church's stained glass windows can blend with gameplay and story in meaningful ways. *Saga of Sins* (2023) takes direct inspiration from Hieronymus Bosch, using his style to depict a world of sin and moral struggle, with the striking visual choice enhancing the game's dark narrative. *Gleamlight* (2020) employs glowing glass textures that influence both gameplay and atmosphere, with each level feeling like a delicate, yet fragile world, adding a layer of strategy as players navigate its glowing labyrinths. *The Land of Glass* (2019) ties its stained glass visuals into both its narrative and puzzles, with the shifting light symbolizing change, progression, and the passage of time. | © Just for Games SAS, D3 Publisher, Dual Wield Software

Video game styles Pottery — 7. Black-figure Pottery

Bold, striking, and looking like something straight out of a museum – imitating the black-figure style seen on Ancient Greek pottery has proven visually captivating in video games. *Apotheon* (2015) fully embraces this style, where the entire world and its characters are drawn as if on Ancient Greek vases. The game’s mythological focus on Greek perfectly ties into the style choice, making every interaction feel like part of a timeless story. While the *Patapon* series didn't draw direct inspiration from the same source, its simplistic, tribal designs evoke the same graphic minimalism, with bold lines and a focus on ancient themes. As the player leads their Patapon warriors in service to their god, the deities take center stage in both the gameplay and story, perfectly blending art and mythology. | © Alientrap, Sony Computer Entertainment

Video game styles Claymation — 8. Claymation

Whimsical, squishy, and full of character – claymation animation in games brings an extra layer of charm by making everything feel like it’s sculpted by hand. The *ClayFighter* series uses this aesthetic to turn its outlandish characters into malleable, goofy fighters, which can hurt each other in shockingly graphic ways without having to worry about the age rating, considering they're spilling clay instead of blood. *Kirby and the Rainbow Curse* (2015) takes a softer, pastel approach to claymation. From the environments to the characters, it creates an interactive world full of tactile, huggable charm. Then, *The Neverhood* (1996) and its sequel *Skullmonkeys* (1998) stand out with their fully realized clay world, where every character, puzzle, and animation feels like it’s crafted in real time. This style not only creates a visually distinctive world but also enhances the gameplay by making it feel as if players are actively shaping the world themselves. | © Interplay Productions, Nintendo, DreamWorks Interactive

Video game styles Rubber hose — 9. Rubber hose animation

Lively, exaggerated, and full of charm – rubber hose animation brings old school cartoon aesthetics into video games, allowing characters to naturally stretch, squash, and bounce. *Cuphead* (2017) is the prime example, with its boss design benefiting in both concept (referencing cartoons from the era) and gameplay (the fluid animation allowing for clearly-telegraphed attack patterns). Each boss stretches and warps in playful, unpredictable ways, making every battle visually dynamic and uniquely challenging. FPS Mouse: P.I. for Hire (2025) looks to be cut from the same cloth, using similarly fluid movements and a bouncy, exaggerated feel. While *Bendy and the Ink Machine* (2017) doesn’t fully embrace rubber hose, though its iconic character designs evoke a twisted, cartoonish vibe that fits perfectly with the eerie, ink-inspired world. | © Studio MDHR, PlaySide Studios, Joey Drew Studios

Video game styles Ukiyoe — 10. Ukiyo-e prints

Elegant, flowing, and rich in detail – the beauty of the Edo-era asymmetrical ink brushstrokes, unusual angles and complex patterns remains striking. *Ōkami* (2006) is a standout example, using the ukiyo-e style to resemble themes from Japanese mythology by imitating the latter's original medium. The signature brush strokes are transformed into a core gameplay element, which was eloborated on in DS spiritual sucessor *Ōkamiden* (2010). The game adopted the themes of succession and rebirth present in famous ukiyo-e art. *Haiku Adventure* (intended for 2019) drew from ukiyo-e for its handcrafted art and animation, aiming to provide a "magical realist narrative" through poetic puzzle mechanics. Despite being demoed at the William Morris Gallery, it was seemingly canceled, with its trailer serving as it final remnant, effectively making the game suffering the same moribund fate as the art it was inspired by. | © Capcom, Small Island Games

1-10

For many modern video games, especially those of the AAA variety, achieving the most realistic visuals possible appears to be the Golden Standard. However, conceptualizing a game's art style around a distinct and lesser-explored theme (such as a certain material or artistic genre) may prove beneficial by for more creative expression and new gameplay possibilities, or better suiting the developer's narrative and development resources.

While we have previously told you about individual video games that manage to stand out by pursuing a unique visual style, this presentation instead aims to highlight 10 design concepts and how they managed to shape their respective video games in more ways than just their visual identity.

So whether you're an aspiring game developer looking for inspiration for your next project or just curious to explore the intersection between video games and art: Here are 10 Unique Art Style Concepts in Video Games.