5 Impressive Hand Drawn Games You Need to Check Out

Proof That Gameplay Isn’t Always King

Art style and graphics can determine the success of a game. For most players, it’s not enough that the gameplay is good or the story is amazing; if a game doesn’t look good, it’s not worth playing. Then again, there is a growing number of players who have wisened up and know all too better than to judge the proverbial book by its cover. Or, in this particular case, to judge a game based on its graphics.

Granted, that doesn’t mean beautiful games shouldn’t be celebrated. On the contrary, a game’s style often elicits a sense of emotion that can’t be replicated by narrative or design. One particularly great set of examples: hand-drawn games. These original and unique games have a distinct style that has made them so popular these past few years.

While this has resulted in an influx of hand-drawn games made by developers and studios looking to take advantage of this sudden surge in popularity, some hand-drawn games just can’t help but stand out.

Below are five impressive hand-drawn games you need to check out. And since they can all be found on Steam, make sure to get some Steam wallet codes from OffGamers as well!

1. Hollow Knight

“The world of Hollow Knight is brought to life in vivid, moody detail, its caverns alive with bizarre and terrifying creatures, each animated by hand in a traditional 2D style,” is how Australian studio Team Cherry describes the “evocative hand-drawn art” of 2017’s Hollow Knight.

Hollow Knight is a moody Metroidvania game with a sprawling bug-filled world for you to explore and a combat system that’s equal parts challenging and rewarding. It sucks you in with its mostly monotone dark color setting. However, what sets Hollow Knight apart from other “dark” games is how vibrant the world feels and looks.

We owe all of this to how the developers labored on the game’s hand-drawn art—painstakingly so—while meticulously choosing just the right modern effects to pair with it.

It’s the little details that count in Hollow Knight. Much like its intricate combat system, the graphics too are nuanced. You won’t actively notice everything that comes together to create the beauty that is Hollow Knight. It is only when you take the time to observe how well the particular effects, shadows, and dynamic lighting all combine together that you’ll start to appreciate how real everything looks relative to its setting.

Hollow Knight is proof that less is more. The character designs and environments are all clean, brought to life with the clever use of animation and creativity.

Hollow Knight would have drawn in players based on its looks alone. The fact that everything else, from its combat system, to its gameplay mechanics, execution, and story, are just as beautiful makes it one of the best games of its generation, if not ever.

2. Cuphead

No one in their right mind would ever imagine what’d happen if Walt Disney decided to hand draw a video game with the mechanics of Contra. Yet, we have Cuphead.

Cuphead is a run-and-gun video game that was developed and self-published by Studio MDHR in 2017. Since then, the game has gone on to achieve iconic status, owing to how its golden age American animation art style perfectly belied the punishing difficulty that will have you throwing your controller straight at your wall.

We definitely recommend against buying Cuphead based on graphics alone. There’s no denying it’s a beautiful hand-drawn game. We just don’t think its gameplay is everyone’s cup of tea (pun intended). Mainly because it can get chaotic and frustrating—and you will die, a lot. If that’s not demotivating for you, then by all means give it a whirl.

(On the fence about Cuphead‘s difficulty? Make your playthrough a little easier by checking out all 19 Cuphead bosses ranked by difficulty—complete with friendly boss strategies.)

3. Disco Elysium – The Final Cut

Technically, Disco Elysium – The Final Cut isn’t hand-drawn. Rather, it’s hand-painted. The studio behind the game, ZA/UM, wanted to convey the degrading riches and crumbling of society around the game’s setting. The developers decided it would best to depict this by hand painting the brutal architectural surrounding and in-game room design.

The resulting product is nothing short of extraordinary. It’s as if someone decided to draw what was inside their mind while they were high and drunk at the same time.

This is not an insult, by any means. If anything, it’s a glowing compliment.

Story-wise, Disco Elysium revolves around two things: the murder case that serves as the reason why you are in Revachol in the first place; and the fact that you can’t really remember what you’re doing there, why you are there, or, more importantly, who you are.

There’s not much else we can say about the plot of Disco Elysium without spoiling what happens next. We recommend you try it out yourself and see what the fuss is all about. You won’t regret it, especially if you have a soft spot for intricate details when it comes to art.

4. Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom

Some games take decades to release only to end up being disappointing. Others prove that they were well worth the wait.

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a good example of the latter.

The developers at The Game Atelier intended to use motion-based sprite animation for the game. They later decided against it and opted for hand-drawn animation instead, which we’re all thankful for, as it resulted in a retro-inspired platformer. This game is proof that you can make a modern game out of old-school aesthetics without making it feel outdated.

If anything, Cursed Kingdom represents the next step when it comes to side-scrolling adventure games.

5. Jotun: Valhalla Edition

Norse mythology feels seriously underrepresented in modern media, especially in cartoons and the entertainment industry as a whole. While Jotun: Valhalla Edition won’t fix that, it does help give those with a Nordic itch a way to scratch it.

In Jotun, you take on the role of Thora, who seeks to earn her place in the halls of Valhalla alongside other mighty warriors after succumbing to a watery grave following the sinking of her ship. To prove she is worthy, Thora must take on the Jotun, which are giant elementals many times her size.

Because of its combination of painted backgrounds and cell-shaded art, Jotun is a gorgeous game with near-immaculate animations. The game takes on an ethereal quality in its depiction of the world beyond life. So, if you ever need more Nordic myths in your life, try this one out!

What Are Your Favorite Hand Drawn Games?

Not all great video games need rely on hyper-realistic graphics to succeed. As the five examples above show, developers can accomplish quite a lot with the right art style—and some striking hand-drawn graphics.

These are just a few examples of impressive hand-drawn games you need to check out. Let us know in the comments below any other impressive hand-drawn games that have caught your eye in recent years. We’d love to hear from you!