How Games Like Stardew Valley & Undertale Use Pixel Art (& Why)

The rise of next-gen consoles and PC gaming has allowed the world of video games to expand substantially beyond the era of 8-bit graphics and other forms of pixel art – but despite this, it’s still a common visual style seen in indie games like Stardew Valleyand Undertale. How does the visual style fit into the history of the industry, and how are small developers helping to elevate it to new levels in modern games?

Although the term “indie games” is a relatively broad classification, it’s generally understood to encompass smaller titles that either don’t have a publisher or are being developed by studios or teams that don’t have the funding of AAA studios. Because of this, indie games are often funded through either crowdsourced methods such as Kickstarter or by utilizing early access. This method in particular was popular during 2021’s E3 games. Steam also came out with its own tool for aiding early access releases, which may have helped standardize the practice within the industry.

Likely due to both the lack of funding and the comparatively small size of the development teams behind indie games like Stardew Valley and Undertale, these titles also tend to make use of alternative art styles when it comes to graphics. 3D modeling is usually seen as both expensive and time consuming, though simplified and low-poly styles have become more common. Because of this, 2D art is widely utilized in indie games. Hand-drawn art in video games is becoming more popular, as seen in influential titles such as Hollow Knight or Cuphead. An even more common visual staple, though, is pixel art, which has its roots in the early days of the game development industry.

Why Pixel Art Was Originally Used And How That’s Changed

Pixel art primarily originates from classic arcade games like Pac-Man and Space Invaders, but as game companies began releasing home consoles, the art style carried over onto those platforms as well. 8-bit consoles like the NES, which is still one of the most popular gaming consoles, also utilized pixel art. Typically, this was because of how little storage pixelated graphics took up compared to something like 3D models. Additionally, sprites were relatively low-cost to create, something that has generally remained true throughout the years. As technology improved and new gaming platforms were released, 3D modeling became more common, and today it’s oftentimes considered the new standard in the world of AAA video games.

Although indie games are branching out past pixel art more and more, it is still one of the most commonly used art styles in the gaming world. Part of this could be because of the rise of mobile gaming, as storage is often a priority on mobile devices. It could also be used to provoke a feeling of nostalgia. Beyond that, it’s still a cheaper and arguably less time consuming and labor intensive visual style.

Indie games have been afforded the opportunity to build upon pixel art, though, creating larger images or more colorful and detailed sprites than would typically be seen in the style of 8-bit consoles. Well-known titles like Hotline Miami, Stardew Valley, and Undertale are all good examples of how the practice is still appearing within the industry, and there are seemingly countless other indie games that help to demonstrate how pixel art has evolved over the years – as well as how it’s still being expanded upon to this day.

About The Author

Ky Shinkle
(528 Articles Published)

Ky Shinkle is a Senior Gaming Features Writer for Screen Rant as well as an overall avid gamer and writer. Her prior experience is primarily that of a narrative designer for video games, although her writing has covered all formats from screenplays and novels to stage scripts. A graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, when she isn’t writing she works on digital media projects and other types of fiction writing. Ky currently works out of Ohio and enjoys spending her free time either playing RPGs or running with her dog.

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