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Pixel Art Resources for Codex Developers

How do you acquire resources to make your 2D game?

  • I make my own

    Votes: 6 60.0%
  • I buy asset packs

    Votes: 2 20.0%
  • I use free resources

    Votes: 1 10.0%
  • Other

    Votes: 1 10.0%

  • Total voters
    10
Self-Ejected

Zizka

Self-Ejected
Joined
Jan 15, 2020
Messages
429
Hi,
Q1:
For those of you working on a game with pixel art, what kind of resources do you usually end up buying to use in your games? What constitutes a good asset pack in your experience as a developer?

Q2:
Are there any resources you'd like to have you can't find anywhere? Cursors? Icons? Enemy sprites? Animations?
If so, let me know what kind of dimensions you'd be looking for.

Thank you for reading and for your potential input.
 

Moonrise

The Magnificent
Patron
Joined
Jul 7, 2017
Messages
386
Make the Codex Great Again!
When curating and sourcing art, not working directly with an artist, the hardest part is maintaining consistency. So when I go looking for assets, whether free or paid, I always prefer large packs. Even better if the art targets a genre niche. Sometimes artists go further and conform to platform or engine specs. This was true also in my own experience as an amateur musician. I released free music over the years and by far the most popular release was a complete NES-like soundtrack. Devs could just drop the whole thing into their project and not have to worry about tracks clashing, because they were all designed to go together. Players don't seem to mind asset packs being used as long as the important parts are done custom. I've seen Oryx's fantasy tileset in countless well reviewed indie games. If you're talking the Codex specifically, there seem to be a lot of roguelike devs here. A multipurpose tileset that works for roguelikes, tactical RPGs, etc. would probably do well.
 
Self-Ejected

Zizka

Self-Ejected
Joined
Jan 15, 2020
Messages
429
Thanks a lot for the insightful message. Could I see what your game looks like, a screenshot I mean? I’m curious what kind of style you go for (or through PM if you’re not comfortable showing it here).
 

Moonrise

The Magnificent
Patron
Joined
Jul 7, 2017
Messages
386
Make the Codex Great Again!
I mostly tinker with puzzle games. Being on the 'dex I enjoy RPGs obviously, but working on them is too time consuming. Some of my favorite games as a kid were Fire 'n Ice, Kickle Cubicle, and Lolo. Basically if it's cute and it makes you think. One of these days I'll get around to polishing and releasing one of the many projects collecting dust in my drives. The biggest priority would be a well animated main character.

DqgbmmI.png

uH9oGkM.png
 
Self-Ejected

Zizka

Self-Ejected
Joined
Jan 15, 2020
Messages
429
I see what you mean with assets from different sources in the first screen. I think the orange slime comes from a different lot as well as the blocks. It still looks good though.

Second one is more uniform.
 
Self-Ejected

Zizka

Self-Ejected
Joined
Jan 15, 2020
Messages
429
The biggest priority would be a well animated main character.

I've done animations for video games before for video games. Hard to sell as assets though since they tend to be tailored to the main character. Depending on what you need, I wouldn't mind helping you out for free:

u3siXCD.gif

Gpxcr7q.gif

i1n4p6B.gif

UvNRmNw.gif
 

Moonrise

The Magnificent
Patron
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Messages
386
Make the Codex Great Again!
I wouldn't mind helping you out for free
That's very sweet of you! A side-view character like the one you posted would be most practical. A boy genie. Could look like Little Nemo, only wearing appropriate garb instead of pajamas. I'd need basic movement, some kind of spellcasting motion, and a little swirl animation that can replace his legs (meant to be a temporary ability/powerup). Expressive frames would be nice--folding his arms and facing the screen, that kind of thing. He should be bratty if you can get that across. If it's too much, I'd still be interested in working with you. Your animations look great.
 
Self-Ejected

Zizka

Self-Ejected
Joined
Jan 15, 2020
Messages
429
I’m participating in a game jam at the moment but I’d be happy to help after (ends next week). What you’re asking would take a great deal of time however, I’m not particularly fast. Also, since you have various styles going on I wouldn’t know what kind of style to go for when designing the boy genie. I think it would be useful to have various images of what you’re looking for from all sorts of media otherwise I might end up doing something you don’t want.

I’d like to help devs on the codex by doing small things here and there they might be missing so I’d rather tackle this one small increment at a time. Just small things which aren’t too time consuming however, so it doesn’t require a big commitment on my part.
 

Moonrise

The Magnificent
Patron
Joined
Jul 7, 2017
Messages
386
Make the Codex Great Again!
I think it would be useful to have various images of what you’re looking for from all sorts of media otherwise I might end up doing something you don’t want.
Okay, I'll share some concept references, and the kinds of sprites I'm using and the palette as well. No need to worry about speed! I can use a placeholder in the meantime. If you do this, I'll definitely have to finish the game else the 'dexers will have my head.

Generally speaking I'll be using character sprites from GrafxKid. On his itch you can see the style and some example animations. They usually fit into a 32x32 pixel frame, and draw from a 55-color palette. I'll be filling in the gaps with environment art from surt, although these will have to be recolored.
tumblr_inline_p1wfxnPMW11ryzdv6_500.png
As for the character I'm requesting, the boy genie, the idea is that he's only half-jinn, and he's been blissfully unaware living a normal life. Then he gets introduced to a world that was invisible to him, and discovers his abilities. The game will be a lot like Kirby, in that there's a variety of gameplay. This is why I thought it important to stress early that I'll need to swap his lower body for a little tornado, so he can fly sometimes, which will be handy for shoot 'em up stages. A prominent belt might help--like the old Hanna-Barbera necktie trick.

The setting isn't very strict. Think Slumberland from Little Nemo, or Neverland from Peter Pan. A fantastical place outside our normal time and space.
DA6yhEl.png

eUzuGqf.jpg
For inspiration, Bobby Driscoll in Treasure Island is pretty much perfect.



Not to say he should be 100% pirate coded, visually, but that's the closest approximation I can think of. The way a kid might imagine his adventuring getup in his dreams.
2uItioI.jpg

EwZjN3e.jpg

iTiaE0T.jpg
Again, I'm appreciative that you would consider this. I know animations take a lot of work. If there's anything else you'd like me to elaborate on, let me know.
 
Last edited:
Self-Ejected

Zizka

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Joined
Jan 15, 2020
Messages
429
Hi!
Just to be clear, what I meant by:
I’d like to help devs on the codex by doing small things here and there they might be missing so I’d rather tackle this one small increment at a time. Just small things which aren’t too time consuming however, so it doesn’t require a big commitment on my part.

is that I won’t be doing all the assets you’ve requested, not in one shot anyway. I’m happy with doing the boy genie (static) since it can be done in a short amount of time. Then I’ll let other people put in requests on things they’d like for their own games and cycle through requests. If you’re the only one making requests, I’ll keep doing your requests of course.

You’ve cleared up the size and palette but I’m still fuzzy about the design. From what I can tell you just want a pirate-looking little boy so it doesn’t really look like a genie after all, right?

Also, it’s for the game with the first screenshot, right? If so, considering the size, I figure you’d like in a similar style as the skeleton?

* * *

To other developers who’d need something, drop me a message here with your requests and requirements and I’ll get started once I’m done with Moonrise’s request.
 

Moonrise

The Magnificent
Patron
Joined
Jul 7, 2017
Messages
386
Make the Codex Great Again!
I’m happy with doing the boy genie (static) since it can be done in a short amount of time. Then I’ll let other people put in requests on things they’d like for their own games and cycle through requests. If you’re the only one making requests, I’ll keep doing your requests of course.
That's fine. I'm not in a rush. Yes, a pirate-looking little boy, with just a little genie flourish, like a pair of bangles. It is for the project in the first pic, but I have to use different character sprites because I don't have enough in that non-outlined style.

So it should be similar to this:
moAYVe7.gif
3qMDta6.gif
FvtEtXY.gif
 

Nathaniel3W

Rockwell Studios
Patron
Developer
Joined
Feb 5, 2015
Messages
1,226
Location
Washington, DC
Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut Codex+ Now Streaming!
Alright losers, I am going to grace you all with the greatest sprite pack ever. Brace yourselves for 1000+ high-quality spritesheets, and we're not even talking 5 items in 200 different colors here. Armor, weapons, shields, helmets, different kinds of monsters, and all kinds of great stuff. 8 frames x 4 directions. Free to use in commercial and non-commercial projects, with attribution. Details and download link at https://rockwell-studios.com/index.php/himeko-sutori-sprite-share/

HimekoSutori_SpriteShare.jpg
 

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