We can collectively agree that video games are more than just interactive experiences — they are works of art that leave lasting impressions on players. Sure, hyper-realistic graphics have become commonplace over time, but it’s often the most artistically daring games that truly stand the test of time. A unique art style gives a game soul, impacting how we feel about and remember its world.
Decades after their release, visually distinctive titles remain fresh in our minds, untouched by the aging effect of graphical trends. Whether it’s a hand-painted aesthetic, striking minimalism, or even claymation, games with unique art styles embed themselves in our hearts, becoming unforgettable. Bold, imaginative, and instantly recognizable in a sea of photorealism, here are 10 games with the most incredibly unique art styles ever.
10
Okami
A divine adventure returning soon
In 2006, Clover Studio and Capcom gifted the world Okami, a spiritual adventure through the rich tapestry of Japanese art and mythology. Launched initially for the PlayStation 2, Okami put players in the role of the Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu. Embodied by a magnificent white wolf, Amaterasu embarks on a journey of restoring life to a cursed land.
Okami boasts a distinctive sumi-e ink art style, which is art done in monochrome. Paired with the game’s cel-shaded graphics, the art style isn’t just a gift for the eyes — it is unforgettable. Every frame in Okami feels like a masterful painting in motion. Thankfully, the game received an HD remaster for other platforms, including PC, making the magic of Okami accessible to all. Gamers across the world were overjoyed when a sequel to this beautiful game was announced at the 2024 Game Awards, making it one of the biggest video game reveals ever.
Okami
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9
Scorn
You’re not forgetting it any time soon
Say what you will about Ebb Software’s Scorn — and there’s plenty to say — but its art style is undeniably unforgettable. Inspired by Swiss artist H.R. Giger’s biomechanical designs, Scorn succeeds in creating a disturbing, otherworldly landscape of flesh and metal as it tasks players to survive through a hellish, biopunk world of puzzles, nightmares, and flesh.
The game’s unsettling art direction immerses players in an environment that feels alien yet terrifyingly organic. Granted, the combat and other gameplay elements are clunky and frustrating, but the nightmarish surroundings do their part perfectly well, leading to an unforgettable art style. Granted, the game never did too well, but at the very least, it wasn’t a huge video gaming failure and still managed to leave a mark on its players.
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Scorn
8
Limbo
Minimalism done fantastically
When it comes to unique and unforgettable artistic experiences, Limbo certainly stands out in the hearts of every player who has played it. A hauntingly beautiful and minimalistic puzzle-platformer, Limbo utilizes a monochromatic art style, embracing silhouettes and negative space. Art isn’t always visual, and Limbo proves that well with how players often have to use the sounds around them for puzzle-solving as well. It might not deliver horror the way some of the greatest horror-game franchises do, but it sure delivers a sense of dread down your neck every other minute.
Fourteen years old now, Limbo remains as great an experience as it was on day one, thanks to its incredible art style. Filled with tension and unease, the gameplay constantly keeps you on your toes, while the dark, lonely environments drive home the dread this game makes you feel.
Limbo
7
Viewfinder
Say cheese
Those with a knack for photography are going to absolutely love Viewfinder. Sad Owl Studios’ single-player puzzle adventure turns perception into reality, with its art style constantly shifting and evolving based on player interaction. The game revolves around placing photographs, paintings, and all kinds of images in the environment, which then reshape the world around you.
A visually dynamic experience through-and-through, players will undoubtedly find themselves grinning as the art style changes with each interaction — from hand-drawn sketches to pixel art and even photorealistic imagery at times. The world of Viewfinder feels fluid and malleable, and this reality-bending adventure leaves an imprint on the mind with its unforgettable art styles and their manipulation. Did I mention the game has a talking cat, too?
Viewfinder
6
Superhot
A visual tour-de-force
In an era of saturation of modern shooters, Superhot strips away the excess, delivering a minimalist yet striking aesthetic while delivering dopamine for every kill you get with your weapon. The game’s world is rendered in stark white environments, with faceless, polygonal enemies in glaring red. This short, action-packed game doesn’t just boast a unique art style — it actively utilizes it, making it easier for the players to track threats and strategize.
Not only is Superhot’s art style incredibly unique, but also its gameplay loop. The game’s time-manipulation combat transforms each combat encounter into a tactical puzzle where every movement counts. Without unnecessary visual clutter, Superhot’s low-poly art style and visuals deliver only the important things, and they do it fantastically well, achieving a timeless look that will never feel dated. Superhot even has a fantastic VR version that you can play, and it is undoubtedly one of the most enjoyable VR games you’d play.
Superhot
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5
Journey
An ageless experience
It would be impossible to talk about video games with unique art styles without giving Thatgamecompany and Sony’s Journey its flowers. Minimalist yet breathtaking in every frame, Journey’s vast desert landscapes, warm with hues of gold and orange, evoke deep emotions in its players. The visual style creates a sense of isolation and wonder, and the Traveler’s robes, forever flowing, add an elegance to the game’s wonderful atmosphere. An absolute masterpiece from start to finish, Journey is one of the classic games that every player should play once in their lifetime.
Journey was published for the PlayStation 3, and even today, its art direction, lighting, and paint-like textures feel just as good to experience. Furthermore, the game earned the honor of being the first video game to be nominated for a Grammy for its hauntingly beautiful soundtrack. With bright and vibrant sand dunes, shadowy ruins and the icy blues of a desolate mountain, Journey takes players on an adventure that isn’t just unforgettable, but also intimate.
Journey
4
Gorogoa
Picture-in-picture
Players who love puzzle-solving games must play Gorogoa at least once in their lives. A puzzle-game like no other, Gorogoa is a visual experience, featuring intricate, hand-drawn panels that merge together in surreal and ingenious ways. In fact, it’s difficult to explain the game’s puzzle-solving mechanics using words alone. Each puzzle is a work of art, meticulously crafted with delicate strokes and vibrant, paint-like hues. Gorogoa is one of the many great games that are criminally underrated, but then finds its way onto each of its player’s recommendation list.
Gorogoa invites players to zoom in on its puzzles, layering every image atop another, and connecting visual elements in unfathomably exciting ways. The game’s art style, and its utilization of it in its gameplay, leaves players stunned. Furthermore, the joy of solving puzzles in Gorogoa is doubled when you play with a partner, helping each other figure things out. A timeless work of visual storytelling that is both mesmerizing and deeply satisfying to experience, Gorogoa truly is a game every gamer must play.
Gorogoa
3
Gris
Playing a painting
Perhaps the best way to describe 2018’s Gris is that it’s a visual poem. The platform-adventure game by Nomada Studio uses a watercolor-inspired art style, which flows beautifully with the game’s emotional themes. Gris is a hand-painted masterpiece — vibrant bursts of color take over shades of gray as the titular protagonist regains her lost voice. If you happen to be running some of the best monitors available today, Gris’ wonderful art style becomes even more of a joy to take in with every frame.
Gris presents players with shifting landscapes — abstract architecture, ink-like splashes, and even ethereal lighting — all of which reflect the game’s themes of grief, healing, and self-discovery. Each animation in the game feels fluid and elegant, and the distinct absence of any outlines makes the entire experience feel so incredibly dreamy and soft that Gris makes it impossible not to be emotionally impacted by the game’s art style alone. The game’s art style isn’t just an aesthetic — it is its emotional language, speaking directly to the hearts of players without words.
GRIS
Gris is a relaxing puzzle game that sees you play as Gris, a girl trying to work through unfavorable experiences.
2
Shadows Over Loathing
Stick figures never looked this good
Shadows Over Loathing is the sequel to 2017’s West of Loathing, and its simple yet hilariously effective art style remains one of the most unforgettable esthetics in all gaming. This RPG effectively uses hand-drawn, monochrome doodle-like characters and environments, where the sheer simplicity of the art style amplifies the game’s humor and charm.
Shadows Over Loathing’s black-and-white aesthetic evokes the feeling of a sketchbook full of doodles coming to life, and the comedic tone of the plot is certainly better for it. You’re not going to see high detail in the game’s art style, but the minimalism is what truly delivers a visual aesthetic as memorable as any high-budget production.
Shadows Over Loathing
1
Cuphead
Hand-drawn tribute to the past
Studio MDHR’s 2017 Cuphead is a love letter to the golden age of animation. The game brings to life 1930s-style drawn cartoons with great authenticity, as Cuphead and his brother become repo-men for the Devil. There’s a feeling of deliberate exaggeration in the game’s character designs, their fluid motions, and the vintage film grain effects, all of which come together to make you feel like you’re playing a lost cartoon from a century ago.
The art style isn’t just superficial, either. Cuphead’s soundtrack is era-appropriate jazz, and the sound effects also drive home the cartoon feel. What stands out in the art style as you play Cuphead is the painstaking dedication to detail, which ensures that the game stands out as one of the most visually unique and artistically impressive games ever made.
Cuphead
Games are more than just graphics
Art is inarguably one of the most powerful tools in gaming — not only does it shape how a game looks, but it also impacts how the game feels and resonates with players. Technology has allowed for more detailed graphics with time, but only the most visually unique games remain timeless. Be it Okami or Gris’ living brushstrokes, Cuphead’s vintage animations, or Limbo’s haunting monochromatic aesthetic, these games prove that art direction matters more than sheer graphical fidelity.
The games here don’t just look incredible — they use their art styles to enhance storytelling, atmosphere, and player immersion. Great visuals will not just be about realism but creativity and emotion. Games with unique and unforgettable art styles will forever remain timeless, their artistic brilliance cementing them as some of the most visually striking experiences ever.
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