In recent years, indie games have been showing up big-time developers in terms of talent. Hollow Knight: Silksong is a fine example. While it did take Team Cherry years to get the game out the door, fans were treated to perfection in terms of graphical quality and gameplay. Cuphead is another example of an indie game where the raw talent of the developers, Studio MDHR, were given time to cook.
These are just two great success stories from the world of indie gaming. The animation in these games is unreal, but they’re not the only great hand-drawn 2D games out there. For fans of animation who want to feast their eyes on something extraordinary, these games harken back to the good old days of 2D animation in a world seemingly obsessed with 3D.
15 Best Hand-Drawn Video Games
Gaming fans can check out these hand-drawn games, which have an artistic feel to them, coupled with fascinating gameplay.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Drawing Soulsvanias
Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Released
- September 4, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
Hollow Knight: Silksong is quickly rising to the top as one of 2025’s best-reviewed games. It certainly had the most hype going into it, and it hasn’t let many fans down. The animation was great in the first game, but the colors really pop in the sequel. It’s easy to see how character outlines jump out of the environments, like they exist on old-school artist animation cels. Hollow Knight: Silksong is a challenging Metroidvania experience that is as fun to play as it is to stop and look at.
Cuphead
This Match Will Get Red Hot!
Cuphead
- Released
- September 29, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
Cuphead did not look real when it was unveiled in 2013 with a teaser trailer. The more Studio MDHR showed, the more unreal it got. How could that be a video game? After years of waiting, fans finally got their answer.
It played like a dream — or more like a nightmare, because this boss-focused game was brutal. The animations were as smooth as possible, which was essential because the game demanded precise timing or else players were dead. There’s still nothing quite like Cuphead out there, although there are many upcoming challengers to the throne.
Ori And The Blind Forest
A Haunting, Sad Tale
Ori and The Blind Forest
- Released
- March 11, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E For Everyone due to Mild Fantasy Violence
- Genre(s)
- Platformer, Adventure
Ori and the Blind Forest is one of the saddest and most haunting games players can embark on alone. That said, it’s also beautiful emotionally and aesthetically, thanks to the art, which looks great in motion.
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While things start in a dark and dreary setting, eventually the little creature, Ori, will explore miraculous locations like ponds so clean that players will want to drink from them. It’s another challenging Metroidvania, so players must stay vigilant to avoid hazards and enemies.
Indivisible
A Turn-Based Metroidvania
Indivisible
- Released
- October 8, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Fantasy Violence, Blood, Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Indivisible is a wild combination of Metroidvania-style exploration and turn-based RPGs. As the protagonist, Ajna, players will explore lush 2D environments and gain allies through mind manipulation. In battle, Ajna can summon ethereal heroes to fight alongside her, and each character corresponds to a face button. Players can create combos akin to a fighting game, which makes sense given that the developer, Lab Zero Games, also made a hand-drawn fighting game called Skullgirls, which is worth a look too.
Disney Illusion Island
A Chill MickeyVania
Disney Illusion Island
- Released
- July 28, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
Disney Illusion Island is a great Metroidvania to start with for anyone not accustomed to the genre, plus it has co-op. While there are enemies, players cannot engage them and instead have to focus on platforming around, except for boss fights. Even though there are hazards, it’s still not that tough of an adventure, which makes sense since it is a Disney game. Mickey, Donald, Minnie, and Goofy all play the same, but they get different-looking abilities. For example, Mickey’s wall-climbing ability is a pencil, while Donald gets a plunger.
Sundered
Deep, Dark, And Colorful
Sundered
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 76 /100 Critics Rec: 57%
- Released
- July 28, 2017
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4
Sundered’s animations are some of the most fluid of the games on this list, between combat and exploring. It’s almost like the heroine, Eshe, and her enemies are evolving ink-based entities that change with the player's input.
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It’s considered a Roguevania, a style of game that combines elements of roguelikes, as the world changes between runs, and Metroidvanias, as there is a giant interconnected world to explore. Play it alone or with friends to see how jaw-dropping this game is in action.
Greak: Memories Of Azur
Switch Between Siblings
Greak: Memories of Azur
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 72 /100 Critics Rec: 48%
- Released
- August 16, 2021
- Platform(s)
- PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X
Greak: Memories of Azur may not be a game many are familiar with, but hopefully that changes soon. This wonderfully rendered world stars three siblings who each have their own unique powers and abilities. After a short opening wherein all three have to be unlocked, players can then freely switch between them to fight enemies or solve puzzles. Players will cut skeletons with swords, swing on ropes to jump across gaps, turn wheels to open doors for their fellow siblings, and more in this short but satisfying adventure.
The Cruel King And The Great Hero
A Cute, But Challenging RPG
The Cruel King and the Great Hero
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 70 /100 Critics Rec: 55%
- Released
- June 24, 2021
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
The Cruel King and the Great Hero is a bit of an underrated gem from NIS, a studio that most gamers probably know from the Disgaea series. This little RPG stars a young girl, Yuu, who goes on an adventure to help her dragon friend. It’s a turn-based RPG wherein Yuu will fight monsters and gain allies to aid her in battle.
The art aesthetic has a rough crayon-like design to it, which makes it look unfinished in the most polished way possible. It’s hard to explain until players pick it up and start playing for themselves. It’s not quite as quirky as EarthBound, but it’s around that same oddball style of RPG.
Silksong, RDR2, & Other Sequels That Were Worth The Wait
It may have aged you out of high school or college, but the wait for these hyped up sequel games was absolutely worth it.