Whereas some games try to look as photorealistic as possible, others take a more stylized approach with unique hand-drawn visuals.
These creative titles cover just about every video game genre you can imagine but most prominently appear in puzzle and adventure games.
In this list, we’ll shine a light on the finest hand-drawn games on Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch that feature meticulously-crafted art.
By the end, you’re sure to discover a new hand-drawn video game to play to your heart’s content!
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Pentiment
Platforms: Windows, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One
To get started, we suggest checking out Pentiment, Obsidian’s latest narrative adventure RPG set in a vibrant illustration of 16th Century Bavaria.
In it, you take on the role of Andreas Maler, a gifted artist who finds himself entangled in a web of murder, scandal, and other decision-driven scenarios.
The game features a breathtaking hand-drawn art style with splashes of water coloring and elaborate 2D backgrounds throughout.
I Was a Teenage Exocolonist
Platforms: Windows, PS5, PS4, Switch, Mac, Linux
Coming courtesy of Northway Games and Finji, I Was a Teenage Exocolonist is another story-driven RPG with colorful hand-drawn visuals.
Blending life sim and deckbuilding mechanics, it casts you as a youthful explorer growing up in humanity’s first extrasolar space colony.
With your entire life ahead of you, you’ll have to navigate the challenges that come with futuristic technology, unusual wildlife, and everyday life as a teenager.
TOEM
Platforms: Windows, PS5, Switch
If you’re searching for an entertaining hand-drawn game for Switch, look no further than TOEM, a remarkable indie gem that combines photography and hidden object gameplay.
In it, you follow an inquisitive photographer as they set off on an adventure to discover the many wonders and creatures that inhabit their hand-drawn achromatic world.
Along the way, you’ll get to meet a host of eccentric characters and photograph unique subjects under extraordinary conditions.
LAPIN
Platforms: Windows, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One
Switching gears now, LAPIN is a hand-drawn 2D precision platformer that centers on a group of courageous rabbit adventurers.
The story follows five intrepid hares as they set out to find a new place to settle after a construction project destroys their woodland home.
This leads them on a thrilling adventure spanning hand-crafted environments where the rabbits will have to gather objects, make allies, and avoid danger.
Boxville
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux
Next up on our list is Boxville, a point-and-click adventure puzzle game about speechless cans living in a city of boxes.
Gameplay revolves around complex logic puzzles and riddles that can be tackled solo or with a friend or family member by your side.
As such, the game presents itself as a sort of 2-in-1 package, functioning as both a hand-drawn animated film and puzzle game.
Slice of Sea
Platforms: Windows, Mac
Conceived by famed point-and-click adventure game designer Mateusz Skutnik, Slice of Sea is an engrossing and serene hand-drawn puzzle game.
In it, you assume control of Seaweed, a fish-out-of-water protagonist tasked with exploring a barren world of dust to collect items and solve puzzles to get back home.
Central to the game’s identity is its distinctive hand-drawn art style with muted colors and elaborate line work that brings each screen to life.
Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator
Platform: Windows
If you’ve got a yearning for some potion crafting fun, then Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator will fit the bill while sporting a charming hand-drawn art style.
As a medieval potion shopkeeper, your job is to brew and sell various mixtures to patrons suffering from distinctive ailments and struggles.
This is done by combining an array of herbs, spices, and other natural materials grown in your garden to create and discover powerful elixirs.
GRIS
Platforms: Windows, PS4, Switch, Mac, iOS, Android
Our next suggestion for eye-catching hand-drawn games is GRIS, a platforming adventure about a young woman’s journey to reclaim her voice in a colorless world.
Gameplay sees you traversing somber 2D levels filled with platforming challenges and puzzles that require you to use an ever-expanding repertoire of abilities.
As you glide, slide, and soar across landscapes to reach new areas and evade pursuers, you’ll gradually bring back color to GRIS’ world.
Hades
Platforms: Windows, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, Mac
Having won several accolades for its gameplay and writing, Hades is an absolute must-play for anyone who enjoys roguelikes or games with a hand-crafted aesthetic.
In it, you play as the son of Hades on a quest to escape the underworld and your father’s domineering nature by any means necessary.
To do so, you’ll have to arm yourself with a host of melee and ranged weapons capable of standing toe-to-toe with extraterrestrial foes.
Wildermyth
Platforms: Windows, Switch, Linux, Mac
Carrying on, our next recommendation is Wildermyth, a strategic RPG with a distinctively 2D papercraft art style that gives characters and scenery a pop-up book appearance.
Each run sees you leading a party of randomly generated heroes into combat as they change over time, growing older, falling in love, and one day meeting their demise.
There’s a lot of intricacy and strategy to Wildermyth’s combat, allowing you to exploit enemy weaknesses from different angles by relying on teamwork and positioning.
Spiritfarer
Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, Linux, Mac
Striking the perfect balance between a platformer and management sim, Spiritfarer boasts both cozy gameplay and hand-drawn visuals.
The story centers on a young woman tasked with helping departed souls transition into the afterlife by resolving any loose ties they may have.
This requires you to cook them meals as you travel around a colorful world by boat gathering items and learning more about each passenger’s unique journey through life.
Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights
Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch
These days, it’s not uncommon to see indie Metroidvania games take the hand-drawn approach when depicting their characters and surroundings.
A notable example of this trend is Ender Lillies: Quietus of the Knights, a Soulslike gloomy fantasy action RPG that casts you as a cryptic woman aided by a ghostly knight in battle.
Combining her and the knight’s powers, Lily embarks on a melancholy adventure that will force her to make arduous decisions against overwhelming odds.
Islets
Platforms: Windows, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch
Islets is another Metroidvania that features hand-drawn visuals with painterly effects and laid-back gameplay that make it stand out from other games in the genre.
In it, you follow an aspiring hero as he travels across beautifully drawn islands meeting a wide range of quirky characters and battling enemies.
The game’s stellar art direction is further complemented by an outstanding soundtrack that reinforces the laid-back vibe it’s going for.
Omori
Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, Mac
Drawing inspiration from games like Earthbound, Omori is story rich indie RPG that explores themes of psychological terror and friendship.
While the overworld is rendered in retro-style pixel art, battles and other key moments in the game are accompanied by hand-drawn imagery.
This is just one of the myriad ways Omori manages to subvert players’ expectations and put its own twist on existing RPG tropes.
Cuphead
Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, Mac
When you think of outstanding hand-drawn video games, Cuphead is one of only a few titles that instantly come to mind.
Comparable to classic run-and-gun games, it offers challenging action-platformer gameplay with boss battles that require precision.
If you’re up to the task, the adventure is well worth a chance to bask in Cuphead’s truly hand-drawn rubber hose animations.
Gorogoa
Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
To wrap things up, we’ve chosen to include Buried Signal’s hand-crafted puzzle game Gorogoa.
Initially conceived as an interactive graphic novel, the game sees you navigating a 2×2 grid with up to 4 panels that come together to narrate a tale.
Getting there is half the enjoyment as players must arrange them in the proper order as well as zoom in or out to trigger each sequence.