Art & Design Tools
From pixel art to 3D modeling, here are the tools indie devs use to bring their visual worlds to life.
2D / Pixel Art
| Tool | Best For | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Aseprite | Pixel art, sprite animation | $19.99 (or free to compile) |
| Krita | Digital painting, concept art | Free & open-source |
| GIMP | General image editing | Free & open-source |
| Pixelorama | Pixel art (Godot-based) | Free & open-source |
3D Modeling & Animation
| Tool | Best For | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Blender | Full 3D pipeline: modeling, rigging, animation, rendering | Free & open-source |
| Blockbench | Voxel and low-poly 3D models | Free |
| MagicaVoxel | Voxel art and rendering | Free |
UI & Vector Design
- Figma — Collaborative UI/UX design (free tier).
- Inkscape — Open-source vector graphics editor.
🎨 Note: You don't need expensive software. Blender + Aseprite + Krita cover 95% of indie art needs for under $20.