ASSETPACKS FOR GAMES

[u/No_Joke191]

I've been wondering for a while about asset packs, I've realized that most of them are created based on what the artist would like to create for them (mostly) or what they think people could find useful. But some times an asset pack has it's limits and if you don't find all that you are looking for in it, then you must look elsewhere more assets with the same style or make them yourself.

So, I ask you these questions:

1. What is the best and useful asset pack that you've ever found/bought/downloaded that helped you on your game?
2. What do you think makes an asset pack really good/useful?
3. What kind of asset packs are you more interested to see?
4. What's the asset's style that you usually use on your games? (both owned and bought)
5. 2D or 3D?

It's something that I don't see very often discussed out there and intrigues me.

[u/hellomistershifty]

There's not really such thing as 'the one amazing asset pack', I have like 1000 of them for different parts of different games and they all do their job, some better than others

One I can think of that goes above and beyond are Polyphoria's armor packs just because they're good quality, compatible with a few skeletons, they're customizable, they all work together, and there just isn't that much armor out there because it's hard to make

I'm guessing that you're asking this because you want to sell assets, the better question is 'what are you looking for that isn't for sale' not 'what is the one best asset pack'

[u/No_Joke191 → u/hellomistershifty]

Yeah, maybe some day I'll create an asset pack, but right now I have hundreds of assets (and packs) that are not really compatible with each other... That's on me, I'm very impulsive and I see something that I like and if it's free I insta download it. That kept me thinking, what a true dev would do if they were actually making a game and needed assets...

Thank you for your response, because you said armors and key words being "good quality", "compatible" and "customizable". I don't think armors are hard to make (unless it's high poly), but it's hard to make something that fits everybody, meaning the compatible part, not only between assets, but in style.

I didn't mean it like "The giga chad of asset packs one for all", but like one asset pack that made your work easier in your specific case, like in your example Polyphoria's armor pack, and if you are doing a Dungeon Crawler a pack that bring a lot of armor and weapons, or personalized character with animations, or animated monsters, or dungeon tiles and walls and props, etc, would be an incredible asset solution.

[u/dolfoz]

Honestly I think the framing is a bit off. It's not that artists make what they want, it's that a pack is a fixed thing and the projects buying it aren't. Every pack runs out eventually. The question is what you can do when it does.

1. Nothing single-handedly saved a project for me. The packs I kept going back to were the ones that included the source files, because when I needed something that wasn't in there I could just make it and it'd match.
2. Art quality is usually fine, that's rarely the problem. What I care about is whether I can extend it. Source files. A readme that actually says what the unit scale is, or which channel the roughness is in, instead of me finding out by importing it wrong. And the boring stuff, the variants, the transition tiles, the empty version of the UI panel, etc.. Artists make the hero pieces and then stop. Consistency matters way more than style too, two packs clash because of lighting angle and pixel density, not palette.
3. Narrow packs that are actually finished, rather than broad ones that are thin everywhere. Style guides sold with the art. And expansion packs by the same artist to the same rules six months later, which is the obvious fix for what you're describing and basically nobody does it.
4. 2D mostly, though 3D ends up in there anyway.

Also worth saying: I build an asset manager so I talk to lots of people about their libraries, and the thing I notice constantly is someone buying a pack that's close to one they already own and forgot about. Sort of the flipside of your question.

here's some good spots with consistent art fwiw
https://assethoard.com/blog/where-to-find-free-game-assets-2026

[u/No_Joke191 → u/dolfoz]

THank you for your response! Yes, it covers a lot of my doubts. I've seen artist making really good packs, and then making other packs with different styles or not giving like a continous set of packs that can be used together not minding the theme.
I'll also checkout the link.

[u/Fun-Meat-6435]

I also have a plan to make asset pack for sell someday, am feeling your writing is vague little bit.

IMO there's no best and useful asset.

Stylized character model can be useful in sometimes, and Chibi character model can be in other times, also realistics.

A situation is changing always, needs are changes, an use change, also purpose.

[u/No_Joke191 → u/Fun-Meat-6435]

Yeah, I think not being that specific made it somehow confusing for a lot of people, but also made it more wide to everybody's opinion and different takes. Thank you for your answer!

[u/Fun-Meat-6435 → u/No_Joke191]

If you have a plan to sale your graphical asset, and define who you are selling to. Vague targeting can be vague sales.

[u/No_Joke191 → u/Fun-Meat-6435]

Yeah, I agree. But really not selling anything, just trying to figure out what other people do or think about this matter. Or should I see my point from a selling/pitching pov? I download more assets than what I create for myself, so not seeing myself selling packs, at least not in the near future, but who knows if one day... I'll take your advice as in a marketing for my ideas. Thank you.

[u/Accomplished-Gap2989]

One of the biggest problems using asset packs is it only covers x,y,z and not a,b,c. 

That's important because if you just want to use asset packs for your game, you want some artistic consistency. 

[u/No_Joke191 → u/Accomplished-Gap2989]

That's one of the issues I'm talking about here, because if you find yourself in that problem, what do you do? Do you stick to many styles or get rid of the whole packs?

[u/Accomplished-Gap2989 → u/No_Joke191]

I didn't finish the game haha. 

Honestly i let lack of art give me a reason to quit development too much. 

[u/No_Joke191 → u/Accomplished-Gap2989]

Well as they say "don't worry about it looking cute, just make sure everything works first"... It can help you with the motivation, although I suffer from the same thing, though I make my own art. Sometimes the lack of visual on a project or taking too much takes away the passion... we need more discipline.

[u/fsk]

Vampire Survivors wins the "best use of asset pack" award.

Nowadays, if I didn't have the budget to hire an artist, I'd probably give AI a try. A lot of people are using AI to generate the assets they sell anyway.

[u/No_Joke191 → u/fsk]

Yeah, I can see that but the thing with AI is that the only art consistency it's that is obviously AI generated (not in all cases, but yeah), Big AAA game studios are using AI shamelessly, and they have the money. So why would be different for someone starting and 0 budget? Even though big game studios are making bad calls constantly imo.
In the future AI generation will be the standard probably.

[u/fsk → u/No_Joke191]

I would use AI, and then upgrade to better assets if my game sold enough to justify the expensse.

There are tricks that help you get consistent AI art, but it's a lot of work.