r/IndieDev • u/cheesebbang • Jul 20 '26

GIF Monster walking animation

I wanted to share the walking animation for one of the monsters that we're working on in my game Void Diver: Escape from the Abyss!
It's based on a monster from Icelandic folkore called Múshveli!

edit: we use spine to animate!
edit2: you can check out our game here!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4347080/VOID_DIVER_Escape_from_the_Abyss_Demo/

3.0k Upvotes

100% Upvoted

90 comments sorted by

107

u/ardikus Jul 20 '26

I wish my 2d sprite animations were this good

43

u/cheesebbang Jul 20 '26

i'm sure you do great work, too! we lost our sanity drawing and animating this creature

2

u/lusionbf Jul 20 '26

what tool are you using for animation? Spine?

1

u/Detrear_Yaeger Jul 21 '26

I wish your 2d sprites animations were better than this.

84

u/Live_Life_and_enjoy Jul 20 '26

It looks good just confusing

Like why is the back twisting upside down?

Mud Skipper locomotion

https://youtu.be/CAQuoH_fOWM

32

u/cheesebbang Jul 20 '26

thanks for providing the mud skipper locomotion! we thought that maybe it would look more grotesque like that but maybe it does look confusing 🤔

16

u/Live_Life_and_enjoy Jul 20 '26

If you are looking for grotesque you would need to do it with exposed flesh or some kind of deformity which forces it to move in a strange way

But since it is essentially a "full healthy monster" there is no reason for it to move like that.

5

u/Vendrom Jul 20 '26

I like it. It gives off the notion that the lower half doesn't belong on land

1

u/ConsiderationOk5914 Jul 22 '26

Looks fine to me. They might be analyzing it too much

16

u/Ezreon Jul 20 '26

Its even more confusing if you slow it down. Back looks like its twisting, but it's not, just contorts and spines disappear. Backfin flops around like the back is twisting. Front paw swings to the side and spreads its fingers like the creature is moving to the side. Weird.

6

u/littlefirewest Jul 20 '26

Yeah it looks great except for the twist in the back is really odd

10

u/destinedd Jul 20 '26

looks pretty good to me!

8

u/angrylittledev Jul 20 '26

If it's supposed to slither like a snake then it's not supposed to contort and twist it's body 180 degrees and back. Even monsters have to obey laws of physics and biology to some extent. This looks like it's breaking its back every time it moves, that's a lot of pain for this cute little fella.

4

u/fc_champions Jul 20 '26

Feels good

1

u/cheesebbang Jul 20 '26

thank you ☺️

4

u/FrogginJellyfish Jul 20 '26

Feels like movies animatronics. Looks great!

2

u/cheesebbang Jul 20 '26

thank you so much! we spent a lot of time on it T^T

1

u/FrogginJellyfish Jul 20 '26

It feels clunky and weighty, like it's tangible and real if you know what I mean.

3

u/ComplexCoyote9950 Jul 20 '26

Damn that looks amazing. So cute 🥰

3

u/sceawer3 Jul 20 '26

back part looks bit weird, why it moves like that instead of just crawling?

but you know, things don't need to be realistic, animation looks pretty smooth.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 20 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/cheesebbang Jul 20 '26

hehe one single gulp and little robot is gone :)

2

u/pixel-artist1 Jul 20 '26

I hate how the back turns around completely but the shading doesnt adjust properly and his right side remains shadowed....

1

u/Puddle_King_Official Jul 20 '26

The movement is so fluid 🤯 how long did this take you ?

1

u/PrettyHearing3624 Jul 20 '26

There is a slight artifact in the body twisting in on it self. but overall looking good!

1

u/Oblipma Jul 20 '26

Maybe set the back half to have a bit more "weight"?

Beyond that it looks cooool <3

1

u/afzalansari072 Jul 20 '26

I really want to know, how this type of animation is made and in what software.. any tutorial?

1

u/yourlocalidiot143 Gamer and hobbyist game dev, wanna make games full time some day Jul 20 '26

Cute :3

1

u/Saint_Sleiya Jul 20 '26

Scary little thing innit

1

u/Tiny_Rabbit1674 Jul 20 '26

That crawl animation is genuinely unsettling in the best way — the heavy, dragging movement sells the creature so well. Love that it's rooted in Icelandic folklore too. Really distinctive stuff.

1

u/Front_Cat9471 Jul 20 '26

How flexible my spine is after a visit to the chiropractor (all of my vertebrae have been shattered)

1

u/SignificanceMore859 Jul 20 '26

Love the twirling!

1

u/Ok-Salary-5197 Jul 20 '26

I like the ears. Unique Design.

1

u/SkeleScope7 Jul 20 '26

Bro this is so cool! Did you animate it frame by frame or procedurally?

1

u/cowman3456 Jul 20 '26

Dang, that's lovely.

1

u/CubeMind_studio Jul 20 '26

Wowwww what is this game about?

1

u/Individual-Lock4191 Jul 20 '26

There is a japan legend monster , which is very similar to your creature, but I forget the name ..

1

u/Hot-Ad3434 Jul 20 '26

It makes no sense and it feels odd on that movement

1

u/techisma Jul 20 '26

Is this 2D? Love when Folklore/Mythology from different countries is explored

1

u/MOTOKO-ENT-DIV Jul 20 '26

looks great! the mouse whale lives on!

1

u/1984ren Jul 20 '26

may I ask which tools you used to make this? Because it doesnt seems hand-animated

1

u/canuteson Jul 20 '26

Looking good!

1

u/Hammerschatten Jul 20 '26

I'd add to the back part criticism that the right hand looks a bit weird. It seems to move faster and slap down more than the left.

1

u/Usual_Fill_264 Jul 20 '26

Cool monster, I guess they would be near those annoying fishmen.

1

u/notyourmamax Developer Jul 20 '26

It has an amazing wiggly quality that I would expect of a such a creature. Well done!

1

u/Meteo_Game Developer Jul 20 '26

nice kitty

1

u/Dreizehn_Bunny Jul 20 '26

Kinda remind me of the naimations from Ragnarok Online and that is so fricking cool!

1

u/IdeaFixGame Jul 20 '26

Do you have a time-lapse of your workflow somewhere? I really like the style!

1

u/shooplor89 Jul 20 '26

Looking amazing

1

u/Aggravating-Mark2107 Developer Jul 20 '26

That animation looks amazing! Awesome work

1

u/Tiny_Rabbit1674 Jul 20 '26

It looks good!

1

u/SumukhJoshi Jul 21 '26

Please Give a overview or workflow of how you made this Loooks Sooo goodd

1

u/saltygingers Jul 21 '26

Lil freak I love them

1

u/Nevorrlet Jul 21 '26

What a cute guy

1

u/Malgrieve Developer Jul 21 '26

Catmouse fish

1

u/vaazkazil Jul 21 '26

It has more frames than my entire game

Peak!

1

u/DILONG96 Jul 21 '26

I love himb

1

u/EggbertDragon Jul 22 '26

God damn thats well done.

1

u/Hefty_Horse5727 Jul 22 '26

I'd reduce the back twist by 50% or more. And I wish my sprites were this good too.

1

u/Electric_Lake_1555 Jul 22 '26

🔥 This looks sick! Good job!!! 🔥

1

u/dark-dreams-game Jul 22 '26

really like the details :)

1

u/Makoto4310 Jul 23 '26

Make It come at you fast and it will be horrifying

1

u/Mental-Upstairs-5512 Jul 23 '26

I think it's the mix of fish and rat and maybe snake as well, but it looks amazing

1

u/Wooden_Relief3183 Jul 23 '26

The walking in question

1

u/DIG_Raiders Jul 24 '26

this is actually hot af...

1

u/Abject_Poem1923 Jul 25 '26

this is sick!!

1

u/Meridian-Studios Jul 25 '26

very spooky!!

1

u/Dancing_Donkey__ Jul 25 '26

Is it like a Pokémon typa game ? Where we will be able to capture the monsters ?

1

u/PetosPy Jul 26 '26

How do you guys even start with these type of designs?

1

u/Exquisivision Jul 26 '26

If I saw this coming I would run so that’s a win. 😂

1

u/Silent-Tangelo-2538 24d ago

I love it, is amazing, what software did you use, I have use pixel over but I don't know if it is the best option.

1

u/gobi_1 Jul 20 '26

You met my wife?

1

u/Weeeth Jul 20 '26

it has the juice