The Retro Renaissance of Gaming!

From Pong to Wukong, DOOM to Unrecord, and Final Fantasy 1 to Final Fantasy XVI, gaming has come a long way since its infancy. But graphics aren’t everything when it comes to making an incredible game, and a resurgence of pixel art is paving the way for the past to permeate the future. Here are 5 incredible pixel art games that are breathing new life into the old ways!

1. Dave The Diver (Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5)

What do you get when you mix a heavyset scuba diver, a startup sushi shop, fresh crop farming, and karaoke? You get Dave The Diver! In this one-of-a-kind genre-bender, spend your days descending into the watery depths hunting for rare and exotic fish to serve to your hungry customers. At night, slice, dice, and rice your way to becoming the hottest sushi bar in town! With a colorful cast of eccentric characters, and overflowing with soul, Dave The Diver is living proof that charm, heart, and pixels can be the key ingredients to creating an amazing game that delivers in every aspect. With great gameplay, exemplary plot pacing, and that inexplicable pixel charm, exploring the deep ocean blue has never been so satisfying.

2. Loco Motive (PC, Nintendo Switch)

A hilarious murder mystery set aboard a 1930s express train, Loco Motive is bringing the classic “whodunnit” genre back in glorious pixel goodness. Boasting blunt humor reminiscent of Leisure Suit Larry and beautifully intertwining comedy with crime drama, this point-and-click adventure pits players against the clock and a calculated killer. As a colorful cast of retro sleuths, will you have what it takes to solve the case? Full of laughs, puzzles, and intrigue, Loco Motive is proving to be a huge hit with players and showing that, with a few pixels and a lot of love, there’s more to a great game than great graphics.

3. Long Gone (PC)

From solo developer Vin Hill comes Long Gone, a 2.5D zombie survival game set in the decrepit ruins of a neighborhood forgotten in time. This gem is pixelated perfection, driving pixel graphics beautifully into a three-dimensional world. With core gameplay revolving around puzzles and platforming, this extraordinary passion project thrusts players into the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse, scouring the remnant of a time past for whatever it takes to survive. With hundreds of unique objects to be combined and experimented with, and a thread of humor woven through a dark tapestry, Long Gone is sure to shine.

4. Rain World (Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)

From indie studio Videocult comes the marvel and masterpiece Rain World. Strange new life is teeming in the aftermath of a lost civilization where players take control of a young slugcat, a strange new creature lost in a drowning world. Using a unique system of individualistic AI, the team at Videocult has managed to create one of, if not the, most intricate and complex ecosystems ever seen in gaming. With more than 120 unique creatures each vying for their place in the animal kingdom, you’ll bear witness to a beautiful and autonomous struggle for life and survival among the inhabitants of the game. Unfortunately for the slugcat, it’s awfully low in the food chain.

5. Noita (PC)

From developers Nolla Games comes Noita, an unforgiving rogue-like in a league of its own. Meaning “witch” or “shaman” in Finnish, Noita plunges players into a mystical land of magic and mystery. With simulated physics applied to every pixel and a procedurally generated world, delving deep into the belly of the earth is wonderfully satisfying and a visual spectacle unlike any other. Explore your wildest wizard fantasies as you custom craft your own magic and uncover the strange mysteries that lie buried below!