What is the difference between Game Art and Game Design?

The global video games market is booming. In the UK alone, the video games consumer market is valued at £7.82 billion in 2023 according to the leading trade body UKIE. This marks a 4.4% growth to the previous year.  

While the value of the video games market seems to be growing, the confusion of two roles within that vibrant world seems to grow simultaneously: game art and game design. Both roles, as similar as they may sound, are distinctly different, but each play an integral part to crafting immersive gaming experiences.  

At Escape Studios we offer a variety of game art and game design courses from BSC (Hons)/MSci Video Games Design, BA (Hons)/MArt The Art of Video Games to MA Game Art and MSc Game Design. Understanding the difference between these disciplines can help clarify the collaborative magic that brings a game to life.  

Game Art: The Visual Aesthetics 

Game Art is the realisation from visual imagination to visual elements players interact with in the game. Game art entails several subcategories: 

• Concept Art: Concept art lays the foundation for the style and mood of the game. Concept Artists create sketches that define characters, environments and key moments in the game. 

• 3D Modelling: 3D Artists bring the concepts to life in three dimensions, crafting detailed models of characters, objects and environments that populate the game world.  

• Texturing: Textures add colour and detail to 3D models, giving them a more realistic or styled appearance. This step involves painting textures that will wrap around 3D models. 

• Animation: Animators breathe life into characters and objects by creating movement. This includes everything from walking cycles to complex action sequences. 

• UI Design: Game Artists also design the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX), ensuring that menus, buttons and icons are visually appealing and intuitive to use.  

In summary, game art is about the creation of an aesthetically pleasing game world and visual storytelling that enhances the player’s experience. 

Game Design: The Foundation of the Gaming Experience 

Compared to Game Art, Game Design focuses on the player’s journey and ensuring that the game is fun, engaging and challenging. Overall, the world of game design entails: 

• Gameplay Mechanics: Game Designers are in charge of creating the core systems and rules that define how the game is played. This can include combat systems in an action game or the puzzle mechanics in a strategy game.  

• Level Design: If a game has different levels, the Game Designer creates the stages of each of those. Level Designers ensure that each level offers a balance of challenge and progression, maintaining player interest and satisfaction.  

• Narrative Design: In collaboration with Writers, Game Designers oversee the integration of the story into the actual gameplay. This includes dialogue, character development and plot progression. 

• Balancing: To keep the game engaging and fun, the Game Designer ensures that the game is neither too easy nor too difficult. Game Designers can tweak various elements to achieve a fair and enjoyable gaming experience.  

• UX Design: As different gamers have different needs, Game Designers oversee the user experience, making sure the game is intuitive and accessible. For this, the game is regularly play tested. Game Designers who specialise in UX design have a psychological approach to the game by putting themselves into the player’s seat.  

In more detail, Game Designers can be classified as either System Designers or Content Designers. While System Designers focus on gameplay mechanics, features, combat, meta game, balancing and UX. Content Designers specialise in level design, narrative, quests and missions, live service content and characters.  

In summary, and in contrast to game art, game design as stated above is about constructing the framework and mechanics that make the game engaging and enjoyable.  

The Synergy Between Art and Design 

Art and Design are in many creative industries interchangeable. In video games development, the exception is the rule, as the focus lies on designing multisensory, interactive experiences. Game Artists and Game Designers must work closely to ensure that the visual components align with the gameplay mechanics and narrative. Both aspects of the game creation process are essential, and their collaboration is what makes for a successful game.