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00:00Welcome to Mojo Plays, and today we're looking at the best video games that utilize a gorgeous
00:09hand-drawn art style.
00:16But before we get into it, we publish new content all week long, so be sure to subscribe
00:21and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
00:25Dragon's Lair
00:33We couldn't make a list about hand-drawn video games without talking about the grandfather
00:37of them all.
00:38Hitting arcades and laserdisc systems in 1983, Dragon's Lair was an impressive feat of
00:44animation.
00:45Directed, produced, and designed by the legendary Don Bluth, it followed Dirk the Daring as
00:50he ventured into a dangerous castle to rescue the Princess Daphne.
00:54Just like Bluth's movies, the timeless style still pops today.
00:58Unfortunately, due to technological limitations of the time, the focus on hand-drawn animation
01:03meant a sacrifice in gameplay.
01:05It has a reputation for being ridiculously hard because of this, but it is still mighty
01:11nice to look at regardless.
01:17Skull Girls
01:22The indie fighting darling Skull Girls made a big splash when it debuted.
01:27Part of this was thanks to the team-based gameplay inspired by Marvel vs. Capcom 2,
01:31but it also stood out thanks to its fantastic hand-drawn visuals.
01:36Every character, whether part of the original roster or from one of several updates, has
01:41a unique flair that really shines thanks to the pristine animation.
01:45The game has gained a huge following over the years, even becoming a mainstay in competitions
01:50like EVO.
01:51And that's no surprise.
01:52With character models this fluid and well-crafted, Skull Girls is just as much fun to watch
01:57as it is to play.
02:04Night in the Woods
02:12The picture-book-like art style of Night in the Woods adds a lot of charm to its setting
02:16and characters, but its story brings darker tidings.
02:20We play as May, a college dropout who has moved back home to the quaint Possum Springs.
02:25The narrative does a great job exploring her mental state while also delivering a tantalizing
02:30mystery.
02:31You see, folks have been going missing in Possum Springs, and there's something iffy
02:35about the town's closed mine.
02:38Each character is deeply and lovingly written, and each design is filled with such delight
02:43it's easy to lose track of time just hanging out in town.
02:50Grease
02:56With no dialogue, Nomada Studios' Grease attempts to tell its story purely through animation
03:01and music.
03:02Needless to say, it more than succeeds.
03:05It follows a woman in a colorless world, bringing life, warmth, and joy back to it and herself,
03:10one color at a time.
03:12Where the start of the game is gray and drab, completing each section adds a layer of beauty
03:16as you continue forward.
03:18But even the starting area is enchanting.
03:21The game's visuals are a combination of hand-drawn and hand-painted.
03:25It's hard not to stop and stare in awe as Grease continuously springs to life.
03:30Unsurprisingly, the team earned several awards in recognition of their artwork.
03:39Gorogoa
03:45Gorogoa is a delightful indie puzzler based around a grid system.
03:50Players must move tiles, combining and studying images to progress.
03:54Every single one is inventive and creative, impressing while also giving you a nice feeling
04:00of satisfaction.
04:01Of course, the hand-drawn art style and fun animations that occur when you solve a puzzle
04:06add a lot to the game's enjoyment.
04:08Developer Jason Roberts drew every puzzle by hand, taking inspiration from Byzantine
04:13art to make it feel real and historical.
04:16The images are also evocative, even including somewhat of a narrative about a boy who lives
04:21through war.
04:27The Curse of Monkey Island
04:34The Monkey Island series has a lot of great games.
04:37For the purposes of this list and hand-drawn art, we have to go with The Curse of Monkey
04:42Island.
04:43The third game follows Guybrush Threepwood trying to lift a curse placed on his lady
04:47love, and once again dealing with his nemesis, the undead pirate LeChuck.
04:52It was worked on by a different creative team than the first two games.
04:55The signature humor and puzzles were well intact, but the new team brought a change
04:59in art style.
05:01Everything was now hand-drawn, with the team painting over scanned-in sketches in Photoshop.
05:06This gave it a distinctly cartoony feel, which naturally matched its whimsical characters
05:11and story flawlessly.
05:15Rayman Legends
05:21For Rayman Origins, Ubisoft developed a special engine designed for bringing hand-drawn artwork
05:27into a digital landscape.
05:28For the HD Rayman Legends, the team undeniably made a moving work of art.
05:34Although there are some 3D polygonal bosses, most of the game is hand-crafted.
05:38We already knew the sequel would be gorgeous considering the first, but advancements in
05:42lighting, crisper character designs, and lusher levels made every single frame a joy to experience.
05:50Beyond how good it looks, it's just a blast to play.
05:52Mechanics are simple but smooth, and every level overflows with personality.
05:57It also includes a bunch of remastered levels from Origins, as well as its own remixed ones,
06:03offering a lot to jump into.
06:10Spiritfarer
06:16In every aspect, you can tell the team at Thunder Lotus poured a lot of heart into Spiritfarer.
06:23Players control Stella, the recently appointed replacement of Charon, Ferryman of the Dead.
06:29You're tasked with sailing across the afterlife, collecting and helping spirits to prepare
06:33them for moving on.
06:34Part life sim, part platformer, the game is at its best when detailing the lives and relationships
06:40of Stella's passengers.
06:41Each feels distinctly real since they were based on people the developers knew in real
06:46life, which makes you care for all of them.
06:49Naturally, there are many moments that tug at the heartstrings, and all of them are told
06:53through beautiful hand-drawn animation inspired by Japanese woodblock artist Hiroshi Yoshida.
07:04Cuphead
07:09The level of hype that Cuphead immediately gained upon its reveal due to its art style
07:14is nearly unmatched.
07:16Studio MDHR wanted their game to pay homage to 1930s animation and music, making their
07:21game resemble a classic comedy tune.
07:24The zany hand-drawn style drew everyone's attention, but when we all got our hands on
07:29it, many were surprised by its high level of difficulty.
07:32It follows Cuphead, and Mugman if you're playing in co-op, as they pay off their debt
07:37by tracking down souls owned to the devil.
07:40Most of the boss fights elicit only rage, coming in multi-phase bouts designed to squash
07:46you.
07:47They sure are nice to look at.
07:53Hollow Knight
08:00As you descend into the dark and dank Hallownest, one thing becomes abundantly clear.
08:06Through incredible design and animation, few settings in indie games are brought to life
08:11as well as this one.
08:12Designer and artist Ari Gibson's hand-drawn creations were scanned directly into the game.
08:18It made Getting Lost and Finding Your Way, a tradition of any metroidvania, an actual
08:22high point because each area had so much beauty to discover.
08:27Then there are the character and creature designs, bringing unique blends of creepy
08:31crawly bug and gothic townsfolk.
08:34Hollow Knight's art style plays a huge part in creating the game's atmosphere, making
08:38the world a haunting but endearing enigma you can't help but burrow into.
08:49What are some of your favorite games with hand-drawn art styles?
08:58Share them with us in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to Mojo Plays for more great
09:02gaming videos every day.