Saturday, July 8, 2006

More free game graphics

Here is another set of free game tiles for a 2D Zelda-like RPG that I discovered lurking on my hard drive. These were created for a prototype title so there are only a few sets completed. These would make a great start if you are in need of basic graphics for your next great game.


Wilderness Tile Set


Interior Tile Set


Village Tile Set


For the time, these were rather high tech.
  • The shadow tiles had a total of three levels of transparency built in so that you could get a deliciously extravagant soft shadow. The plan was to have some sweet assembly code that shifted our 8-bit palette by different amounts for each indexed shadow color. Soft shadows weren’t even a buzz word at that point.
  • You could have objects on top of other objects. Instead of drawing a table tile with a candle drawn into it, the candle could be a separate object layered on top of the table.
  • They were drawn in Painter 2.0 using a pressure sensitive tablet. They were my first graphics drawn in Painter. I never went back to Deluxe Paint again. :-)
All of this is of course trivial these days. If you’ve got a 24-bit 2D graphics engine, life is grand. I still get warm fuzzy feelings thinking about our mad plans though.

You’ll need to chop these up into the various pieces and then knock out the transparent color. It is a bit like a jigsaw puzzle, but it follows the same basic pattern of my other tiles sets. You can use the test pictures posted on this page to see if you are fitting everything together correctly.

I’d imagine that if you are making a 2D game with any sort of wilderness or villages, these would be an ideal starting place and are a lot less painful than tracking down a competent artist. As always, these tiles are free to be used in whatever projects you desire. (I need to get a copyleft license available at some point.) If you do use the graphics, drop me a note. I love hearing about projects.

Download the files here (1.89MB)

Enjoy!
Danc.
Posted by Daniel Cook at 12:43 PM
Labels: , ,

76 comments:

  1. These are really nice. It's a shame they never saw the light of day in a game.
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  2. I will post these in a gaming forum. Hopefully someday they will be part of a game. Thanks again :-) As for licenses, I believe the BSD, from a programming point of view, or a Creative Commons, from an artistic point of view, could fit them nicely.
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  3. Oh I oughta poke you good, dangnabyou!! Shrugging it off as though it's nothing, when them be GORGEOUS graphics, and the folk like myself with little skill in programming and art, reduced to software such as RPG Maker gawdle in the brilliance of REAL PRETTINESS!

    Gah!

    I'd love to use the graphics, but as my tale takes place mostly in the desert, I'd have to use default RPG Maker graphics and they're just too great a contrast.

    But yeah. Really gorgeous graphics. Bravo.
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  4. Looks great, thanks for sharing :)
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  5. I remember when you put these together. If only you could communicate the ubercoolness of the Circle then this would've been used. Sigh... Sadly no one really understood it... including me. :) Beautiful tiles, though. You've done so much beautiful game art that never saw the light of day... I don't know how you keep from becoming jaded and bitter in your old age. :)

    ...oh wait...

    --Ray
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  6. You are a very nice person.
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  7. Now more than ever I hope 2D gaming makes a comeback. It looks like you'd have a lot of ability to contribute to a good old-school 2D project. :)

    Very beautiful art. Take some pride in what you've done!
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  8. Damn. Those are some damn nice tiles. Those would look killer on my DS Lite's shiny, bright new screen. Love the face on the village fence.
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  9. Danc, it has been years since I've seen these but I have not seen anything like them before or since. Being utterly sincere, I greatly regret that we couldn't make this sucker in 2d or 3d, and the stuff you did was truly art. I mean ART. A joy to look at. These suckers are my new wallpaper.

    -Alex
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  10. Absolutekly fantastic! Talk about breaking up the grid.

    I am doing a game project currently, in what little free time I can manage, and have a few questions about how you go about creating your chipsets. If you have time, please feel free to contact me via my Blog at http://mysecretbloog.blogspot.com/

    Cheers!
    ReplyDelete
  11. Hello! Those are some pretty nice graphics, my friend. I'm having some trouble with my new game and I think you could help me with.

    Please Contact me at shariscrapper1@juno.com

    Thanks-
    Nuclear Studios
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  12. These are really nice. I would like to use it on another game engine than these, I want to use it in Game Maker for an original game. I belong to a team which I am the founder called Ultimate Factory© we make high quality games. We would like to add you to our credits page as graphics designer, in return we will give you an exclusive demo of our secret project in exchange of your approval. Please send an e-mail to gsfanatic@gmail.com or give us your account so that we can contact you. Thanks!.

    Ultimate Factory©
    ReplyDelete
  13. Just a note from a lurker to say I LOVE these and have nabbed in the hope they'll make it into a possible 2D game, of which you'll receive news should it happen :)

    /ic
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  14. You are very talented/skilled. I guess ART is something you either have, or not.
    ReplyDelete
  15. Hey Danc, this tileset is stunning! I am hoping to use it in a project I am attempting. I hope I can do justice to your amazing art with the game! :)

    Cheers
    Arjun
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  16. Such great graphics! I often tend to starting new sparetime projects but don't go far quite often, in 99% of the cases because of the lack of graphics. As a coder, it isn't quite motivating to look at my solid-colored dummy-graphics containing numbers for me to identify them. :)
    If you have more tilesets (or other graphics, like animations) lying around unused on your harddrive, I'd always be grateful for those! :) n-fect[AT]gmx[DOT]de

    Cheers mate!

    Luke
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  17. Im with the poster above, absolutely beautiful tileset! Any game I could make with them would not do them justice. But any other tilesets laying around, Id be more than happy to grab.. =)
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  18. These look amazing but being a complete noob, could anyone send me some more detailed instructions on how to make use of these? Like what is the actual tile size and whats the best way to slice these up?
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  19. coder says your artwork is good but i guess you lack teamwork... we are a demo group in turkey join us and work with us. if you are interested email me. burako@ttnet.net.tr
    ReplyDelete
  20. These are awesome... How did you make them? I don't suppose you have a tutorial anywhere that covers how to create tiles in this style?
    ReplyDelete
  21. Wonderful graphics. As a software developer, I'm not much of an artist. I'm trying to use this in a small Flash RPG I'm writing for an ActionScript class I'm taking. Would love a bit more details on how to use these. For example, the images used for TEST7B seems to be missing the very top left stones with the leaves that connect to the rocks...
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  22. Greetings Danc!

    These are beautiful graphics you have here. They have actually been used in my open source MMORPG engine vbGORE for a few months, but I haven't posted this until now. ;) I'm from Kirkland, WA myself - talk about sharing with your neighbors! :) Anyways, I would love if you checked the screenshots out (www.vbgore.com)! As a programmer, I love seeing people use my work, so as a (great!) graphic artist releasing his work, I'm sure you're the same way. ;)
    -Spodi
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  23. Hi Danc,

    Thanks for putting these out here. FYI I used a few of your rocks/trees from this tileset on a project I'm currently working on. I'm considering converting some of your walls/cliffs in this set or maybe a few of the new SpaceCute blocks into tiles for my game, but it'll be a bit difficult as my game tiles are hexagons and the isometry is a bit different :P. If/When I get ambitious and do, I'll let you know.

    http://umbrare.com/
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  24. no doubt some of the best looking rpg tiles i've seen up to date, and trust me, i played em all :P as a previous poster said, its a damn shame these never made it into an actual game.. however, one can only hope that they do, now that you released them to the general public :)

    love your art in general, really good work..
    ReplyDelete
  25. Good Good
    i liked it very much, i'm editing the images to put in my game, my game name is Reino das Almas (in portuguese) Soul Kingdom (in english) and i'm going to use all the tiles
    thanks
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  26. oh my these are so beautiful. I probably won't be using them due to technical considerations but my god they are beautiful. I would have trouble not buying a game that used these, and I buy one game a year and don't give a damn about art.
    ReplyDelete
  27. Hi! I am making a mmorpg for me and my friends(I'm only 11, hut I have some of the skilss). These graphics are brilliant! Thanks!

    At the moment the site is here.

    When it is done expect to see those pics in it!
    ReplyDelete
  28. Can I use your tiles in my commercial game?
    ReplyDelete
  29. I'm making a game and I've just downloaded the tiles to use.

    Visit my website
    www.paleontex.net.tf
    ReplyDelete
  30. Toxsik Killa (Runescape lol)Sep 16, 2007 11:40 PM
    umm i was kinda googling some tiles for a game im producing with my mates but its kinda got ...


    tanks and explosions and stuff

    can sumwon Pl0x give me some kind of link to summing like this rofl!
    ReplyDelete
  31. hey, hope you dont mind when i use these graphics for a new tile game in flash... i'll keep you updated.

    filip . sound[ @ ]gmail . com
    ReplyDelete
  32. Absolutely phenomenal!

    I have not seen a tileset as smooth and detailed as this before, and I have been searching for over a year now.

    May I ask you whether I may use them on my game. I have great difficulty keeping up with my deadlines, and this would be one heck of a difference!:)
    Also, you say you used a tablet.
    I have a Wacom Graphire 4, and I am reasonably adequate with it.
    Do you draw those tiles at a higher resolution, and scale them down?
    I would very much like to learn the technique, because if I do use them, any additional works by me will pale in comparison to your creation!:)
    ReplyDelete
  33. I decided to import these graphics into Scrolling Game Development Kit 2 to create a re-usable tileset from them. (My brother beat me to it actually. http://gamedev.comdel.net/index.php?topic=1079.msg5495#msg5495)
    Can we distribute/use this tileset if we put the proper copyright/credit on it? (If so, what is the name that should go in the credits?) SGDK2 supports automatic merging of credits from imported graphic sets. I'm looking at some of your other graphics, and may be interested in doing the same for others too. My brother and I were big fans of Tyrian and it looks like you had something to do with that too... and you have some unused graphics that appear to be in a similar style?
    ReplyDelete
  34. Wow, real nice graphics, lucky you, i'm using them in a game i'm makeing, well if thats ok with you?
    ReplyDelete
  35. Hey, I just want to let you know that you are really good at making tiles. I wish you would make some characters, monsters, more buildings, snow, desert. I would pay you money :)
    ReplyDelete
  36. Every couple of months, I start thinking about writing a 2D game by myself as an at-home hobby project, then I decide I don't have enough free time. I think that's probably the correct decision to make, but it gets harder every time you post awesome content like this.

    I need to free up some of my life...
    ReplyDelete
  37. Hi Danc,

    Thank you very much for this free graphics. I love it, really really love it.

    I wonder if you have more? If they're not for free then I can purchase.

    I'm looking forward to hear from you.
    --Long
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  38. I am intending on using these for a 2D MMORPG I'm writing from scratch in Java. If you have any problems with this please contact me at ryan_kempt@fastcomputers.ca.

    Likewise with the preceeding comment from Long, if you have similar artwork done that could be used (ie; sprites or animated spells or strikes), I would be willing to purchase them if they are not free.
    ReplyDelete
  39. Thank you very much. These will be really useful for testing our 2D engine.

    --
    ErV
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  40. Thanks a lot, they look amazing!

    I see you also worked on Tyrian as well which makes you doubly great!
    ReplyDelete
  41. I've converted the forest set to 16x16, I hope we can use this in the Sphere community Game. Beautiful graphics!
    ReplyDelete
  42. jolle_haknas@hotmail.comMay 22, 2008 01:31 AM
    Amazing! I will use them for a gymnasium school project. I wonder if you have more of other enviroments, e.g water, desert, castles and temples.

    I am developing an action RPG game, in the style of Zelda - A link to the past, crossed with some elements from Final Fantasy IV, V and VI. It's gonna include a complex storyline, custom-made musical scores made just for the game and well-developed characters.

    It's being developed using C++, using SDL for graphics and input, for use mainly on Win32 but also in the future on Linux and Unix. If you're intrested in making more sprites for this game, I would like to hear from you :) I can't pay anything since we don't got any budget (which really is a challenge), though.

    Thanks again for these awesome sprites! :D
    ReplyDelete
  43. I'm nearly finished a game called "Loot" that incorporates some graphics from this set.

    I've also set up a "Liner Notes" page that can be accessed from the game's credits screen. If you'd like to be credited differently or if you just want to leave a comment about the game, please do so on this page.

    Thanks for the great graphics. You are as generous as you are talented (ie. a lot!)
    ReplyDelete
  44. Hi,

    also have to say thx, i used parts of ur set in my project which is a free tun based tacctics game in rpg style. If u are interested so see it going on i post this link here:
    http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums/topic.asp?topic_id=505402

    //Martin.
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  45. Very nice work man!
    I have a great RPG engine
    that would love to use these tiles.

    I still have respect for 2d gaming, even though I'm in the realm of 3d design now. Thanks a million, these tiles will see the light of day, preferably as an online game.

    Not an MMORPG at first though, but there is always a possibility. You used to work for Epic? Your not the guy who made Jungle Jill are you? Hehe.
    ReplyDelete
  46. If anyone is interested, I have developed a 100% Javascript game using virtually all these incredible tiles :D

    Z-War on Digg
    Z-War
    ReplyDelete
  47. Hi Danc,

    We're using these graphics for an upcoming casual game we're using at Twintale Entertainment - www.twintale.com. The graphics will be used in a small mine-puzzle we have in the game. Will be sure to add you to the credits. Let me know if there are any problems with this at mma@twintale.com.

    - Martin
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  48. Hi Danc,

    we are adding some of these graphics to the default sprite sheets for use with our browser games engines.

    I also put two small sample conversions online, so other people can use them as well where-ever they like, but I am waiting with adding more to make sure you don't have objections and the credits given and required of users are in the right format and to your satisfaction.

    http://www.gamemakerworld.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=14

    We are also making a lot of our own free generic game content, that could help people do their projects without too much expenses for art - if you are interested in any of it (for example rendered avatars), we are happy to copyleft them to lostgarden :)

    Greets, Ben

    metaferax .AT. googlemail .DOT. com
    ReplyDelete
  49. I just found this resource in another blog. This is an amazing work. I love it.

    Great job!
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  50. These graphix are amazing - thank you so much for this. A friend of mine and I were hoping to use some of these to create the base-map for a MMORT (massively multilayer online real-time) project that we're in the process of creating, although it doesn't have a set name yet. It will end up being a bit like Travian or Tribal Wars, for example. Of course you would be put into the credits, and we can send you the link and everything once it comes a long a bit farther.

    Again, thanks so much! We really appreciate it!

    --Augwich
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  51. I am working on a 2d mmo rts rpg and these are perfect! Thank you so much! They are very nice looking.
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  52. I'm taking part in to a four weeks long Finnish game coding contest (held by suomipelit.com) with a Japanese style RPG. These tiles help me a lot as I don't have much time in my hands, unlike many other participants I'm in a full day job during the contest time, and I wouldn't be nearly as good of a graphics artist anyway. I can do pixel work but these go out of my abilities. Thank you very much for these valuable freebies :)
    ReplyDelete
  53. Thanks for the amazing tiles Danc. I'm making an iPhone game and the tiles look brilliant as a base battlefield.

    I'll post when it's completed.
    ReplyDelete
  55. Amazing stuff. Perhaps someone could modify and expand the set to be useable in RPGMaker XP.
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  56. These tiles are exactly what I need to prototype my game and also what I will use to show a (paid) artist the idea of how my game will look for their brief
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  57. Hey, awesome tileset - Im using them for a project at uni to make a basic RPG. Unfortunately with the API we're using i wasnt able to figure out how to use the shadows though :(
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  58. http://z-war.co.cc/zwar.rar

    Converted into a much more usable format (in my case), for use with Z-War :)
    ReplyDelete
  59. Well it's 5 months later and the first release of the iPhone game is out in the app store. It's called Zombie Parade. You can checkout a screenshot here http://is.gd/5qPXG. You'll recognize the background and the base image for the rock. You'll also see it replicated in the ice towers.

    Thanks again!
    ReplyDelete
  60. I honestly love this. I'm using it for my game maker :) Thank you :)
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  61. Wow! These tiles are awesome! It's really hard to come by high res tiles and these are top notch!
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  62. I am speechless.

    Gorgeous work!
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  63. featured there too :
    http://doryen.eptalys.net/demos

    I wish nowadays so called "AAA games" had such amazing graphics...
    ReplyDelete
  64. Wow. Thank you! fantastic! A little bit oldschool, snessy and timeless nice!!!! Great!!!! Thank you. Working with it on a 2d platformer!

    Jot
    www.ilikescifi.com
    ReplyDelete
  65. Wow its REALLY MAGNIFICENT!
    I rarely saw such beautiful tiles, I would like to make a game with it, but my skills are still a bit weak.
    Really good job man!
    ReplyDelete
  66. I am using these tiles for a Java project for tech, I packed most of the tiles on just a few sheets and moved them all up one pixel, because they didn't quite align to the grid. I haven't implemented the shadows because I haven't got much time for this. I have used slick 2D for the engine, so it runs in OpenGL, and it is very fast. I used the TiledD level editor. They look really nice, thanks. I still need some decent sprites though.
    ReplyDelete
  67. hi, i'm gonna create a small 2D game and i'm wondering if i can use these picture.
    it's a very nice job.
    it's wonderful
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  68. wow those are AMAZING, could i use them in a paid android game?
    ReplyDelete
  69. Did you get any money for providing the sprites for this game?

    http://catalog.create.msdn.com/en-US/GameDetails.aspx?catalogEntryId=4ff2a6c9-22ef-48dc-8cb2-1997b35a3633&type=2
    ReplyDelete
  70. These are Just what I was looking for to finish a private game i am making for my brother! do you recommed any game makers your self?
    ReplyDelete
  71. I added a link from a short blog post to this great tile set.

    Maybe somebody from iPhone's developer community will pick it up.

    http://texturepacker.com/2010/12/11/using-texturepacker-with-3rd-party-tile-sets/
    ReplyDelete
  73. I'm using the tileset in my upcoming RPG on ios.. Magelore

    Latest screen shot here

    http://bit.ly/mM8aTb

    Blog here

    magelore.blogspot.com

    The blog is a bit old, will start updating it again soon.
    ReplyDelete
  74. I'm using them in my iOS game. Been working on it for a while in my spare time, still hoping to bring it out around july.

    http://bit.ly/mM8aTb

    magelore.blogspot.com --- haven't updated the blog since Jan. Will be getting back onto that soon.
    ReplyDelete
  75. Learning some graphics programming. I hope to complete a 2-d fantasy game eventually and this style couldn't be closer to what I had in mind. Whether or not I ever progress far enough to use these or complete a project I have to say thanks in advance right now! I'd love to make my own tiles, but I'm no graphic artist and even for educational endeavours this is fantastically timesaving and could aid in mockups, pitches, etc.
    ReplyDelete
  76. So, I've recently been toying with a little game idea of mine, and stumbled upon this post while browsing some Google image search results. Those tiles look gorgeous.

    However, your little mini bio on the sidebar surprised me more. I *LOVED* Tyrian as a kid. Hell, I was playing it just last year for kicks :) Thanks for the memories!
    ReplyDelete

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