Free Game Development Resources

Compiled 2014-03-10 / Updated 2022-09-17

As noted elsewhere, my total inability to draw has often hindered my creative processes, forcing me to rely on overlong text descriptions or poorly-drawn sketches. While researching other possible graphic sources, I came across several sites brimming with resources for game developers like myself, who wish to use CC and PD art to make new games.

Below are links to some of the sources I’ve been using, compiled as of March 10, 2014. The links were last updated and verified on January 02, 2024.

  • Art Assets for Game Developers - The name says it all. Part of LetsMakeGames, a Australian non-profit that supports game development.

  • OpenGameArt.org - Also listed on the site above, this site includes free sprites, tiles, sounds, and other useful bits.

  • Game-icons.net - A collection of SVG-based game-related icons that can be used in most any digital (or paper) games.

  • Ambrosine’s Game Creation Resources - A searchable database of game engines and resources, plus lots of info about classic games.

  • Pixabay - A searchable database of over a million public domain “royalty-free” images (but beware of license changes, no matter how good the intentions may appear…).

  • Wikimedia Commons - Boasting of 46101(!) million media items, this is the media collecting arm of the Wikimedia Foundation (the keepers of the Great Oracle of All Knowledge).