The older version of this topic is getting quite dated, with some broken links and notable omissions, so after 8 years it's high time for an update.
This is a list of free graphics for games but aims to avoid sprites ripped from existing games in favour of ones that may be legally used in your work. Please feel free to submit your own suggestions, but note that any off-topic posts and all spam may be removed from this topic.
Be sure to check the licensing terms before using any of the linked graphics.
Free Airplane Sprite Pack
A free .zip package right here on GameDev.net containing various aircraft from different (mostly side or top down) angles. Includes fighter jets, bombers and cargo planes. Provided by our very own (but recently inactive) @Prinz Eugn (Mark Simpson). Free for any use with attribution to the author.
Kenney Assets
A huge collection of freely available assets (both 2d and 3d) for many different styles of games, available under CC0 1.0 Universal licensing terms.
In addition to the free assets, Kenney's work is supported by the sale of cheaply available asset packs which you'll find linked at the top of the page, and the fantastic Asset Forge which allows the easy creation of customised game assets.
SpriteLib GPL
A free .zip package of 2d games sprites by Ari Feldman, now available under a Common Public License Version 1.0. Unfortunately, the original website is no longer online, the source website is back online HERE, but the sprite package is attached to this post for you to download: spritelib_gpl.zip
Contains sprites for a platform game, Pong/Breakout/Arkanoid style games, overhead shooter in the style of 1943, and a maze combat game in the style of Tank Force.
Lost Garden
Freely provided graphics from Daniel Cook of Lost Garden & Spry Fox, under licensing terms explained on this page.
- Danc's Miraculously Flexible Game Prototyping Tiles
- Danc's Miraculously Flexible Game Prototyping Graphics for Small Worlds
- 250 free hand-drawn textures
- Tyrian ships and tiles
- Tiles for Zelda-like RPG
- Complete set of 8-bit Sinistar clone graphics
- Unreleased RTS Postmortem: 'Hard Vacuum' (graphics near end of post)
In addition to the above, Daniel also has a couple of 'Game Prototyping Challenges' where he provides the basic outline of a game design and challenges people to implement and iterate on the design to hopefully create a fun game. A couple of these challenges come with freely provided graphics, although in this case the assets are intended for use if undertaking the challenge (a fantastic learning exercise!) in question rather than for general use:
Glitch - Public Domain Art (and code)
All assets from a defunct web-based MMO game, made freely available under CC0 1.0 Universal licensing terms. Get it HERE. Most of the graphics are available in .fla and .swf formats.
Quaternius
Quaternius offers a large range of basic low-poly models with CC0 licensing. You can also support his efforts by purchasing all of his sets in a single file for $1.
OpenGameArt.org
OpenGameArt have a huge collection of different art, constantly added to by new and existing contributors. Quality and style vary, but there is some really good material available if you're willing to spend some time looking. Note that licensing terms vary, so be sure to check each item's license before use.
Game-Icons.net
At the time of writing, Game-Icons.net offers 3044 free icons in SVG and PNG formats with CC BY 3.0 licensing (which requires attribution). The built in editor on the site will allow you to alter the icon size and apply some simple properties (such as background type and colour).
AI War 2.0 graphics library
Graphics from the space RTS game AI War: Fleet Command. Free for use by indie developers. Get it HERE.
Reiner's Tilesets
2d and 3d graphics (use the menu at the top of the site to view categories) available under these licensing terms.
MakeHuman
MakeHuman is an open source (AGPL licenced) tool for creating 3d characters. Output characters can be used under a permissive CC0 license under certain conditions.
GameDev.Market
There are some free assets available via the GameDev Marketplace (our very own asset store!).
Looking to hire an artist for custom work?
Check out our Contractors section, or advertise your project in our Game Jobs board (for paid commercial projects) or Hobby Classifieds forum (for free hobbyist projects).
Looking to purchase pre-made assets?
Try the GameDev Marketplace, or other asset stores such as GameDev Market (not affiliated with us!), the Unity Asset Store, the Unreal Marketplace, or others.
