Low Poly Mountain Scene

I believe “Low Poly” art with flat shading, realistic lighting and particle effects will, if it has not already, become a popular choice for independent game developers making 3D games, similar to how pixel art is ubiquitous in 2D games. Of course, voxel art will still be favoured by many due to the success of Minecraft.

It is a fairly acessible art form, which means that while actual artists are still recommended, some programmers and designers should be able to make full games without the need for one.

Here’s my first attempt at a scene using this style, created using Blender and following this tutorial:

I think more detailed scenes, and dedicated artists to create them, would be desirable for some genres, but this would still be acceptable for, say, Strategy or Simulation games, or even an RPG.

I would recommend anyone who is getting acquainted with this style, and finds it as appealing and/or useful as I do, to run a Google search and look at real-world examples such as the game Before.

Update: I’ve set up a Pinterest board featuring this art style.