Are you thinking about getting into game development as a career?
A game developer job is an incredible opportunity to make money and do something that you’re passionate about. And demand for developers and designers is exploding.
In 2020 alone, the worldwide PC gaming market generated almost $37 billion U.S. And the worldwide mobile gaming market generated an estimated income of over $77 billion U.S.
You can bet that this will only grow exponentially through the years.
What Does a Game Designer Do?
To create modern PC and mobile games that users rave over, gamers and designers need many skills.
One of the most important is 2D animation.
Whether you’re a skilled animator or looking to enter this exciting and rapidly-growing field, you need to know which 2-D software will help you bring your “A game.”
We’ve curated this list of 5 of the top 2D animation software programs for game developers.
These are some of the most innovative and popular resources available. They’re amazing for both beginners and seasoned pros, and they include free, paid, and open-source models.
If you’ve wondered which 2D animation software just came out with a Unity Engine support plug-in or which one has an AI scanning tool created by Studio Ghibli, you’re in the right place.
Let’s get into the features and highlights of these Top 5 cutting-edge 2D programs for designers and those who want a game developer job.
Synfig Studio – Free, Open-Source, and Efficient
Synfig is an open-source 2D vector graphics and animation program capable of producing film-quality animation. It’s known for its efficiency with tools and workflows that minimize and lower your workload. You can download it using an apk downloader.
Features And Highlights
- Has over 50 layers to create animation
- Transform any vector shape into another
- Multi-platform software operates on OS Linux, Windows, and OSX.
- You can use math to link the parameters of layers.
- The robust bone system uses bitmap images to create a cutout effect
- Over 50 layers (geometric, fractals, gradients, etc.) that allow you to create simple and complex animations
- Offers many drawing tools and the ability to import artwork created off-platform
- Integrated soundtrack
Learning & Investment
Synfig offers a free video course, documentation, and a free forum for learning and support.
There are two free versions: a stable version for everyday projects and a developer version to try out new and experimental features.
Toon Boom Harmony – Paid With Unity Engine Support
Toon Boom Harmony is one of the best professional-grade 2D animation software platforms. It allows you to create feature-rich narrated animation for film, web, and television.
Projects created with Toon Boom Harmony include The Simpsons, Rick and Morty, Futurama, and Bob’s Burgers.
A new Unity Engine plug-in further supports game developers.
Features and Highlights
- Bitmap and vector drawing
- Advanced painting tools
- Paper drawing tools for scanning and cleaning up traditional drawings
- Puppet animation tools like advanced rigging and deformer tools
- A convenient composite tool so you can add visual effects right in the software
- A 3D stage can be used to create multi-plane settings
- The latest version has an official support plug-in with Unity Engine
Learning And Investment
Toon Boom Harmony offers a free learning resource with webinars and expert tips and tricks. There’s also a video animation course for $35.00.
Three service plans range from $25.00 per month to $117.00 per month. All have free trial periods.
Adobe Animate – Paid and Versatile
Animate has been praised for a suite of rich features that empower users to create compelling interactive animations.
You can design interactive bitmap and vector animations. Applications also include animation for apps and the web.
Easy integrations with Adobe’s full creative cloud apps make this option a standout. Developers and those looking for a game developer job might find this option very appealing for that reason.
Features and Highlights
- Constant updating with new features rolling our regularly
- Modern warping, rigging, and vector brushes create natural animation and brushstrokes
- Easy export publishes your creation to any platform and can reach users on any screen type
- Advanced visual and audio features like a virtual camera for realistic views and audio syncing
- Share creations straight to social media
- Integrations with all Adobe creative cloud apps
- Easily export 360 VR animations
Learning and Investment
As you’d imagine, Adobe Animate has a lot of support and learning resources, including free tutorials, live streams, and a user guide.
There are four plans. The lowest tier of investment begins at $21.99 per month for teachers and students. The most expensive plan is $51.99 per month.
Blender – Free, Good For Freelancers, And A Thriving Community (H2)
Blender is a 2D program for creating games, visual effects, animated films, and other animated content. Game developers praise its versatility and efficiency.
For example, it allows you to undertake various tasks like composting, sculpting, modeling, and video editing right in the application. It also features a thriving creative and technical community and is 3D capable.
Features and Benefits
- A large selection of keyboard shortcuts allows you to keep your left hand on the keyboard and your right hand on the mouse.
- Import or export videos in MPEG, QuickTime, and AVI
- Operates on Windows, Linus, Mac, Free BSD
- A comprehensive rigging system is included with the robust tool suite
- Embeds Python 3, allowing you to create add-ons and tools, extend the interface, automate tasks, or rig characters
- Good video editing and node-based compositing tools for comprehensive video sequencing and post-processing
Learning and Investment
Hosted on Blender.org, Blender is a public project cooperatively owned by its contributors. Blender promises that it will always be free and open-source.
An ecosystem of thriving developers, designers, and entrepreneurs is engaged and active, creating a community that gets new users up and going.
If you’re looking for a game developer job, the community provides enthusiastic mentoring and support.
Open Toonz – Free, Open Source, With AI integrations
Open Toonz is the free version of Toonz, which has been used in massive animation projects like all of Studio Ghibli’s animations. In fact, Open Toonz’s advanced “GTS” scanning tool was developed with Studio Ghibli.
It’s known for being user-friendly and good for both beginners and advanced game developers.
Features and Highlights
- An incredible suite of visual tools like a dynamic palette, tweening, coloring, and bitmap GTS
- Scanning tools with four advanced scan types, save scan settings, sequence number scanning, and TWAIN standard compatible.
- An AI SDK plug-in effects like changing picture style and producing incident light
- Works with raster and vector images
- Integrates with many plug-ins
- Operates on macOS and Windows
Learning and Investment
There’s no investment. Open Toonz provides manuals, an active community for support and learning, and a developer’s forum.
There you have it! Whether you want a game developer job, to develop your 2D skills, or showcase your design, these are 5 of the best 2D animation software programs in 2022.
All of these options are great for different reasons, so make sure to choose one that’s right for your needs.