Designing a Basic Animation Moveset of a Playable Character for a 2D Side Scroller Game

Abstract

The objective of this thesis was to study and examine the basic principles of animation and fundamentals of video game animation. These studies were then used as the basis for an animation project.

While 3D animation is the standard for modern video games, 2D animation is still relevant in the game industry, and it has been especially popular among indie video games recently. An in-depth look was taken at the positive and negative aspects of creating 2D video games, the animation process for 2D video games, and different approaches to 2D animation in video games.

The production part of this thesis included the creation of basic move-set animations, including idle, running, and attacking animations for a playable character in a potential 2D side-scroller type game. The author has provided an in-depth description of the process of creating animations for a potential video game, including implementing the animation into a game engine.