Our Biggest Regret: Trading Originality for Free Assets

Posted by Gemma Ellison

July 24, 2025

The game looked…fine. Functional. But it lacked soul. And that’s because we chased the illusion of speed, sacrificing originality at the altar of free assets. It’s a mistake I see repeated constantly, especially by new indie devs.

The Siren Song of “Free”

“Free” is a dangerous word. It’s seductive. When staring down a massive to-do list and a limited budget, the allure of a readily available character model, environment pack, or sound effect is hard to resist. We all know the feeling.

We thought we were being smart. We’d save time, allowing us to focus on core gameplay. We could always customize them later, right?

Wrong.

The first problem is that everyone else is thinking the same thing. Your game, built with the same free assets, starts to look and feel like everyone else’s. That generic fantasy RPG with the eternally-running hero animation? Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of designing around the assets, rather than designing the game you want to make.

The Cost of Conformity

Generic assets lead to generic games. It’s a harsh truth. When your characters, environments, and sounds are identical to those found in countless other projects, your game loses its unique identity.

Remember "Zombie MMO #47"? Probably not. It blended into the background noise of the indie scene. It was built using, almost exclusively, free assets.

Our own early project, “Space Janitors,” suffered a similar fate. We used a free space station pack. The level design ended up being dictated by the limitations of those prefabricated rooms. We tried to force our vision into someone else’s mold. It flopped.

This doesn’t mean free assets are inherently evil. It’s about how you use them.

Finding the Right Balance

The key is to find a balance between leveraging the efficiency of free assets and preserving the originality of your game. Here are some strategies:

First, modify. Don’t use assets straight out of the box. Change the textures, remodel parts, add unique details. Take that free character model and give it a completely different outfit, hairstyle, and color scheme. This alone can make a huge difference.

Consider a game like "Axiom Verge". While Tom Happ undeniably used purchased assets in its development, he heavily modified and transformed them, creating a uniquely unsettling and alien aesthetic.

Second, combine. Mix and match assets from different sources to create something new. Layer textures. Combine models. Chop up animations and Frankenstein them together. You’ll be surprised at what you can create.

Third, prioritize. Identify the elements that are crucial to your game’s identity. What makes your game unique? What are the standout features? These are the areas where you should invest the most time and effort in creating original assets. If you are going to make one original thing, make sure it’s your main character.

Fourth, collaborate. If you’re working with a team, divide the asset creation workload strategically. One person can focus on creating original characters, while another can modify existing environment assets. Good communication helps ensure a cohesive art style, even with varied sources.

When Originality is Non-Negotiable

There are times when creating original assets is absolutely essential. Here are some examples:

Unique Art Style: If your game relies on a distinctive visual style, you can’t rely on pre-made assets. Think "Cuphead". It had to be hand-drawn.
Specific Mechanics: If your gameplay revolves around unique character abilities or interactions with the environment, you’ll likely need custom-built assets.
Narrative Focus: Games with a strong narrative often benefit from bespoke assets that help tell the story. The environments and props can become characters in their own right.
Branding: If you have an existing brand, assets must match it. No freebie alien asset will match your IP.

Consider "Disco Elysium". Its painterly art style and unique character designs are integral to its identity. Free assets simply wouldn’t have worked.

The Time vs. Originality Trade-Off

Ultimately, the decision of whether to use free assets comes down to a trade-off between time and originality.

Ask yourself: Is the time saved worth the potential cost to my game’s identity? Will using this free asset make my game look and feel like everything else on the market?

Don’t fool yourself into thinking “we’ll replace it later.” If it makes it into the game at all, it will probably stay there forever.

Be honest with yourself about your goals. If you’re simply trying to learn the ropes or prototype an idea, free assets can be a valuable tool. But if you’re aiming to create a commercially successful game with a unique identity, you need to invest in originality.