Master the Art of 2d Game Animation!
Most animation books focus on film—but what if you want to animate for video games? Dream. Create. Play. 2D Animation for Games teaches you step by step how to design, animate, and implement 2D animations specifically for interactive gameplay. Using Super Ubie Island 2 as a case study, you’ll see how a real game was built from the ground up—then apply what you learn with hands-on activities!
💡 Learn the techniques used in actual game development
🎨 Design, animate, and refine your game-ready assets
🎮 Create animations that feel responsive, fluid, and fun to play!
📖 Includes hands-on activities so you can start animating today!
PERFECT FOR ARTISTS AND TEACHERS!
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Learn from a Real Game – Super Ubie Island 2
Dream. Create. Play. 2D Animation for Games isn’t just about theory—it gives you a behind-the-scenes look at how a real game was built from the ground up. The book uses Super Ubie Island 2, a handcrafted indie game created by award-winning developer Andrew Augustin, as a case study to break down the entire animation process.
You’ll see firsthand how characters, environments, and animations were designed specifically for an interactive game world. From thumbnail sketches to polished in-game sprites, every step is explored with real examples from the game’s development.
This unique approach lets you follow along with a real project instead of just reading abstract concepts.
THUMBNAIL
Learn how to start your animation with quick, rough thumbnail sketches. These small drawings help map out key poses, composition, and movement before committing to details—an essential step for animating efficiently in games.
ANIMATIC
Discover how to turn thumbnails into an animatic—a rough, timed version of your scene. This step ensures your animation has the right pacing and flow before moving forward, helping you avoid costly revisions later.
PENCIL TEST
See how to refine your animation with a pencil test, adding smooth, clean linework to bring your scene to life. You’ll learn how to test motion, weight, and expression before applying final details.
FINAL ANIMATION
Bring everything together with polished colors, shading, and final touches! Learn how to optimize your animation for video games, ensuring smooth, game-ready movement that enhances the player’s experience.
Available in Digital & Paperback Formats!
Dream. Create. Play. 2D Animation for Games is available in both digital and physical paperback formats, so you can learn in the way that works best for you!
The paperback edition features crisp, full-color images, making it easy to follow along with every step of the animation process. With over 100 unique illustrations, you’ll see exactly how game animations are developed—from rough sketches to fully polished, game-ready assets.
Prefer a digital version? The eBook edition gives you instant access, so you can start learning right away!
📘 Choose your format and start animating today!
Here’s just some of what you’ll learn:
✔️ How to design characters with strong silhouettes and readable poses
✔️ Creating thumbnails to quickly plan movement and expressions
✔️ Drawing key poses and in-betweens for smooth, game-ready movement
✔️ Understanding animation timing and frame economy for fluid gameplay
✔️ Understanding spritesheets and how they’re used in game engines
✔️ How to optimize animations for smooth performance in a game
✔️ Designing parallax backgrounds to add depth and movement to levels
✔️ Planning and animating cutscenes for storytelling in games
✔️ Creating title screens
✔️ Designing HUD elements that provide clear feedback to players
✔️ How to go from thumbnail sketches to final polished animations
✔️ How to work within technical limitations while keeping animations smooth
✔️ How to test animations in-game and refine them for better gameplay feel
About the Author
Andrew Augustin
Andrew Augustin is an accomplished game designer, 2D animator, and professor at the University of Texas at Austin. With a career that spans game development, character design, and teaching, Andrew has built a reputation for his unique artistic vision and dedication to his craft. As the creator of games like the Super Ubie Island series, Up Up Ubie, Sheep Herder Nay, and Astro Vault, he has honed his skills in bringing imaginative worlds and characters to life.
Andrew’s journey as an artist and educator has naturally led him to author books that share his knowledge and experience with aspiring game designers and animators. His books, including Dream. Create. Play. 2D Animation for Games, offer practical, hands-on guidance drawn from years of professional work in the industry and his role as a professor, making complex topics accessible to anyone looking to break into game design, animation, and more.
Games He Created
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Super Ubie Island
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Super Ubie Island 2
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Up Up Ubie
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Sheep Herder Nay
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Astro Vault
Games He Worked On
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The Sims 3: Pets (EA)
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Projects for Paramount
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Projects for Aristocrat Gaming
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Projects for Bleacher Report
His experience in both indie and large-scale game development gives him a unique perspective—balancing creative freedom with industry-level polish. In Dream. Create. Play. 2D Animation for Games, Andrew brings this knowledge directly to aspiring animators and game developers, showing them how to turn ideas into game-ready animations that feel smooth, responsive, and fun.