The usual assumption is that a game without art files must look worse. For a certain class of game — arcade, puzzle, abstract — it does not, and it solves problems that are otherwise expensive.
What it removes
Build size, almost entirely. Assets are nearly all of a small game's size. Remove them and what remains is code, which compresses extremely well. This matters most where size is a hard cap — see playable ad size limits, where the entire game must fit in one small HTML file.
Resolution problems. Vector-style drawing is resolution-independent by construction. No atlases per density, no blurry upscales, no separate asset sets.
Licensing questions. Nothing was bought, so nothing has a licence attached — which quietly avoids the problem that breaks game sales.
Theming cost. If colour is a variable, a new theme is a palette, not a new set of files. Five themes cost what one does.
What it costs
- A narrow visual range. This suits geometric and abstract work; it does not suit character art.
- Draw calls instead of file size — the cost moves to the GPU rather than disappearing.
- Harder iteration. An artist changes a PNG; here they change code, or somebody does it for them.
- Procedural audio is a real craft and the pool of people who do it well is small.
This is what we do day to day — the AI Game Generator at Factorial Studio.
