G
GIMP
Free image editor for textures, UI, and sprite work
open-source Solo-dev friendly
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a free, open-source image editor. While primarily a photo editor, it's widely used by game devs for creating textures, UI mockups, sprite editing, and image processing.
Highlights
- + Completely free Photoshop alternative
- + Powerful scripting with Python and Script-Fu
- + Extensive plugin ecosystem
- + Supports all common image formats
Limitations
- − UI can feel dated compared to modern alternatives
- − Not designed specifically for game art workflows
- − Non-destructive editing is limited
Platforms
Windows macOS Linux