Do Video Games Exist Without Animation?

Technically, all video games have some form of animation—character movement, object interactions, visual effects, UI transitions.

However, some games lack traditional cartoon-style character animation:

• Pixel Art Games (Minecraft, Terraria, Stardew Valley) – Blocky aesthetic, but still animated (walking, mining, water flow).
• Simulators / Strategy Games (Civilization VI, Cities: Skylines, Football Manager) – Minimal unit animation, focus on systems/UI.
• Text-Based Games – No visual elements at all (Interactive Fiction, MUDs, Zork, A Dark Room). These are arguably not "video" games but "computer games."

Conclusion: Games with minimal animation exist, but all video games use some animation to bring the world to life. True zero-animation games are text-based.