Sprite
2025/12/27
- Type
- Learning Resource
- Format
- Glossary Article
- Version
- General
- Subject Tags
- Created
- Updated
- 2026/02/16
- 2025/12/27
Sprite
A sprite is a 2D graphic object that is integrated into a larger scene. Sprites are a fundamental part of game design. They are the visual elements that the player interacts with and are used to represent characters, items, backgrounds, and more.
According to Wikipedia#Etymology>), the term was coined because sprites "float" on top of the background, like spirits or ghosts.
Sprites are used in both 2D and 3D games. In 2D games, sprites often make up most of the visual aspect of the game. They can be static images or animated sequences. In 3D games, sprites are often used for certain visual effects, like particles or explosions, or for elements that don't need to be 3D, like the user interface.
In Godot, a Sprite2D is a Node that displays a 2D texture. You can manipulate its properties to change its position, rotation, scale, etc. You can also change the texture it displays, allowing you to animate the sprite by changing the texture over time. Godot also provides an AnimatedSprite2D to display animated textures, and the equivalent Sprite3D and AnimatedSprite3D nodes for displaying sprites in 3D scenes.
