How Do You Approach Simple 2D Character Animation for Mobile Games?

Hey everyone,

I’ve been playing around with some 2D mobile game concepts recently, mostly casual multiplayer stuff, and I’m curious how others approach basic character animations for games — like walking, jumping, or idle loops.

I’ve experimented a bit with Adobe Animate and even tried exporting sprite sheets for Unity. But I sometimes find it hard to get that “bouncy” cartoony movement without spending way too much time on small details.

I was exploring how minimal character movement can still feel dynamic in multiplayer games, and came across a cool game design breakdown that analyzes how Stickman Party handles its animations and mechanics — really simple but effective stuff.

Just wondering:

• Do you usually animate everything manually, or use tweening + bone rigs?

• What’s your favorite tool for building sprite animations for mobile?

• Any workflow tips to keep things lightweight and optimized?

Would love to hear how you all manage game art without overcomplicating it.

Cheers