Challenge Animation Gameplay 2 – Gameplay Silhouette (February 2026)

Shifting Focus: From Identity to Action

Last month, you established who your character is : their attitude, energy, and how they exist in space.

This month, we're completely changing perspective.

We're no longer looking at the character's interior.

We're tackling a fundamental pillar of gameplay animation, what the player perceives first, even before intent, even before movement:

the silhouette.

Theme : Gameplay Silhouette

The silhouette is gameplay's visual language.

It's what allows the player to understand an action at a glance, even in chaos, even at a distance, even in the middle of combat.

In a game, no one has time to analyze a pose.

The player must instantly read:

• what the character is doing,

• which direction they're acting in,

• with what intensity,

• and what role they occupy in the scene.

In combat, platforming, stealth, action-RPG... the silhouette is what allows the player to react at the right moment.

It's what makes an animation effective, responsive, satisfying.

And it's a skill that can be trained, just like attitude last month.

A clear silhouette equals a clear action.

A confusing silhouette equals an unreadable action, even if the animation is technically perfect.

That's why AAA studios test silhouettes before they start animating.

It's an essential production reflex... but rarely taught.

Why Work on Silhouette

Working on silhouette means learning to build an action that works before even entering animation.

It's an exercise that forces you to clarify your intentions, choose what really matters, and eliminate everything that blurs readability.

By focusing solely on shape, you develop an essential reflex: spotting what makes a pose effective, what weakens it, and what makes it immediately understandable, even without movement.

It's also an excellent way to improve your sensitivity to rhythm, weight, and the energy of an action.

A well-posed silhouette already gives a sense of dynamics, even when frozen.

And for your demo reel, it's an immediate asset: a board of clean, clear, and confident silhouettes shows that you can make strong visual decisions, a highly sought-after quality in gameplay.

In short: working on silhouette means learning to think the action before animating it. And this skill shows in seconds.

Challenge Objective

The goal is to train your ability to build a clear action from the very first pose. You'll practice making quick visual decisions, clarifying your intent, and posing an action without relying on movement.

This challenge pushes you to look at what really matters in a gameplay pose: energy, direction, and how the action expresses itself through the body.

You're not posing a character. You're posing an action. And you're learning to make it obvious at first glance.

The Demo Reel Pack (5 Universal Gameplay Actions)

Here are the 5 proposed actions:

1. Signature attack

2. Dash / dodge / rapid movement

3. Jump or landing

4. Hit / stagger / reaction

5. Charge / action anticipation

You can do 3, 4, or 5 depending on your time.

These actions are universal, readable, and very useful for portfolios.

Instructions

Create 3 to 5 action poses from the Demo Reel Pack.

Choose the most intense moment of each action:

• For an attack: the impact frame

• For a dash: the fastest phase

• For a jump: the apex or the landing

• For a hit: the strongest reaction

• For a charge: the clearest anticipation

Goal:

When each pose is filled in black, the action should be immediately understandable.

What You Should Aim For

Action poses that read at a glance, even in solid black, even without details.

Poses that tell what the character is doing, which direction they're acting in, and with what intensity.

You can exaggerate. You can stylize. You can simplify.

The goal isn't to make it "pretty." The goal is to make it readable.

Bonus Resource (Optional)

Gameplay Silhouette Mini-Kit

To help you during the challenge:

• Express method in 5 steps

• Validation checklist

• Progress journal to document your journey

Download the PDF (Challenge section )

Practical Details

Estimated time: 1 to 2 hours

Featuring the Best Challenges

In the technical article following this challenge, I'll publish a selection of the best poses created.

It's an opportunity to showcase your work, gain visibility, and inspire other participants.

Deadline

You can post your challenge until February 21, 2026.

This gives me time to review the productions before the technical article.

And if you do it later, it's still a great exercise.

How to Participate

Post:

• your color board

• your filled silhouette version

• or both side by side

Recommended format for a professional result:

• 16:9 horizontal (1920×1080 or higher)

• Two versions: color + black silhouette

• Neutral background

• Action name + your name somewhere

No need for a complex rig. No need for an engine. Even a simple mannequin works.

Where to post?

• On the AniMotion Discord: https://discord.gg/ZBgbhmEvUj

• Or in comments (here or on LinkedIn)

• Or by email if you prefer

With the hashtag: 👉 #AniMotionChallengeFevrier

If you'd like to be featured, remember to add your name and a link to your portfolio (website, ArtStation, LinkedIn, Instagram, your choice).

The goal isn't perfection.

The goal is to create a concrete, clean, readable, portfolio-ready asset.

This month, you're training your eye to read an action at a glance, exactly like the player.

It's a short, fun, and incredibly educational exercise.

Now... show me actions that pop in silhouette!